Dear Parish Family, We are pleased to offer our July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024 financial report. More than numbers on a sheet, a parish financial report captures the life and energy of a parish, the generosity of the people, and the various initiatives undertaken for the year, both spiritual and temporal.
We had a strong year with growth in offertory collections as our Faithfully United parish stewardship program continues to bear fruit. We continue to see parishioners committed to fulfilling their pledges as the diocesan Heart of a Shepherd campaign draws to a close. You may note that the Cemetery Fund has some extra dollars in it. We have had a few donations made for a future purchase of a columbarium for our cemetery for the committal of cremated remains.
Moreover, I am proud to say that St. Patrick Parish directed $35,000 of their Ohio state income tax dollars towards the Angel Scholarship Fund for tuition assistance. St. Mary School in Chardon, whom we support both prayerfully and financially, received $32,000 of those tax dollars for tuition assistance, while other area schools received the remainder. With St. Patrick Parish’s assistance, St. Mary School in Chardon raised over $265,000 in the Angel Scholarship Fund this year. I couldn’t be more proud that St. Patrick’s contributed more than 12% of that total!
I am most grateful to our Chinese Auction team which contributed over $6,000 to refurbishing the tabernacle and purchasing new ciboria bowls for distributing the Eucharist. These liturgical items reflect the radiance of our Lord, and highlight that the Eucharist is at the center of who we are and all we do. In this year of Eucharistic Revival for our nation, we are blessed to be able to honor our Eucharistic Lord at Mass and in Adoration.
We saw our new Welcoming Committee form this year as they worked to strengthen the natural warmth and welcome of our country parish. They provide welcome bags, tours, new parishioner welcome meals to our new parish family members. Fr. Fabian and I are pleased to bless our new parishioners at Mass before their meal. We love to see new faces and will continue to make St. Pat’s a place of generous hospitality. When the weather permits, we love to have our exterior church doors wide open as a sign of Christ’s embrace to all who pass by!
Our Women’s Retreat brought over 40 women together in Fall to give them space and time to breathe in the goodness of our Lord. We also had a record year for Stockings with Soldiers. Whereas our goal was 404 stockings, we ended up stuffing 505! The dedication of our parishioners to faith formation and service is incredible!
We purchased a new keyboard for our music ministry this year, and welcomed Mike Wojtila as our new music coordinator. Mike has taken initiative this year to renovate our choir area, recruit choir members, and hold choir practices.
On the facilities end, we made repairs to the church steeple siding and railing, the church chimney, and painted the trim around the church where it was needed.
Most importantly, all of the above encapsulates the main point of our parish family growing as disciples of Jesus Christ in our stewardship and witness to God’s love. I am so blessed and proud to be part of our parish family. During this final year of the Eucharistic Revival, may we seek out Jesus Christ together in the Eucharist. He is the source and summit of our faith. We need Him. May the gesture of our hearts kneeling in adoration and our hands open to receive Him in the Eucharist inspire us to become holy evangelists with the heart of Christ to all in our community!