All
parishes are currently participating in a Diocesan Strategic Planning process
meant to address issues of financial viability, changing demographics, and
other critical areas that will impact the future of the Church of Brooklyn and
Queens. The aim of the process is
to ensure that necessary resources exist to support the pastoral mission of the
Church in the near and far future.
The
process is also meant to support the ongoing planning efforts of each parish by
fostering a dialogue between financial resources and pastoral mission. As an
important first step in this process, every parish has been asked to distribute
this Parish Data Report to all
parishioners. The first step is
learning from our experiences and reflecting upon it.
This
report provides some basic information on sacraments, faith formation and
finances. It is by no means exhaustive and is not intended to define or
quantify parish life in its entirety.
It is simply one piece of information, a report of basic parish activity
measured over time. It is meant to begin a conversation on the life and future
of your parish.
You
are invited to reflect on how your parish has changed over time and how you see
it changing into the future. In
addition, the report includes information about the Diocese as a whole. This is meant to offer you some
reference point when considering the experience of your own parish. Over the next few months, parish
leaders and all parishioners are asked to reflect prayerfully on this data and
consider the future of your parish.
What is needed to fully live the Gospel? How do we continue to reach out and call others to
Christ? Do we have adequate
resources, financial and the gifts of people, to continue our ministry in the
way we have done in the past? What
changes might we be asked to make so that our faith community continues to grow
and thrive into the future?
Your
response to this Parish Data Report
is critical to assist parish leadership in addressing some of these questions
and articulate the challenges and hopes of the parish. In fact, all Catholics should be given
the opportunity to provide their opinions on matters that deal with the good of
the Church. The planning process that
we now begin seeks to address this core question: what is good for the Church
both now and, more importantly, for future generations?
An
opportunity for you to discuss the data and its implications with other
parishioners and parish leaders will be available soon after Easter. As the Lenten journey continues, you
are encouraged to take some time to reflect on this data and remember in your
prayers our brothers and sisters in all of the parishes throughout Brooklyn and
Queens who are also walking this pilgrimage to follow the Spirit into an
unknown but hope-filled future.
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Dear
Parishioners and friends of Sacred Heart,
Please
see on the other side a copy of the Parish Financial Fact Sheet and the Parish
Data Report as received from the diocese and presented in compliance with the
bishop’s request:
Although
the initial view may seem alarming, in fact it is not nearly so. One can
readily note that total expenditures have been significantly reduced over the
period without a corresponding reduction in services. Despite this increased
efficiency, over the period salaries have increased by $11,000.00, Annual
Catholic Appeal receipts were down $2000.00, overall insurance has increased by
some $9,000.00, our diocesan assessment has increased $1,000.00 and the
resources expended on our music programs has increased 1,000.00. the steep decrease in the parish fund
balance is not the result of expenditure or liquidation but losses attributed
to the Stock Market downturn. The monies are not ‘lost’ as much as the expected
income was not gained (a loss of almost $200,000.00)
The
financial picture of the parish can improve significantly if there is a steady
upturn in the market. A more solid improvement would come from those
parishioners who receive the benefits of our parish community but do not make
any noticeable contribution to the community’s expenses. The old ways of
putting change or a dollar or two into the collection are not realistic in
today’s age. All that is asked is that everyone do what they can, in faith, and
do their fair share.
Respectfully
submitted,
Fr.
Bryan Patterson
Pastor
Click Here to View the Parish Financial Fact Sheet
Click Here to View the Parish Data Report