September 8, 2011

 My Dear Fellow Parishioners:                                                                                   

What a wonderful year we have experienced here at Holy Name of Jesus! My first year as parochial administrator has been a challenging one as I’ve tried, to the best of my ability, to continue the good work of my predecessor, Fr. David Page.  So many extraordinary things have happened, and continue to happen here, with thanks to Almighty God.  I am including the Annual Financial Report and I would also like to recap some highlights for this year, reflect on our current state and share some of our vision for the future. 

Over the past year, we have seen a dramatic increase, not only in parish activities, but also in the usage of our facilities.  Activities such as our 50th Anniversary Celebrations, Sunday Dinners, Alzheimer’s Support, Divorce Support, ‘Why Catholic’, Apologetics, Effective Parenting, “Designer Bag” Bingo, Josh Blakesley and Jars of Clay (Matt Maher) Concerts were wonderful additions.  Some highlights of our past year’s activities include: AWE Breakfasts, CHRP Retreats, Ladies’ Tea, “Cinderella”, “Miracles”, VBS, Hoop Heaven, GIFT and various trips for our retired community.  Our parish enjoyed several school functions such as School Masses, Cinco de Mayo, Soiree, BBQs, sporting events, etc.  Our Religious Education, Sacramental Preparation and Youth Ministry Programs continue to strongly form our families. Also, we are proud to announce the addition of another seminarian which brings us to a total of seven men from our parish studying for the priesthood!  None of this would have been possible without the many dedicated and devoted men and women of this parish. 

Regarding our financial disposition, please refer to the Annual Financial Report.  The most notable items which I would like to share are that we decreased our building debt to $1.5 million and that I actually survived my first Diocesan Capital Campaign, ‘Alive In Christ’.  I am also happy to report that the campaign successfully reached its pledge commitment of $3.5 million in donations over the next 5 years.  Unfortunately, our annual ‘Catholic Appeal’ assessment of $298,000 fell short for the first time in our parish history. 

This year, we have made fundamental shifts in some priorities of our parish which I believe will affect our future direction.  We moved away from primarily focusing on our building debt and increased support in other much needed areas. We painted the school and the interior of the church in order to give them a fresher look.  We invested in new vestments and cups in order to enhance the dignity of our worship.  We more than tripled the amount of money given each month to the St. Vincent DePaul Ministry. We distributed our HNJ Logo Magnets and CDs at Christmas to promote evangelization. We hired a dedicated Service and Outreach Director who is now working with local outreach organizations, helping members of our community.  We committed to pay one third of the rental cost of our local Catholic Charities’ office every month.  Putting more focus on our worship and people’s needs and services is helping us to live our Parish Vision:  “Praising God, Serving His People”.

Overall, it’s been a positive year for Holy Name of Jesus. We have done much to build our community and I am deeply thankful for all of your support.  As we look toward the next year, we will continue to focus on the Sacraments as the source of life and we will strive to be good stewards of our faith. This is necessary for a healthy parish. I believe we will have another great year ahead of us as we trust in our Lord, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to continue building Gods’ Kingdom. Once again, thank you for helping to make Holy Name the active and vibrant parish that it is.

 God Bless You,