Fr. Mark’s Letter: Annual Financial Report

Dear Parishioners,

As I write this letter for our financial report for the 2025-26 fiscal year, I wonder about how to describe the health of our parish. We had a very good year financially. Our collections have grown partially because of His Heart, Our Hands initiative. We also received several bequests during the year. We had a successful Heart to Heart campaign and did some important maintenance projects. We received significant money from Birdies for Charity fundraiser as well. All these successes are because of your ongoing generosity.

But there were other important activities in our parish that are top priorities. We had many people receive the sacraments of initiation. Our primary work as a parish is to bring others to Christ. We are doing that. Again, people are joining our church because of their encounters with you, our members. Our parish is described as welcoming and very spiritual. We also celebrated other liturgies like weddings, funerals, and feast days.

We had many fun social events during the year. Our parochial schools are strong. Our religious education programs are gaining new participants. On Sundays, more families join us for worship each week. All of this is very encouraging.

We are not without challenges. Costs continue to rise. It seems like for every repair we make there are others that need to be made. Costs for ordinary operations are rising. Such is life.

There are other challenges (blessings) as well. There are a lot of people who are hungering for something more in life than the constant accumulation of things. Our task is to invite them to walk the Christian path. If everyone loved their neighbor and worshiped God in a faith community, what a difference it would make in the world.

We remember this fall that the harvest we are asked to gather is abundant. We continue to need workers to bring in the harvest. Our mission is a holy one. Thank you for being an active participant in all that we do at Sacred Heart. Let us pray that God continues to pour out His graces on our parish.

Blessings,
Fr. Mark