Dear Parishioners,
The question has been raised to me at various times asking why our parish has a weekly second collection. Let me take a few moments to explain.
Some collections are simply beyond our control. They are mandated by the diocese for special
causes. These include the collections
for the Church in Central and Eastern
Europe, the Catholic Communication
Collection, the Retired Religious
Special Collection, the Pro-Life
Collection, and the Catholic
University of America Collection, to name a few.
Then there are times when an unexpected and unplanned need
arises and the Bishop asks for our assistance.
The collection to help the Brothers of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God with the Ebola virus outbreak in Africa, or the collection to help the
victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan in
the Philippines last year (2013) are such examples.
At other times we work with missionaries who make an appeal
on behalf of their religious order or their diocese. Fr.
Wilson Paulose recently spoke to our parish on behalf of the people of India
and the Diocese of Berhampur in which
he works. The second collection that week
went to the missions in India.
Locally, we have used the money from this second collection
to help with necessary maintenance, repairs and improvements to our grounds and
buildings above and beyond what our budget
would normally allow. Have you noticed how recently
five ceiling fans have been added to
the nave of the church (which circulate
the air in the warmer months but, more importantly, will keep the heat down—because heat rises—in the cold months). Have
you noticed that the interior church walls
have been repaired and painted, and that the front church doors and exterior pillars are currently being
repaired and painted?
What are some of our future needs (for which we could earmark some of our second collections)? You probably realize that the cornerstone
of the church building reads 1956
and I suspect that some of the repairs that we anticipate are a result of the
age of this building (nearly 60
years old).
Our sound system
is old and on its last leg. While it is currently working, you
might notice a black cord that runs discreetly across the sanctuary because the
altar microphone died earlier this year.
Our body mic (which the deacon
and priests sometimes wear) and handheld mics
all need to be replaced. The amplifier in the sacristy is old (and,
incidentally, I am told is borrowed
from the man who repairs it). These repairs/replacements
will necessitate a few thousand dollars
to do properly.
Next, the heating and air-conditioning chillers (the green, rectangular boxes under the windows) are in
need of cleaning and refurbishing.
Needless to say, they are far from energy
efficient. The estimated cost of
doing all of these is in the tens
of thousands of dollars.
We help subsidize St. Joseph Regional School. In fact,
every parish in the diocese, whether they have a school or not, is required to
subsidize some regional Catholic elementary school. Wouldn’t a special second collection to help
with our parish subsidy seem appropriate?
Our current subsidy is about forty-four
thousand dollars per year.
Then there is always the unforeseen. Our current parish savings is approximately forty thousand dollars. One unforeseen, major repair could wipe that
out instantly!
Quite frankly, I wish I never had to take up a second collection. I wish everyone would electronically
tithe
each week and we could eliminate most second collections. (Electronic giving would help us to plan better and to be more assured of a regular
source of income.) I wish
more than a quarter of our population went to church each week. (Those of you reading this column in the bulletin
are probably not the ones I actually need to reach. Thanks for your ongoing support!) I wish, I wish, I wish!
Until I find the genie in the bottle to grant these wishes, I
guess a second collection each week is
painfully necessary.
Fr. Ed Namiotka
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