Financial Contributions

• Annual Year-End Fundraiser - Church Roof Painting
  PHOTOS AND LETTER! SUPPORT!
• 2013 Annual Catholic Appeal - SUPPORT!!!
• ParishPay Program
• $TOP Program - Monthly Form - Next on May 25-26
  ORDER ONLINE NOW!!!   SEE BELOW!!!
• Testimonials of Parishioners - September 22-23, 2012
• Parish Financial Report - Fiscal Year 2011- 2012
  in Adobe Reader (pdf - 600 KB)
• Parish Stewardship Report - Fiscal Year 2011-2012
  in Adobe Reader (pdf - 141 KB)
• Explanation of the State of Finances

Annual Catholic Appeal Brochure in Adobe Reader (pdf - 4,339 KB)

“ Love Never Fails!” - 1 Cor 13:8

Please spend some time reflecting on the Annual Catholic Appeal brochure linked above. While funding a number of Archdiocesan ministries, the Appeal supports parish ministries that provide religious education to children, youth, and adults in economically disadvantaged communities. It is also one of the largest philanthropic sources of financial assistance for Catholic schools in the Archdiocese.

This year, the theme of the Appeal is: “Love Never Fails”. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul instructs that love is greatest virtue. God loves us always. He gives us everything.

As we contemplate His gifts to us, we should also reflect on our gratitude for these gifts. Your financial support for the work our parish, of our Archdiocese and of the Church throughout the world is, in fact, one way to express this gratitude. Please give generously to the 2013 Annual Catholic Appeal.

When our parish reaches its goal of $39,454 in paid pledges, 100% of the additional funds received will be returned to us for use in our parish.

In addition to providing for ministries and services throughout the Archdiocese, the Appeal also funds services that are of great help to other ministries here in our parish. For example, Appeal funds support the diaconate program as well as the lay ministry program, of which we have had numerous participants. They also provide promotional material and support for our Respect Life Committee.

Thank you for your prayerful consideration and generous response.

Dear Parishioners,

We are offering the option of using a service called “ParishPay” to make donations to our Sunday Offertory and special collections. ParishPay provides parishioners with a most effective method of making weekly offerings. Regular church collections through ParishPay mean that you will now have the option of donating through your checking, savings, or credit card account and have the funds directly transferred to the parish each month.

ParishPay also collects second collections. Parishioners who use Parish Pay for their regular gifts can elect amounts based on the month and the collection name.

For instance, you can plan individual gifts for the Retirement Fund for Religious, Catholic Charities, and others. This enables you to plan out your gifts, and support what is most important to you.

If you choose to use ParishPay, it will replace your weekly envelopes. However, if you would still like to have something to put in the collection basket, special donation slips are available.

For those interested in such a system, please click the following website link:

http://parishpay.com/customer/donation.asp?id=33639

Follow the simple procedures listed and if Parish Zip Code is asked, remember that our zip code is 60707.

There is no cost to use ParishPay, and if you wish to adjust the amount of your weekly donation, or change your account information, you can do so easily by contacting the Pastoral Center, or by phone at 1-866-PARISH-1, or at the website www.parishpay.com. ParishPay enrollment cards are available in the Pastoral Center.

As always, know that you remain in my prayers.

Thank you so much for your support and God bless you,
Father Jeffrey Grob

Dear Parishioners,

$TOP ONLINE FORM - ORDER NOW!!! - School Website
OR
$TOP ORDER FORM - COPY in Adobe Reader (pdf - 180 KB)

For 20 years, our School has offered the $.T.O.P. ($HOP To Open Possibilities) Program. The possibility has been the opportunity for school parents to earn tuition credit by purchasing shopping certificates through $TOP while also earning some funds for the School. The program is also being offered to our parishioners at large as yet one other way to generate funds for our parish. Many neighboring parishes offer a similar program called Manna. We are fortunate to have a dedicated, hard-working, honest individual who will head this program. Many of our parishioners are familiar with her; she is Jackie Mescolotto and can be reached at 630-918-5168 if you have any questions.

