Last week, I gave you an account of what the parish received, between Sunday offertory, school tuition, fundraising and other gifts. You will have noticed that, as good stewards of your generosity, we were able to set aside about $38,000 last year. What will we do with this sum? The Archdiocese, prudently asks that every parish, just like every household, keep something in reserve, for unexpected expenses, such as: the heating system breaking down; the roof needing repairs and, in our case, remodeling of our church.

We were able to do this thanks to the watchful eye of our business manager, eliminating all expenses that were not absolutely unavoidable, and cutting back on some staff. My thanks (and yours as well) go to our hard-working and dedicated staff, that was already overworked and that now is giving us more than we ever ask of them.

You will have noticed also that our weekly offertory is declining. This is hardly surprising, given the recession that we are experiencing. The reality is that some parishioners are out of work and can not contribute as much as they used to. I thank all of you who have stepped up your contributions, even though your income did not increase, because you have realized that those who can, should pick up some of the weight that your brothers are not able to carry until they find a job: your sacrifices are indeed heroic and the good Lord will reward you!