Dear Friends in Christ,

Yes....I am going to ask for money...

First, let me say thank you for your generosity and support of St. Mary’s! Our parish has always enjoyed a reputation for its generous support of our parish and our ministries, and this past year has not been different. Your financial support makes all of our efforts possible, stretching our reach and bringing the God’s mercy to so many who need it. It provides for the upkeep of our buildings and literally keeps the lights on in this divine enterprise. It allows us to pay our employees a decent and fair wage. Your gifts do this!

Now no Pastor likes to ask for money, especially to those who have shared generously.  But today, I must do what is uncomfortable and challenging.  I must ask you to consider giving more to our parish in your weekly offering.

In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, we fell just below our goal in the weekly offertory.  Fortunately, our wonderful staff managed our expenses tightly, and we succeeded in meeting the needs of our parish.  While we have been good stewards of your generosity, St. Mary’s is experiencing the same rampant inflation that you are.  Our costs for utilities, maintenance, property insurance, and etc., have increased, some dramatically.  We are very careful with our spending, but at the present level of giving, we will not be able to continue the current pastoral mission of our parish; something will have to give.

I am asking you to closely evaluate the amount you give. Please consider increasing your weekly offertory to St. Mary’s. If it has been a while since you reviewed your giving in the weekly offertory, online or otherwise, please consider reviewing and discerning whether you can share even a bit more. Take some time...do the numbers...figure it out. What percent of your gross income do you give? How far away are you from tithing (10%)? You should know that number. Our Lord exhorts us, “Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house;” (Mal 3:10) Many of you give online. While that is so much appreciated, it is easy to “set it and forget it.”
If you haven’t looked at your giving to St. Mary’s, please give it a candid examination.

We are not asking for much; an increase of 5 -10% of your weekly offering would get us to where we need to be. Please pray and reflect on your stewardship of the blessings that God has given you.

“Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” (Luke 6:38)

All the best…in Christ,

Father Wilson

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