Here is a brief explanation of how the $TOP Program works. You purchase gift certificates for a variety of vendors (Jewel, Dominick’s, Super Low, Caputos, JC Penney, Sears, Shell Oil, etc.) at face value from the $TOP Program. These certificates can be used just like cash for your everyday shopping, dining, and gift-giving needs. The $TOP Program purchases the certificates through a number of organizations at a discount. You are paying face value for the certificates; the discount the $TOP Program receives is kept by the church as fundraising income.

As was noted, the school has successfully run this program for 20 years. It is the parish’s goal to be as successful in an effort to make up for the decrease in Sunday offerings. The school’s success has been based on the biggest selling certificates: groceries, gasoline, pharmacies, department stores, and discount stores. Even in today’s economy, the necessity of grocery shopping and gasoline purchases don’t go away - those expenses remain. Paying for them with gift certificates purchased through $TOP will help the parish tremendously.

You can drop off your completed order form linked above with payment in the vestibules of church on the 2nd and 4th weekends of each month before the 5 pm Saturday Mass and the 7:30 am, 9 am and 11:30 am Sunday Masses in the drop boxes labeled as such. Order forms are also located in both vestibules of the church or at the Pastoral Center. Make checks payable to St. Celestine Church. Then pick up your order when mass is over at the 76th Court Vestibule (directly across from the chapel). Any certificates not available after mass will be available for pick up in the Pastoral Center after 3 pm on the following Wednesday of the respective weekend.

If 300 parish families purchased $100 in grocery certificates and $25 in gas certificates weekly, the parish would earn almost $1,400 weekly! This is a very “general” example; the potential is there for even more earnings based on the number of families attending mass and the variety of vendors available through this program. Use the certificates for everyday shopping in place of cash or to give as gifts.

Thank you for your support of this worthwhile program. We are always available to answer any questions you may have; feel free to call either of us. We look forward to developing this program for our parish.

Nancy Mueller, Business Manager
St. Celestine School $.T.O.P. Program Coordinator
708-453-2555

Robert “Bob” Montgomery on September 22, 2012
at 5 pm Mass

I joined this parish almost 24 years ago. This is truly my spiritual home. I became a convert in my early thirties at a Chicago parish that I attended for five years. I did not find what I was looking for and drifted away from church for four years.

During that time I moved to Elmwood Park. One Sunday I was driving by this church only by accident, not knowing the Mass schedule. I parked, came in, and the 10:30 am Mass was just underway with Fr. O’Malley.

That first trip to St Celestine’s was a big turning point in my religious life. Something came over me and embraced me that I could not explain. I left here trying to sort things out. However, I did not know that I would return and return I did on a regular basis for almost 24 years.

I know now that the Holy Spirit was embracing me. To this day I feel it every time I enter this beautiful church, through the staff, the music, and my fellow parishioners.

After a few years, John McCormick, the head usher at the 10:30 am Mass, would ask me on occasion when he needed an extra usher.

Not long after that John presented me with a new usher’s badge with my name on it, and I knew then that I was no longer a scrub usher. I was now a regular. John paired me with Ed Stare and under his watchful eye, as only Ed could do, we worked the same aisle for nine years.

The decision to leave my job and start my own business was finally reached after many prayerful hours in the church. I decided to move on and went into business for myself until I sold the business and retired in 2001.

During my time here I was asked to join and participate on a few committees. It was difficult to always find the time, but I did the best I could.

I was asked to work on “Tomorrows Parish”, a project mandated by the archdiocese. This included weekly meetings for almost 14 months.

With each project I participated in, my faith and love for this church deepened.

After the death of my mother, father, and sister, the first place I visited on my return to Elmwood Park was my spiritual home. It has and always will be a source of great comfort and guidance to me.

