Since July 1 marks the beginning of a new fiscal year for the parish I wanted to take this opportunity to give a brief update on our parish, sort of a state of the parish address.

A necessary place to start is the actual financial status of the parish. To say that expenses have increased is obvious. We are all aware of how energy costs have increased as has the cost of everything that we purchase. Because of your generosity we have been able to meet these expenses, but we have had to tap into savings from time to time. To help us to keep up, I am asking if we could each consider increasing our weekly tithe to the parish. Using online giving is a way of ensuring that your support of the parish never skips a week.   

The capital campaign that we started last year raised nearly eighty thousand dollars. This allowed us to update our heating system and to cover some unexpected repairs to our air conditioning system. We were unable to make repairs to the façade of the church and this means that areas that were just beginning to rot are getting worse, and there are more of them. We need those who have not yet contributed or made a pledge to be as generous as you can be. If you have already contributed and are able to do more that also would be greatly appreciated. I have often said that many hands make light work, and this is especially true when it comes to fundraising. Because we need our building to be around for a while, we will have to schedule this work to be done some time next spring or summer.

Now that the difficult topic is out of the way, let me say a huge thank you to all the volunteers and staff who made the Funshine Fair a great success. It was good to see so many people on campus enjoying themselves and becoming familiar with our parish. Even with the rain the fair was a good time. I do enjoy ending the fair with the outdoor Mass.

Over the last couple of years, our religious education program has been growing. With this growth we are seeing more young families at Mass, and this is surely a good thing. I am especially enamored of the inclusion of the children at various Masses throughout the year. We have also seen an increase in adult education opportunities. All in all, I would say that opportunities to share and grow our faith, to gather as a community of believers are on the increase. I encourage everyone to check out the bulletin and the bulletin boards in the narthex for information about ongoing events.

Over the last couple of months, I have had two opportunities to travel. Both times the airports and the airplanes were crowded. Very few of the people who were traveling were wearing masks. This leads me to believe that much of the fear around COVID has begun to dissipate. I still believe we need to be cautious about spreading all kinds of viruses and illness, but I do not think we can continue to use COVID as an excuse to miss Mass. Put into a more positive light, it is time to come back to in person Mass. You can still wear your mask to church, and there is still the opportunity to maintain some social distancing. Given that one of the long-term effects of COVID has been an increase in loneliness, attending Mass is a wonderful way to reconnect with friends and most especially with our best friend, Jesus Christ.

Finally let me say how much of a privilege it is to be your pastor. I am so grateful for your kindness and patience with me. I appreciate how you express your concern and care for me when I am afflicted with my man colds. I pray that with all of us being generous with our time, talent, and treasure St. Matthew parish will continue to be a shining light and a beacon of hope in a world that desperately needs these very things.