Financial Report 2021
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The 2021 Pastoral Year at our beloved Sacred Heart Catholic community ended amidst our parishes’ second time continuing to live through a pandemic. It was also my first full year as pastor at our parish. To say that this has been a year full of challenges and blessings would be an understatement. I am so very thankful for the outpouring of love and support that I have received from this wonderful community of believers.
Despite all the difficulties this pandemic still poses for us all, our parish continues to a be vibrant community that worships, loves and serves our Lord. In spite of the challenges presented by the pandemic, we have been able to organize several fundraisers and events during this past year: the procession for St. Anthony, the Summer Cookout, the Christmas Bazaar, the Parish Monthly Gatherings and the series on “Growing in Faith”, just to mention a few.
This weekend our parish is publishing its financial statement and I would like to point out a few things from our 2021 report. There has been an uptick in mass attendance during the past few months which has translated in an increase in the First Collection and Grand Annual with respect to last year (9% and +35% respectively). Fundraising events have generated a substantial income for our budget ($28,649.75 +147%). On the side of Expense, the project of upgrading the heating system in the Rectory and in the Church that was completed at the beginning of 2021, has contributed to lower expenses for utilities (-23%).
Thanks to your generous support and a reduction in expenses, Sacred Heart Parish ended 2021 with an operating surplus of $10,990.90. It’s a very good accomplishment but at the same time there are a few things we need to be mindful of. The parish has still to complete several capital improvement projects that are part of the 2021 Grand Annual campaign, budgeted for a total of $43,000. There are some sources of income on which our parish rely to operate that are difficult to predict year to year, in particular donations and sacramental offerings. This contributes to create a general situation of uncertainty, especially when we want to engage in big projects for our parish community.
Our parish still needs your help. I kindly ask you to continue to support all our ministries with your time, talent, and financial support. In particular, I invite you to sign up for recurring donations online. It‘s easier, less time consuming and will provide our parish with a stable and predictable source of income. You can sign up by clicking here.
May God bless you always. And may God continue to bless our Sacred Heart community! Your humble servant in Christ,
Fr. Paolo Cumin, FSCB
Parish Administrator