I am blessed to be able to know many of you as friends. Three of my close friends have on occasion joined me for Mass even though they were members of another parish in the area. They too felt what I felt on my first visit here and decided to join the St. Celestine family. I am thrilled that they join me every week, as their presence continues to give me strength.

I could not imagine my life without this parish. I have certainly received far more than I could ever repay. St. Celestine is very special for me and I’m sure that everyone here feels the same way.

When I became a member I not only made a commitment to my faith. I also made a commitment of support.

This building is not here by accident. It is through the hard work and many sacrifices of those who came before us. I am sure it was no easier for them than it is for us now. We must also sacrifice to maintain and pass on this great tradition to those that will follow.

I have always tried to go the extra mile, though difficult at times.

I hope we can all go that extra mile again as we will soon be asked to make a commitment in the form of a pledge card. It is important that we fill them out, because our budget will be based on our responses, which will help us to become more responsible stewards of the parish.

When you fill out the pledge cards, take time to think about the good times this church has played in your life, along with the times when you needed comfort and support.

After the pledge cards are filled out we should be consistent with our donations. If you are away on vacation, remember that our bills never go on vacation, and return those missed donations when you return. This will go a long way to help keep our budget in line.

If we pull together we can help to meet our goal.

With much prayerful guidance we can find a way to increase our weekly donations, remember that sacrificial giving is a part of our faith.

Thank You!

Sr. Johanna Treml on September 23, 2012 at 7:30 am Mass

Good Morning.

I am Sister Johanna Treml, School Sister of St Francis (Motherhouse in Milwaukee, WI).

When I was asked if I would give a talk on my stewardship and involvement in my parish I thought everyone will think “Great, she is a nun” so it’s easy for her. But I’m just as human as all of you and there are times I wake up on Sundays and say to myself I feel ill or I’m tired, so I’m not going to church today. But that’s the devil. So I just get ready and go. Going to Mass on weekdays and Sundays gives me peace. I need that quiet time in my life and I look forward to praying with the other people.

Some of this is from my childhood: I was brought up in a dairy farm environment. We went to Mass every Sunday. Father would have Mass at 5 am so we went at times and did our chores after. Being a farmer’s daughter, most of our livelihood was greatly dependent on God. We got most of our food from the land – not the store. If I couldn’t be involved in the church in some way I would have a great emptiness in my life.

Before I came to this parish, I started a food pantry in the northeast part of Chicago. The building I was using was being sold so I needed to find another place. It was at this time I had moved out of Chicago to Elmwood Park. When I was looking for a parish I was told to go to St Celestine’s. They are very involved and an active parish and their church services are great. A perfect place for your pantry. That was in 1991 and we have been going strong ever since.

God will never be outdone in generosity. THANK YOU!!

Belonging to this parish has changed my life in that I’m blessed with kindness and love from all of you wonderful people.

It’s been three years since I retired from my paying job – just do volunteer work. I’ve been blessed because it’s more of a relaxing time running the food pantry. I have a great peace after two and a half hours giving out food each week even if I’m very tired. Our giving time to our parish church should be more than simply Sunday Mass.

Giving back to our parish even if it is a few dollars each week is important. God will give back a hundredfold and bless us with faith because our faith is a gift and we need to pray each day for it.

God Bless You!

Angel Rivera on September 23, 2013 at 9 am Mass

Good Morning,

My name is Angel Rivera. Some of you know me and others may have seen my family and me here at church, at St. Celestine School or any of the many parish functions. I, my wife Irma and our three kids have been parishioners here for the past 14 years. Our two older children graduated from St. Celestine and my youngest will graduate in the spring of 2013. We have been so blessed to be a part of this community and for that I am grateful to God and all of you!

I would like to share with you our personal experience in trying to be stewards in this parish at the same time I would encourage you to get involved. The best way to feel like you belong is to actively participate. In serving others we are serving God and to me that’s our way of attaining a richer much more fulfilling faith journey. Some of you may be thinking of how? Others may not be sure of which talent or treasure you can offer. All I can say is pray about it and be careful what you pray for!

