FY 2016 - 2017 Stewardship Report

PARISH OF ST. MARY COLTS NECK

FISCAL | 2017

ANNUAL REPORT OF STEWARDSHIP

In this Report: Welcome to the Annual Stewardship report of the Parish of Saint Mary of Colts Neck, New Jersey. The information enclosed reflects our financial performance for fiscal year 2017 which is the period from July 1st, 2016 through June 30th, 2017. Also included are our full calendar year statistics for 2016. The spiritual and economic health of our parish community relies on the cumulative efforts of our Pastor, staff, councils, ministries and volunteer parishioners. We would like to thank all those who contributed to the successes reflected in these pages.

The Community at Service

2

Temporal Administration, Stewardship & Outreach

3

Faith Formation & Pastoral Care

6

Community Building & Adult Faith Formation

9

Worship

18

Music Ministry

20

Charitable Appeals

21

Parish House Project

22

Fiscal Overview

23

Sacramental Statistics

27

Stewardship

31

Family Life Prayer

32

1 Phalanx Road Colts Neck NJ 07722 | 732.780.2666 | www.stmaryscoltsneck.org

The Community at Service Reverend Fr. Jeffrey E. Lee, MDiv, MA, ThM - Fifth Pastor

Collaboration is all around us!

The Faith in our Future self-study was announced by His Excellency, The Most Reverend Bishop of Trenton to begin plotting a course for the future of our local Church of the Diocese of Trenton. The process has engaged stakeholders at every level. These stakeholders have been charged with making recommendations to the Diocesan Planning Commission who in turn make recommendations to the Diocesan Bishop.

It is the responsibility of the Diocesan Bishop to prayerfully consider what has been given to him. These recommendations may be accepted as provided, modified and accepted, or sent back for revision.

Our parish is part of Cohort 13 along with Saint Gabriel, Marlboro; Saint Catherine of Genoa, Holmdel; Saint Benedict, Holmdel. Cohort 13 has been given the task of developing models for greater collaboration at every level. This charge suggests that we can and must share resources: facilities, personnel, financial and liturgical. This charge does not suggest that we will be linking together or merging in the foreseeable future. Collaboration is about joining together to further the mission of the church. Creating a climate of consensus that enables us to achieve goals that might not be possible for us to pursue individually.

The Faith in our Future parish self-study has concluded. We are beginning the implementation phase. Our cohort has chosen to begin our collaboration focusing on Communications & Evangelization. These areas of parish life are central to our mission of being Church and the challenge to welcome new members while nurturing those who have and continue to support our efforts. We continue to discover the fruits of collaboration with hope and gratitude.

“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.�

The following pages report the activities of our parish for the Calendar Year 2016 and the Fiscal Year Ending 30 June 2017. I invite you to take the time to read these reports. This is our way of being accountable to you for your continued support. I am grateful to the many consultative groups who help to guide our vision and its implementation, especially the Pastoral Council, Finance Council, Community Building, Buildings & Grounds, Patrimony Committee, Staff and Trustees. These women and men continue to help me serve you in the best possible manner given the resources that are available to us. Thanks to all of our faithful parishioners for generously sharing their Time, Talent & Treasure.

John 14:12

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Temporal Administration, Stewardship & Outreach Edwin A. Sevillano, MBA - Pastoral Associate

My first year as a member of the staff at the parish of Saint Mary was very exciting!

It was filled with excitement because I had the pleasure of learning the particulars of this great community and completing several projects efficiently, effectively and in a timely manner. Here are some of the accomplishments we achieved this Fiscal Year 07/2016 – 06/2017 in the ministries under my supervision.

FACILITIES: New church lights. We replaced all lights in the church nave with new 250V and 500V bulbs. Since they are all used simultaneously (when the church is being used) it is more efficient to replace all of the bulbs at the same time. We used a lift to reach the fixtures in the lower and upper ceilings and completed the task in a workday.

“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.�

Luke 6:38

New thermostats. We replaced all old thermostats campus wide with new wi-fi enabled ones. This allows us to remotely control and adjust temperature settings in any room within our facilities.

New faucets in Spiritual Center bathrooms. The traditional twist faucets that were installed years ago were not only deteriorating, but also became hard to use for our older parishioners. Therefore a decision was made to replace them with modern wrist action handle faucets.

