This Tuesday, the Pastoral Council and the Finance Council for St. Brigid Church and St. James Church met in a joint session and approved the budgets for both parishes and the school for the new fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2021.  While this last fiscal year was particularly challenging due to the COVID pandemic, we were able to hold down expenses—and with the generosity of our parishioners—continue to provide ministry to those we serve, especially the children in our school, the clients of Highlands Community Ministries, and the St. Vincent DePaul Society. 

We have approved a budget for the school based on 127 registrations.  As of this week, we have 140 registrations, and 18 more students are looking at our school.  We have been blessed with generous benefactors as well as our own parishioners who believe in the unique mission of our parish school.  We had an extraordinary gift that fully funded a renovation of our ground-floor school restrooms.  We have received grants for additional laptop computers, iPads, and Chromebooks. We can purchase new math textbooks for the first time in a decade. The school budget projects a small surplus.

Both church budgets will enable us to continue our level of services.  We continue to lag in projected stewardship revenue, but we are blessed that a good number of parishioners have agreed to increase their stewardship for the new year. The rectory boiler at St. Brigid must be replaced this summer.  While we hope to raise money for this expense, we will use our savings so that the project can begin immediately. We also plan an extensive renovation of the Goetz Center with new flooring, new paint, and lights. 

Our Councils agree we need to attract new parishioners to both of our churches.  You will be hearing from our Parishioner Involvement committees soon about how we can help grow our churches.  I am appreciative of our staff, volunteers, and generous parishioners who remain committed to the ministries and mission of both of our parishes and our school.

  Fr. Gary