Often my wife and I have prayed to God asking him to use us in whichever manor we can honor him and do his will and his work. Just like many of you we have a million and one things to do every day (with work or looking for work, family, meetings, deadlines, bills, our health, the weather and whatever it is that makes us too busy) and it seems like we just can’t fit one more thing in or we just can’t afford it. Somehow, God always finds a way.

I said I would talk to you about our personal experience in trying to be stewards in this parish. Well, we just got involved. We asked, we participated, and we followed through. We made commitments, knowing our limitations and we followed through with the commitments. We make God and our parish a priority.

St. Celestine’s Parish offers all of us plenty of opportunities to give of our time and treasure. I encourage you to read the Sunday Bulletin, go online to the Parish and or the school’s website; there you will be able to see the future and past events and the various parish ministries. Contact the rectory to find out who runs these ministries and ask to speak with them, tell them you want to get involved.

In closing I invite you to volunteer an hour of your time each week, this doesn’t seem like a lot but collectively we can make a difference. Please remember that this is our parish... That’s you and I.

The definition of church: The body made up of a congregation, its members and clergy.

Thank you for your time.

Colette Bodenbender on September 23, 2012 at 11 am Mass

As Father mentioned, my name is Colette Bodenbender, and I’ve been a parishioner of St. Celestine’s for 60 years. My three daughters graduated from our parish school, and all were married from this beautiful church. Eighteen years ago my husband, Bob, was buried from here.

Over the years I’ve served on many different committees and programs, going back as far as Fr. O’Donnell’s Parents Club, The Tabernacle Women’s Sodality, and Brownie Scout Leader. At the present time I’m a Eucharistic Minister, Minister of Care, and a member of the Parish Council, and I’m excited about, and pleased to belong to the new Women’s Club. All of my involvements here have brought me close to so many wonderful parishioners. I treasure the close friends I’ve made, and I feel my life has been enriched again and again.

I’m certainly in awe of the hard work that goes on here by the parish administration and staff. How fortunate we are to have such beautifully planned liturgies, and a church that’s so welcoming, comfortable, and immaculately kept-up. All of this takes time, hard work and financial support.

Here at St. Celestine’s we have the opportunity to participate in the life of our parish in so many ways. That I’ve been able to contribute and share my time and efforts to the work of our parish has been a real gift. Scripture tells us “To whom much is given, much will be asked”. I know I have a real responsibility to contribute financially to our parish. To give my “fair share” is one way of expressing my gratitude for all the gifts and blessings I’ve received in my years at St. Celestine’s. To me it’s been a privilege to be able to help this great parish. Our faith tells us we should be good stewards and give of our time, talent and treasure. Let me assure you I have received more than I have ever given, and, you know, it’s a good feeling. I highly recommend it.

And I thank you for your kind attention.

Cindy Gallagher on September 23, 2012 at 4:30 pm Mass

My name is Cindy Gallagher, and my husband is Kevin. We have three children. We have been members of St. Celestine for 25 years. It didn’t take long for me to feel right at home. My three children attended St. Celestine School and were active in the teen club.

My father, mother, and sister all live in the suburb where I grew up. After I was married for seven years, I remember my mother asking my father “How long do you think it will take before she moves back?” I remember my father saying “She’ll never leave Elmwood Park because she has found a home at St. Celestine.”

I will explain the reasons why St. Celestine has been such an important part of our lives.

Our involvement began with the Baptismal Ministry. We were able to share with other parents the joy and importance of welcoming their children into our community of faith. Sharing fellowship with other couples who shared our joy was meaningful to us.

As our children began school here at St. Celestine, I became involved in scouts and other school organizations. Jeanine Rocchi recognized my passion for working with children and asked me to be an aide in the school. I accepted and pursued my life-long dream of becoming an educator. I am currently starting my ninth year as a teacher in the Archdiocese and my 8th year at St. Celestine.