Bottle filling station. As the Spiritual Center gets used more and more by our parish organizations and other partners, we decided to upgrade the existing water fountain in the Spiritual center rotunda installing a bottle filling station. It provides filtered drinkable water to easily fill tumblers and bottles and repurpose them to save on cost and the environment.

Parish Hall painting. Our parish hall was in dire need of a new face lift therefore we put on a fresh coat of paint. Just before the hall was transformed into the Lenten Chapel, we took a couple of weeks to sand window frames, caulk windows, spackle and paint the entire hall.

Madonna Hall renovation project. Our major project this year has been the renovation of Madonna Hall. First the old stage that has not been used in years was demolished and replaced with a new dance floor. This will allow us to use the hall space for parties and events like the Advent Pancake Breakfast. Later on in the spring, parishioners John and Monica Barr offered to provide their crew to paint Madonna Hall and the theatre as well as power wash sidewalks and the outside of buildings. Thank you for their stewardship of time and talent! The renovation completion will happen early next year when we replace the ceiling tiles and the light fixtures with new LED ones.

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Temporal Administration

(cont.)

STEWARDSHIP: While our regular Sunday collection averaged about the same amount as the previous fiscal year, there were significant increases in both Christmas and Easter collections of about 4% and 13% respectively. It is important to remark that our Sunday collection provides the necessary funds for our day to day operations which is the reason why we are always encouraging parishioners to prayerfully consider making an increase in their total annual offering to offset increasing operation costs.

Easter Vigil

We have also started the monumental task of cleaning up our census records. Almost all parishes in the diocese are now using the same web-based computer program to manage their membership records which helps us to track families changing parishes or changing residencies.

We strive to make Saint Mary a vibrant parish, and we ask our parishioners the following: (1) faithful mass attendance, (2) involvement in a ministry or program throughout the year and (3) financial support. Those families that no longer meet these criteria are placed in an “inactive� status which potentially may affect their ability to access services provided by the parish such as registration for Religious Education programs.

If you are no longer receiving envelopes or any correspondence from the parish, you may have been put in an inactive status. Please call the parish office to have you reinstated as an active parishioner or for more information.

To supplement our income we are still running fundraisers throughout the year. The most important ones this fiscal year have been the Super 50/50 and the Golf Outing.

There were some critical changes to the Super 50/50 last year. First, instead of selling bundles of 4 tickets at $25 each the price of an individual ticket was set to $100, and second, the option to buy tickets online was offered for the first time. We sold 371 tickets and raised about $18,000 for the parish.

The 8th Golf Outing also experienced some changes in its format. We bought a web-based fundraising package from Greater Giving to help us manage online registration and credit card payments. The event this year was intended to be just for golfers with the elimination of the Summer Social event of years prior. We had almost 90 golfers enjoy a day on the links at Eagle Oaks Golf and Country Club. In the end, almost $33,000 was raised for the parish.

The Diocesan capital campaign Faith to Move Mountains continued running this fiscal year. While the invitation was made to all parishioners to make a pledge to this Golf Outing Eagle Oaks June 6th, 2017 campaign about 200 of our families have helped the parish exceed its goal of $1,250,000, which also includes 3 years (2016, 2017 & 2018) of the Annual Catholic Appeal. To date, $1,390,294 have been pledged to the campaign and our parish has already received rebates for $11,928 (for the ACA 2016) and $35,369 (first FTMM rebate).

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Temporal Administration

(cont.)

OUTREACH: The main outreach arm of support to the poor and needy continues being our Social Outreach Ministries coordinated by Roger Zurro. This year over $50,000 from our budget was allocated and used for Charitable Appeals. Other outreach initiatives throughout the year were: the Thanksgiving Food Collection, that provided 145 bags of food and 130 turkeys to families in need of the greater Monmouth County area; the Tree of Love program that brought gifts to many children in need for Christmas; and the Sponsor-A-Family program that continues operating for almost 15 years in connecting our Religious Education students with families in need in our area to provide food for their Christmas dinners. All of these programs and many others are flourishing in our community to help our less fortunate brothers and sisters.

Thank you for your generosity and continued support. It is greatly appreciated by Saint Mary Parish.

Thank you for coming together as a community of faith. God bless you!

Blessing of the Animals

Light Up a Memory

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Faith Formation & Pastoral Care Deacon Vincent Rinaldi - Pastoral Associate

“Every Catholic Christian community has a right and obligation to assist all its members both adults and children in growing in their faith, knowledge and understanding of God's love through Jesus Christ. (cc. 217).

