In an ongoing effort by the Finance Council to provide transparency regarding the parish finances, following is a

brief summary of the results for the first six months of Fiscal Year 2014 (7/1/2013 – 12/31/2013).

                                                                                                                     Actual         Budget            Pos/(Neg)

Contributions (Offertory, Special collections, Religious Ed.)                   $ 422,779        $ 412,578        $  10,201

Operating Expenses (Total)                                                                    $ 395,511        $ 384,045        - $ 11,466

Building Fund Contributions (Basket, Online and other)                        $ 192,901        $ 250,000        - $  57,999

Charitable Outreach                                                                                 $11,858            $11,400         -$      458

 Columbarium (Completed.  Self-financed and Debt Free)

 Notes:

1. Operating Expenses were higher than budget due to unbudgeted church equipment repairs.
2. Building Loan payments were made from contributions and from a reserve fund at the Diocese.

 As you may know, we have two distinct and separate obligations.

One is to meet our operating expenses with our weekly offertory collections and the second is to repay to our Diocesan loan we received to build this church.   Last fall’s building campaign made good progress and received $1.27 million in pledge commitments from 171 families.  Others who, for one reason or another were unable to pledge are donating to the campaign using the “All Your Heart” envelopes.  Please, if you can, join them so we can fulfill our commitments and continue building a great future here at St. Benedict.

 We are facing some financial challenges with our operating expenses.  While our bills are being currently paid and expenses remain essentially unchanged, our parish’s tithes and offerings have suffered recently and we are writing to ask for your help to guarantee the financial well being of our parish and to meet all our obligations and unforeseen expenses.  Weekly we receive from our active parishioners an average of $20, but we need offertory contributions to average $25 per family, per week, to cover all parish operating costs.  We ask that you prayerfully consider how you may be able to assist us.  Can you increase your weekly offering by even a small amount?  We ask that you give as God lays it upon your heart in response to your prayers and that you pray that others will come forward with donations as well.  There is no doubt that sometimes giving feels like a sacrifice, but by working together and each answering the call of God, we can be sure that our parish is successful for years to come.

 May God bless each giver and those who diligently pray for the parish’s finances!

 Giving in Faith,

Your Finance Committee