Kevin and I then became Eucharistic Ministers. This has been a humbling experience to share the body and blood of Jesus in a special way.

I’ve been involved in Vacation Bible School since the beginning. It is a week of excitement and enthusiasm as we learn more about our God. This experience is a week of incredible joy as we share our love of God with many children of the parish.

One of the biggest strengths of our parish is our willingness to involve our youth. I feel richly blessed to have the teen club be such an active part of all of our children’s lives. Kim McMillan and the teen club have been most important in my children’s teenage years. I believe it is through the experiences Kim has provided that my children are currently active members of the church and keep service at the center of their lives. The experiences provided by Kim allowed them to explore their talents, and most importantly, helped them to make decisions as to how to best use those talents for others. All three of our children made an easy transition to college after experiencing many trips away from home through the teen club.

It was seven years ago this month that our former music minister, Karen Rahn, needed a drummer for the children’s choir. Our son, Kevin, met with her and began playing at the children’s masses. When the instrumentalists no longer played with the children’s choir, Kevin was asked to be part of the contemporary choir at 4:30 pm mass. This began what turned out to be a love of music and he is now a freshman in college pursuing a music education degree. My daughters continued to be active members of college faith life through service work, leading retreats, and Eucharistic ministry.

Most recently, I was involved in a program called “Young Neighbors in Action”. This is a week-long service opportunity for teens all across the nation. We were fortunate to work right in the Chicago area. I, along with 3 teens from our parish, lived in community with 100 other teens and leaders in a school in Chicago. We were involved in various service projects in the city which ranged from cleaning, painting, and packing, to working with seniors and kids in an extended care setting. This was a unique opportunity that raised my awareness and sensitivity to others. In sharing this humbling experience with other leaders through prayer and community building, I grew in my faith. I had experienced being the hands and feet of Jesus while providing respect and dignity to those in need.

When Father Jeff first came to our parish, I remember him speaking about his priorities in leading our church. He had talked about faith education being an important responsibility as our pastor. The many bible study classes and church history class he has offered throughout his years have been enlightening to me.

I talk about all these experiences not to focus on ourselves, but to show what this parish has to offer in ways that can enrich all of our lives in faith, service, ministry, and stewardship.

Stewardship is sharing your time, talent, and treasure. We have received much more than we have given through sharing our time and talent with St. Celestine. It is also true with sharing our treasure. The more we are able to support our parish, the stronger our parish becomes. Budgeting is important to us, and with three children, our budget is constantly being challenged. One thing that remains is our commitment of financial support to our parish.

In closing, I am thankful for all this parish has given to us as a family. I encourage you to get involved and experience the many gifts it will bring back to you. St. Celestine has brought much meaning and growth into our lives. It has been a place to call home.

Pastor's Article from Bulletin dated April 22, 2012

FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY - PART ONE - Even though the end of our fiscal year is still a few months off (June 30, 2012), the Finance Council and I feel it necessary to explain the Ordinary Income portion of our parish’s budget. Every account that makes up our ordinary income is listed below. Please note that as far as income is concerned, being over budget indicates that the parish earned more than originally budgeted whereas being under budget means the parish did not earn as much as it had planned on. It is better to be over budget when discussing income.

Collections: Sundays, Holy Days, Christmas, Easter, and Other: Flowers, Initial Offering for Envelopes, Mothers/Fathers Day, Thanksgiving, Ash Wednesday

Fees: Activity/Program (Bible Study, Epic Series, Vacation Bible School, etc.) Fees, Field Trips, Sacramental Fees

Lease/Rental Income (Rent on 3046 N 76th Ct. house; polling income)

Interest/Investment Income (Our archdiocesan savings and CD accounts; our local money market account)

Fundraisers: Parish BBQ, Cookie Walk, Church Cash Raffle (Pot of Gold), Simbang Gabi, Paper Recycling, Health Fair, Miscellaneous Fundraisers