These rights and responsibilities include catechumenal programs, Catholic schools, and other suitable education (cc793-798, 800).”

These preceding statements come from the Code of Canon Law. Here at the Parish of St. Mary we strive to offer the very best in terms of these programs, particularly Sacramental Preparation.

As you review this year’s statistics on Sacramental ceremonies and preparation, I would like to draw your attention to the preparation and detail behind each blessed event.

Baptism: Fifty- Seven (57) infants were baptized with Twenty-Six (26) parent couples attending Baptism preparation session.

During this now one (1) hour session, increased from 30 minutes, couples are instructed not only on how the Rite of Baptism takes place, they are advised of their role as the PRIMARY teachers of the faith and provided literature along with take home study materials that go beyond “the baptism.”

Parish Volunteer, Donna Sikorskas then mails professionally prepared faithbased materials to each couple on a scheduled basis throughout the first year to further support baptismal commitment.

Anointings and Funerals: The parish has an emergency line that is monitored 24/7. When a call comes in it is accessed and then acted upon accordingly, emergency calls are acted upon immediately, and non-emergency calls are directed to their proper party. Nineteen (19) people were administered the Anointing of the Sick sacrament. Although the Sacrament is one of healing, it can be administered at any time deemed necessary such as prior to a major operation. Anointing of the Sick can only be administered by a priest and is quite often misunderstood as a sacrament needed only when death is imminent. I point this out for purely educational purposes in hopes that the Anointing will be used as a healing act as intended.

Forty-one (41) Funeral Masses were celebrated. The funeral mass is typically initiated by the Funeral Home, who has the responsibility for all funeral arrangements including contacting the parish.

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Faith Formation & Pastoral Care

From that call a priest/presider is contacted as well as an organist, cantor, Lazarus Minister Angela Kinlin, parish secretary, and facilities personnel ensuring that we have all hands-on deck. Lazarus Ministers will meet with the family to plan the Wake Service, Mass Readings and Hymn Selection along with arranging for the priest or deacon to continue to the cemetery for the Rite of Committal.

Our Bereavement Ministry overseen by Marilyn Simone and Rorie Coppola, works closely with families long after the funeral is over, helping them adjust life without their loved one.

First Holy Communion: Last year Seventy-Five (75) children (Spring) and one (1) adult (Easter Vigil) received their First Holy Communion. This involves two separate areas of formation. Second Graders, whether prepared during Summer Intensive or on -site, receive religious instruction over the course of the semester, first preparing for and receiving the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation prior to their reception of, and how to properly receive, the Eucharist. Similarly, adults receive weekly instruction throughout the course of the year by our RCIA team of volunteers.

Continuing with Eucharist, all members within our parish boundaries have the right to the reception of the Sacrament. Homebound ministers Molly Aiello, Freda O’Doherty and other volunteers visit an average of 8 – 10 people each week, bringing the Eucharist, prayer, and personal encounter.

Confirmation: 110 young adults and one adult were Confirmed. For young adults, the process is a two-year on-site preparation program with classes every other Sunday, consisting of over 18 volunteer facilitators, whereas an adult would receive weekly instruction by our RCIA team headed by Irene Weller, and assisted by many others. Their reception of the Sacrament is based on their readiness.

Marriage: We celebrated 16 weddings.

This number would represent primarily Nuptial Ceremonies, a few Nuptial Masses, and lastly Convalidation - those married civilly looking to have their marriage “recognized or blessed” by the Church. Marriage preparation is a yearlong process that includes three planning meetings, rehearsal and then the actual ceremony. It may seem straightforward, however there is the advance paperwork, establishing “freedom to marry” status and the FOCCUS training which is on-line study, pre-marital questionnaire of at least 156 statements answered individually by the groom and bride then reviewed with the couple for them to properly prepare for the marriage rite. Once they meet the preparation requirements, there is the necessary planning of the Nuptial ceremony including presider, readings, psalms and music.

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Faith Formation & Pastoral Care

Annulments: Although generally not listed, sadly some marriages end in divorce. Catholics wishing to “put the past behind them” can apply to have their first marriage annulled, a legal process that can take up to a year or longer provided that certain criteria is met to make the sacrament invalid. At present, we have 12 cases in various stages.

RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults): Currently we have 2 adults who received their Sacraments throughout the year but the RCIA process is ongoing. As such, as many as 12 other people are in various stages of their spiritual journey towards coming into full communion with the Church. Next year’s report, will indicate that nine (9) people received various sacraments at this year’s Easter Vigil, again, reiterating that there is much more than meets the eye behind the reporting of the numbers.

Religious Education Program: In the 2016-2017 school year we had 594 registered students: 54 Grade 1 & 2 on-site 183 Grade 7 & 8 on-site 167 Grade 1-6 on-line 190 Summer Intensive  The Summer Intensive Program has been a tremendous success, students and parents learning more in 2 weeks than those on-line or on-site.  On-line students are monitored, those not completing the program or not receiving a passing grade cannot move on to the next grade level. These rates have improved when compared to traditional home study when the parish had little to no way of monitoring progress.  Intergenerational Sessions are required for Summer Intensive and On-line students whereby the attend four (4) family learning sessions throughout the year (will be 6 in 2017), which consist of teaching, liturgical, family participation, and Penance/Reconciliation.

I opened this segment with a quote from Pope Benedict XVI and now close with one. In a 1969 radio interview, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, said:

“From the crisis of today the Church of tomorrow will emerge — a Church that has lost much. She will become small and will have to start afresh more or less from the beginning. She will no longer be able to inhabit many of the edifices she built in prosperity. “ In other words, the Pope is saying we will become smaller, but we will become purer, and we will become stronger. You remain in my prayers, I humbly ask you to keep me in yours.

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Community Building & Adult Faith Formation Linda Dickinson-Pancila, MA - Pastoral Coordinator Is your heart burning within you, is there even a flicker?

Now that’s an interesting question.

In fiscal year 2016-2017 my parish responsibilities and oversight shifted from Pastoral Coordinator of Community Building and Communications to Pastoral Coordinator of Community Building and Adult Faith Formation (AFF).

Fundraising, outreach initiatives, supervision of support staff and parish office and oversight of parish communications was transferred to another staff member. As Coordinator of AFF, I’m entrusted with the coordination and implementation of faith formation programming for the individual from post confirmation through the golden years. That’s potentially seventy five years of a person’s life, essentially a life time. The honor and privilege of taking on this new role will be a challenge and a commitment. To accomplish this goal, I look to the pastoral plan for AFF written in 1997 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops which renewed the commitment to adult faith formation and prioritized it in all Churches throughout the United States. The USCCB plan outlines goals, principles, priorities, approaches, strategies and an implementation model to provide opportunities for parishioners to “consciously grow in the life of Christ” and “equip Christians to fulfill their baptismal call to holiness in family, Church and society.”

My role in the Community Building Core CBC has given me the opportunity to build relationships within the parish engaging more parishioners in parish life. This fiscal year hundreds of parishioners of all ages ran and participated in events, ministries and committees. My involvement in Faith Formation (FF) will hopefully take this existing parish engagement to the next level and turn hearts toward Christ assisting people in growing in their faith, in their love for Jesus Christ and neighbor and become disciples in the world. This lifelong endeavor of maturing faith, conversion and Christian living essentially is the deepening of our life in Christ.

Even though much can be accomplished at the parish level to offer opportunities for parishioners of all ages

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(to worship, to educate, to grow in faith, and to equip Christians on their faith journey), it is still up to each one of us to choose a relationship with Jesus Christ - to know, to love and to serve Him. It’s our choice to seek out and participate in opportunities and to make a conscious decision through prayer to hear God’s voice, to respond to it and through our actions bear witness of God working actively in our lives. As baptized Catholics, we are each called to be part of this mission, whatever part that may be for each one of us.

“I invite you to join me on the journey.

The parish and community need your energy, creativity, enthusiasm, time, talent, and personal witness of God in your lives. God needs you, too!”

With the spiritual hunger prevalent in our society, the individual’s quest for understanding the meaning of life and purpose, the basic need to belong and feel loved, and the continued dynamic of people leaving the Church and the formal practice of their faith; we as Church need to do more and do better to invite people of all ages into the life of the parish and create conversion. It is essential that we as parish and as Church, meet the needs of the people where they are in their personal lives and on their faith journeys in creative and effective ways, through the offering of experiences and programs of the highest quality and by developing in adults a restored understanding of the importance of a full participation in the sacramental life of the Church.

