Parish Finances 101: Assessments

Feb 10

Letter from the Pastor
6th Sunday of Ordinary Time
February 12, 2023

I know this is Super Bowl Sunday but there will be enough talk about this game that I would not dare to add any more. I am looking forward to watching the game, the “finger food dinner” as well as to the only time that I enjoy watching the commercials as much as the TV program. All I will say is may the best team win … as long as they are from Pennsylvania! [Go Birds!]

On a more series note, I would like to talk a bit about the parish assessments and the Annual Catholic Appeal.

It was only a few weeks ago that I thanked you for your contributions to the 2022 Annual Catholic Appeal. As I had mentioned, the final tally for the St. Francis of Assisi Parish collection was $57,123.38, a bit 57% of our $100,000 goal.

Although the last Annual Catholic Appeal just ended, as an annual appeal, it is time to start over again. Next weekend we will have prayer cards, pledge cards, and posters in the church as the diocese kicks off the 2023 Annual Catholic Appeal: We are the Body of Christ. These appeals support of the work of the Diocese of Trenton, its operations, and different initiatives, such as outreach, the diocesan seminarians, as well as the retired priests of the diocese. Donations to the Annual Catholic Appeal are paid directly to the diocese. The parish only receives a direct benefit from this appeal as a percentage of the monies received over the goal.

Because there is some confusion out there, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify a few things. Last weekend, the second collection was for the Parish Assessment. In addition to the Parish Assessment, every parish in the diocese also has a School/Co-sponsorship Assessment owed to the diocese. We have 2-second collections during the year to help support that assessment. In our case, it goes directly to St. Mary’s Academy, our local Catholic grammar school.

The Parish Assessment is 9% of the total income of funds during the prior year. That total would include any donations from both the first and second collections, funerals, weddings, and special collections, etc. It does not include bequests or wills, mass stipends, etc. This assessment, however, is capped at $175,000. Because you are a generous community, we are always capped.

The School/Co-sponsorship Assessment is 9% of our first collection and holiday collections, including the Easter and Christmas collections. The School/Co-sponsorship Assessment for our parish for this year is $118,920.

To be clear, these are three different assessments that are paid to the diocese each year. As I mentioned, the monies donated to the Annual Catholic Appeal go directly to the diocese. They are not put toward our Parish Assessment nor to our School Co-sponsorship Assessment.

It sounds like a lot of money because it is a lot of money, but we also realize that caring for the things that are important in our lives, in many cases, need the support of the community. Our church has a great and long tradition. Included in that tradition is that we are not in this by ourselves or for ourselves. As a church, we continue to strive to fulfill Jesus’ prayer that “we all may be one.” Our connection to the diocese reminds us of that we do belong to that Body of Christ that goes beyond ourselves and we in turn remind everyone in our local area that they too belong to the Body of Christ.

I continually thank you for your continued generosity and your stewards of our Church and of our parish.

May God continue to bless you with all that is good.