Miscellaneous: Stole Fees (Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals, etc.), Stipends (for Masses), Donations, Votive/ Vigil Candles in the chapel, Pamphlets/CDs in church vestibules, Labyrinth Rentals, Rebates (earnings from ads in bulletin)

Auxiliary Groups: Men’s Club, Women’s Club, $.T.O.P. Program

As our Parish Support box - see the Weekly Bulletin - indicates, we are slightly over budget for our weekly Sunday collections, which is terrific since the amount budgeted for Sundays covers expenses for salaries, the employer portion of health insurance premiums, FICA, fringe benefits, and professional/ministerial growth for church personnel (not school personnel), in addition to our archdiocesan assessment, PRMAA (Priests’ Retirement Mutual Aid Association) assessment, and property/casualty/auto insurance.

The Finance Council and I believe the combination of printing our Year-to-Date amounts for the Sunday collection, as well as the assistance received from the archdiocese in our pledging process last October, helped keep our Sunday collection within budget. I am deeply grateful to you for your sacrifices to make that possible. But as you can see, our ordinary income is not based only on the Sunday collections, and we also have expenses other than just those noted above, some of the largest being gas, electric, and general maintenance/building repairs (not capital expenditures).

Fortunately, we have exceeded our budgeted amounts of income for some of our fundraisers, and we are very close to meeting our budgeted amount for our Easter collection. However, we fell short in our Christmas collection by just over $7,000, as well as in our newly introduced Pot of Gold fundraiser (394 of the 500 tickets were purchased) by $2,000.

Needless to say, our Annual Church Fundraiser (previously called Balance the Budget) will most definitely be held, since we budget an amount for it each year, in addition to the income shortage indicated above. The letter detailing this Annual Church Fundraiser, including the amount to be raised, will be mailed to all parishioners in the beginning of May. I completely understand that some of you may not be able to give the full amount we will be requesting, but I also know that others will be able to contribute more than asked. Please take time to reflect and pray over your decision when that letter arrives.

Father Jeff Grob

Pastor's Article from Bulletin dated April 29, 2012

FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY - PART TWO - Last week, we (the Finance Council and I) began this series by detailing our parish’s Ordinary Income. This week, we will explain the Ordinary Expenses portion of our parish’s budget, that is, every account that makes up our ordinary operating expenses. Please note that as far as expenses are concerned, being over budget indicates that the expense cost the parish more than originally budgeted; being under budget means it did not cost as much as we had thought it would. It is better to be under budget when discussing expenses.

Our Sunday Collection has been able to cover these expenses:

• Salaries, Employer-Paid Health Insurance, Employer FICA, Fringe Benefits, Professional / Ministerial Growth for our 25+ church (not school) employees
• Archdiocesan Assessment
• PRMAA (Priests’ Retirement Mutual Aid Association) Assessment
• Property / Casualty / Auto Insurance

All of our other collections and sources of income need to cover these expenses:

• Books & Supplies (Non-Liturgical): Bulletin/Offertory Supplies, Books & Magazines, Textbooks, Workbooks, Instructional Materials (Religious Education).
• Administrative Expenses: Office Equipment/Supplies & Maintenance, Outside Printing Cost, Postage / Courier Services, Office Supplies, Professional Services Fees, Computer Supplies, Criminal Background Checks, Bank Fees, Computer Software.
• Transportation: Vehicle Repair, Vehicle Gas / Oil Parts, Vehicle Licenses / Stickers.
• Food Service/Meals, Telephone, Heating Fuel, Electricity.
• Other Utilities: Water / Sewer, Scavenger Services, Cable/Dish Services, Internet / Computer Telecom Costs.
• Maintenance & Building Repairs: Security, Ground Services, Ground Supplies, Building Services, Repairs to Buildings, Equipment / Technical Services, Repairs to Equipment, Janitorial Supplies.
• Altar & Liturgical Supplies: Hosts and Wine, Votive / Vigil Lights, Candles, Missalettes / Worship Aids, Music Books, Liturgical Publications, Pamphlets and CDs, Flowers, Church Environment, Other Liturgical Costs.
• Furnishings & Equipment: Administrative Furnishings, Technology Equipment, Maintenance Furnishings/ Equipment.
• Miscellaneous: Conferences and Conventions, Meetings and Speakers, Ministry Formation and Education, Hospitality and Entertainment, Public Relations and Advertising, Gifts and Donations, Dues / Subscriptions, Special Program Expense, Musicians, Stipends.