Every day is a new day to engage people in parish life and an opportunity to turn hearts towards Christ! I am happy to report that an increased number of our parishioners have done exactly that. We are very blessed at Saint Mary to have many dedicated ministry leaders/facilitators/volunteers in both the CB and FF cores brainstorming great ideas, running programming, visioning for long-term goals, providing hospitality and welcome, sharing faith and serving others. I would like to take the opportunity to say thank to all who gave of their time, talent and treasure in this mission because without each and every one of them none of the FF and CBC programming accomplished in FY 2016-2017 would have been possible.

Thank you!

The CBC and AFF Cores will continue to identify what is and is not working within the cores, develop new opportunities for service and involvement in parish life, renew the life and energy of the community that was discovered years past, continue to engage the people of all ages in the life of the parish and cultivate belonging while building trust, developing relationships and deepen our understanding of Jesus Christ as our center.

It is essential that we as Church take ownership of our parish as stakeholders so that we will continue to build a parish community that is full of life, positive energy and the living presence of Jesus Christ. As we continue to work together in this mission and identify our parish as the safe haven in our lives, stewardship (giving of time, talent and treasure) will flow naturally and result in a community that will come together to worship, grow in faith, serve others and deepen in relationship with Jesus Christ.

We look forward to each of you joining us!

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Faith Formation Reporting Preschool programs : Little Church, (post-diaper through K) met Sundays 10am, Sept-June.

Program included prayer, Bible story lesson, craft, songs, free play and snack.

Lisa Colaco has provided 14 years of dedicated service to this program and the families of Saint Mary.

Jesus Mommy and Me, Christ-centered formation/playgroup program for a parent and child (infancy -K), met the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month 10am, Sept-June. Program included simple prayers, songs, bible stories, faith-filled crafts and activities, independent free play, social interaction for children, and parent time.

Adult Faith Formation: Walking with Purpose a woman’s bible study offered two 22 week programs Discovering Our Dignity and Opening Your Heart.

WWP completed its fourth year with 77 participants including those from other parishes. Three WWP programs will start up in area parishes in fall 2017.

The Ascension Press study for both men and women ran two programs: Bible Walk through the Mass (5 weeks, 32 participants) and Follow Me (8 weeks, 24 participants). The committee worked on long range planning and are open to participants from other parishes.

Three opportunities for Scripture studies: Spiritual Reading, a weekly scripture study, discussion, reflection and prayer group met Tuesday mornings throughout the year. Scripture was applied to daily life.

Small Faith sharing groups met in Advent and Lent (at the parish and in home) praying, reflecting and applying Sunday readings to everyday life. To encourage more participation, seasonal faith sharing packets were handed out to parishioner households at Agape and after Masses so that families could share faith at home. Materials were also available on the parish website. A small group met for a 5 week pilot program, Thrive: A Life-Changing Experience with the Saints, by Jon Leonetti discovering God’s plan for each one of us.

The Martha Mary Guild, for women provided vibrant programming throughout the year incorporating all aspects of parish life (community/hospitality, prayer/worship, faith formation, outreach & stewardship). The guild begins all meeting with the rosary in the chapel. The annual clothing drive and sale in Sept. raised enough money to support worthy organizations in the community benefiting women and children in need.

Respect Life Ministry participated in programming proclaiming human life as a precious gift from God and promoting life from the moment of conception to natural death: 40 Days for Life, Life Chain, Critical Life Issue Seminar in the Diocese of Metuchen in October 2016 and the March for Life in Washington DC, the Day Life Novena and Rally for Life in January 2017. The ministry also hosted the annual Monmouth county reps meeting at the parish.

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Singles Journey, a support and discussion group, met weekly on Sundays at 11:45am most of this fiscal year before it disbanded in the spring. A vital ministry, SJ helped attendees who were widowed, divorced, or never married journey together as single persons committed to a Christian Life. Several planning meetings with the committee resulted in a divided sense of mission and purpose. Committed to offering participants a dynamic SJ program, the ministry and resources are currently being evaluated. SJ is seeking a new chair and facilitators and will be back better than ever.

A monthly Movies Series of inspirational faith filled movies was added this year. Nine movies were shown. The Guest speaker and author Bob Dunne presented his book 909 Days that Saved the World to parishioners and 7th and 8th grade students. Attendees came together to learn more about the Jesus’ ministry on earth and the geography of the time.

