Dear Parishioner,
I pray this letter finds you safe and healthy. This year has been challenging for every member of our parish and I want to thank all of you for the many sacrifices you have made to support Blessed Sacrament. As 2020 comes to a close, it is time for our annual update regarding the parish's finances.
It will come as no surprise to anyone that the parish’s finances are a bit stretched. With no Masses for four months and current Mass attendance at 1/3 what we normally would have, our weekly donations are down 15%. Our tenants in the convent, The Benincasa Community, have left the city leaving a gaping hole in our budget. Despite our best efforts to continue to cut cost cuts we are struggling financially.
We are preparing our Annual Parish Appeal. We conduct The Annual Appeal every year to bridge the gap between the weekly collection and parish expenses. We have already had a few generous donors contribute a total of $106,000 toward our 2020 goal of $400,000. Here are a few of the parish’s needs:
Operating deficit $68,734
Loss of tenant in convent $77,000
Added cost of Façade Project $200,000
Shortfall from Renew + Rebuild pledges $54,266
TOTAL APPEAL $400,000
No surprise, the Facade project was much more expensive than we had originally anticipated. The age of the stones made the project quite complex, causing it to run about two years longer than expected. We are hopeful that this will finally be finished in spring and we may remove the scaffolding unveiling our beautiful newly renovated church.
We assure you that, 100% of your donation will be put directly to work here in Blessed Sacrament. I look forward to welcoming more of you back to weekly Mass on Sundays. Thank you for your prayers, your good will and continuing support of our beautiful Blessed Sacrament.
Your Pastor,
David Nolan