We are so fortunate that our weekly Sunday collections have been on target this year and have been able to cover the expenses shown above. However, we have experienced shortages in the other collections and sources of income that should cover all of our other expenses. Not only that, but we have incurred expenses not originally budgeted for this fiscal year. Namely, we needed to update our computer system, and we incurred a higher than expected reconciliation of our budgeted electricity billing.

As was stated last week, we will be holding our Annual Church Fundraiser (previously called Balance the Budget). The letter detailing this fundraiser will be mailed to all parishioners in the beginning of May. I completely understand that some of you may not be able to give the full amount we will be requesting, but I also know that others will be able to contribute more than asked. Please take time to reflect and pray over your decision when that letter arrives.

Father Jeff Grob

Pastor's Article from Bulletin dated May 6, 2012

FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY - PART THREE - As I have written over the past two weeks, the Finance Council and I feel it necessary to explain the different portions of our parish’s budget as we approach the end of another fiscal year (June 30, 2012). This week, we will focus on the Other Income and Other Expenses of our parish’s budget. Remember that it is better to be over budget when discussing income and to be under budget when discussing expenses.

Many of our Other Income and Other Expenses can be considered “in and out accounts”. In other words, the amount of money that comes in is the exact amount of money that goes out. For example, the following are income accounts AND their related expense accounts:

• Sharing Collection/Sharing Collection Payment: Monies taken in for Epiphany Parish, our sharing parish, and monies sent out to Epiphany Parish.
   
• Archdiocesan Collections/Payment of Archdiocesan Collections: Monies taken in and sent out for these collections: Latin America, Annual Catholic Appeal, Aid for Church in Central and Eastern Europe, Holy Land, Catholic Charities, Collection for Retired Priests, Peter’s Pence, Seminaries, Propagation of the Faith, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Retirement Fund for Religious, Operation Rice Bowl, Missionary Co-Op.
   
• Other Extraordinary Income/Payment of Other Extraordinary Expenses: Income from non- Archdiocesan collections taken in the parish for other outside groups, organizations, or causes with the intention of disbursing 100% of funds collected to the respective organization (Holy Thursday Collection, Women’s Shelter, Baby Bottle Collection, etc...).

We do have additional Other Income Accounts where we get to keep the income received and use it, usually for any associated Other Expenses. Examples of these accounts are:

• Estates, Bequests & Memorials: The monies received from the sale of any property donated to the parish from a will, the monies received from any will donated to the parish, or the monies received from any memorial donated to the parish.
   
• Capital Collections: Monthly Parish Capital Improvement Collection and monthly St. Celestine School and Religious Education Fund Collection.
   
• Capital Improvements: Expenses associated with any capital improvements made to the parish properties (church, pastoral center, annex, houses, garages, school building, creed center, etc...).

I would like to thank each of you who faithfully support our monthly Parish Capital Improvement Collection and St. Celestine School and Religious Education Fund Collection. We are quite close to our budgeted amount for these two collections. The monies received from them continue to help with the cost of keeping our parish buildings in good repair. Two of our upcoming capital expenses include ongoing asbestos tile removal in the school and the painting of the church roof. We would not be able to accomplish these improvements without your support.

Thank you for your interest these past three weeks as we have attempted to detail our parish’s finances. Both the Finance Council and I appreciate the time, talent, and treasure you offer to St. Celestine Parish on a consistent basis.

Father Jeff Grob