Three Book clubs opportunities: Sofia’s Circle (Fridays), Book pick (Tuesdays) with Sr. M. Francis Lomeo and the St. Mary book club (Wednesdays) was newly added this fiscal year. Many great books were read, discussed and applied to life situations.

Book Give-Away & Kiosk – To provide faith filled resources to the community, 7 faith-filled books were distributed throughout this fiscal year. Little books of reflections were also distributed during Advent (blue book) and Lent (purple book). This year the white Easter book of reflections was added. A diverse assortment of complimentary formation literature, pamphlets and resources were available on the kiosk in the gathering space and at the daily and Lenten chapels. Resources for children were added during Advent and Lent. Grieving materials were shared with bereavement ministry.

The parish purchased a subscription to FORMED for parishioners. As an online gateway to dynamic Catholic content, Formed is available 24/7. Please register at formed.org and access online content for all ages using the Parish Code is KQ4VQ3.

“Give, and it will be given to you.

They will pour into your lap a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

Luke 6:38

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Community Building Reporting Nine Agape, hospitality Sundays, were held welcoming 500+ people at each event. The most popular attendance was noted after the 10am Mass. In addition to hospitality, Agape as a mini-ministry fair (hosting ministries, event committees and outside groups) has proven to be the perfect venue for groups to openly share insight, resources, and other important information with parishioners. Monthly themes including Mardi gras were introduced this year.

Members of the Prayer Shawl Ministry, donated hundreds of knitted and crochet items to area organizations including: 45 comfort dolls to the Yamba Uganda project 40 hats to Hour Children, 122 caps and 42 scarves to Holiday Express, 24 prayer shawls to Mary’s Place and the sisters retirement home.

The annual blessing of hand-made items at Mass was held on October 23, 2016.

The Sewing Ministry met twice a month and held two workshops during the summer months: July 12 (Pillows for Surgery Patients of Centra State Hospital) and Aug 9 (Dog Beds for the Animal Shelter). All simple sew projects (blankets, hats/turbans, tote bags, pillows, dog beds) were donated to area organizations.

Parishioner Barbara Schaflin, certified Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention instructor, provided a low impact fitness opportunity and ministry of Tai Chi to parishioners and community members. The program met three times a week on Thursdays. In the spirit of parish collaboration, the program will be offered to our cohort parishes.

Over 90 in membership, the Social Catholic Singles is the second program for singles at the parish which met 18 times at various events including Mass, brunch/lunch/dinner, dances, walks, films, fundraisers, and outreach initiatives. Participation, open to parishes in the Diocese, welcomed parishioners from 15 other parishes.

Five New Parishioner Orientation sessions held on agape Sundays informed attendees on all that St Mary has to offer them as parishioners and the co-responsibility we have as parish and as parishioner in the mission of the Church. All aspects of parish life were covered (Worship, Communication, Community Building, Faith Formation, Administration and Stewardship). The 47 families welcomed into our community were invited to participate in at least one ministry, program or event over the course of the year. Because of the orientation sessions, general knowledge about parish life, Mass attendance and stewardship of “time talent and treasure� has increased.

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Many efforts were made this fiscal year to embrace the Total Youth Ministry model which engaged youth of all ages in many aspects of parish life: event planning, leadership opportunities, service opportunities, ministries, and outreach initiatives. Opportunities were communicated via the bulletin, the monthly newsletter and on the parish website. Sign-ups were also available at confirmation Prep classes on Sunday evenings. This year, youth/young adults chaired three family events: Basket Ball Fun Nights, Halloween Halls and the Easter Egg Hunt.

Eight outreach efforts: Project Back Pack (Aileen Rivell), Thanksgiving Food Drive (Bridget Farrow), Souper Bowl Soup Can Collection (Stephan and Katie Ciccarone), Music and Memory Ipod Drive (Meghan Kryscnski), Packed Meal Donations to the Center in Asbury Park (Patrick Dickinson), Halloween Candy Drive (Patrick Dickinson), Make a Tray, Bring a Tray (Micky Piperno) and Sponsor a Family present wrapping at Christmas. The contribution of time, talent and treasure by our youth in the community is priceless!

Basketball Fun Nights 2016 held on Tuesday/Wednesday evenings throughout the summer engaged youth participants/volunteers who worked on skills and had fun playing games. NHS leadership volunteers ran programming and for kept track of attendance and volunteer hours. A two hour free Baseball Clinic held at SMCN on July 20 was presented by Coach Vito Chiaravalloti from CBA. Participants worked on hitting, fielding, base running, pitching and intense skill and drill work to improve their game.

