St. Francis and Stewardship

Sep 29

Letter from the Pastor
Feast of St. Francis of Assisi
Oct. 1, 2023

St. Francis and Stewardship

As we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis, I would like to transition the parish from the “Treasure” phase of our Parish Stewardship Program, “The Joy of Sharing the Gospel,” to the “Time and Talent” phase of Stewardship.

Before we unfold the details of “Time and Talent” here are a few highlights of “Treasure.”

Our goal during “Treasure” was to, annually, add $150,000 to our weekly collections. I am happy to share with you that the pledged commitments totaled $149,146! I know what you are thinking, “So close!” Actually, we were not close … we surpassed our goal! Of course, because St. Francis is a unique parish where the ebb and flow of parishioners changes almost as quickly as the tide itself, in addition to the pledged amount, we also received $48,355 in one-time gifts, many of which appear to be in lieu of weekly commitments. The result is that 2023-24 should be the first year, in many, in which our Offertory should match our operating expenses.

The 23% of parishioners who committed to increase their donation jumps to 27% when we include the folks who gave a one-time gift. Although the national average is around 33% participation, the majority of those parishes have consistent year-round donors. We on the other hand have “seasonal donors” who have allegiances to two parishes. Given our uniqueness, I believe that 27% is a very positive accomplishment, especially since this was our first Stewardship effort. A remarkable fact about the 23% who completed a commitment card is that those pledges reflect a 30% increase over your offertory gifts last year. Our target was a modest 13%. Your generosity is amazing!

My heartfelt and sincere thanks to all of you who participated in the “Treasure” phase of this year’s Stewardship Program. Reading through your commitment cards was very moving. Your faith in the Lord is incredible; your love of this parish is overwhelming; and the sharing of your goodness continues to make this parish outstanding.

If you have not yet renewed your commitment to the parish, there are still commitment cards in the churches. Each response makes a huge impact!

After the celebration of the Feast of St. Francis, we will roll out phase two of Stewardship, “Time and “Talent” when we will consider how we share our time with God and our talent with our parish community.

May God continue to bless you and your families with Peace and All Good.