Parishioners came together for a night of fun and Blue Claws Baseball Game on August 23, 2016. One of the goals of the Community Building Core is to provide more fitness and sports related opportunities in future programing both on and off campus.

Additional volunteers and creative ideas are needed in this area.

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Two Parish Clean-ups (Fall, Spring) were held. Due to the combined efforts of parishioners, the Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, ROTC, and local HS students much was accomplished on the parish campus.

Many hands do make light work when people come together!

Halloween Halls, held Oct 22, 2016 was chaired by Dan and Theresa Eng. After Mass, Trick-or-Treaters paraded through the courtyard to the parish buildings to 28 decorated rooms/tables.

Expanded festivities were enjoyed throughout the parish buildings. Parishioners and volunteers handed out treats. Crafts, a science experiment, activities & refreshments were also enjoyed. Games were set up in Madonna Hall. Teen volunteers helped with: refreshments, decorating, treats, event set up/clean -up, game and craft table leaders, Mass sign-ups, hall monitors and event photographers. Youth volunteers prepared delicious homemade treats and refreshments. Parishioners dressed up in costume and went over the top decorating rooms and tables to make this year’s event more “spook”tackular event for all!

The annual Easter Egg Hunt was held on the Octave of Easter, Sunday April 23, 2017. All in attendance enjoyed faith-filled crafts, face painting, live bunnies, a visit from the Easter Bunny, homemade refreshments and the Easter Egg Hunt with over 3200 filled eggs! The hunt took place outside on the parish grounds. Teen chairs Stephen Ciccarone and Mary Natale planned the event, directed the 42 teens and adults who filled 3200 eggs, prepared crafts two Wed. evenings with others and worked alongside the 45 adult/youth volunteers who helped the day of the event. Everyone one loved Adele Sessa’s beautiful live bunnies. The Natale and Ciccarone Families and to the 7th/8th grade families of the parish donated 90% of the Easter candy and items used to fill the eggs as well as all the baked goods and refreshments.

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Community Building (cont) This year’s adult social, the Country BBQ & Shindig was held on September 23. The Super 50/50 was drawn the same evening. There was line dancing instruction, county music, delicious food, themed decorations and country attire for the 120 people.

Lisa Aldridge and Lisa Panicali chaired the event. Cowboy hats! Bandanas!

Boots! and FUN! The annual Advent Pancake Breakfast chaired by Kathy and John Ciccarone was held on Sunday, Dec.11, 2016. Over 800 breakfasts were served. Leftover food was individually packaged by a youth service volunteer and delivered to The Center in Asbury Park. 125 youth and adult volunteers helped with every aspect and were met with rave reviews! Community business owners donated packaged goods, costumes, food and offered product discounts. The generosity of time, product and discounts was greatly appreciated and helped the parish provide a delicious and hardy breakfast at the low price.

Soup and Bread with Stations was a wonderful way for parishioners to journey through Lent with family and friends in the spirit sharing and giving of self! Due to inclement weather, only one event was held on March 31, 2017. Over 100 people came together to share a simple dinner of homemade soups and bread followed by a reverent worship at Stations of the Cross. Twelve meatless soups were prepared by attendees. Vendors donated soup cups and assorted breads. The Faith Formation Core provided faith-filled resources and created the place mats.

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” Proverbs 22:9 Page 16

Revered Father Jeffrey Edward Lee

25th Anniversary of Priestly Ordination

In celebration of Reverend Father Jeffrey Edward Lee’s 25th year of priestly ordination, a reception was held on May 16, 2017 under the canopy, in the gathering space and in the parish hall. The committee of 12 prepared a celebration to remember.

Platters of cookies, cheese and crackers, fruit and vegetables and beverages were enjoyed by parishioners past and present, priests, friends and family of Father Jeff.

“Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” John 12:26

Worship Andrew J. Macirowski: Pastoral Coordinator We walk by faith, not by sight. We, the people of the parish, put a lot of faith in our many volunteers who make all the little things happen day by day and week by week, often unseen, so that we all may share in Holy Communion each and every Sunday, and during the week for those who attend daily Mass.

I am pleased to report that Mass attendance continues to grow, not only at the holiest times of year, but at weekday and weekend Masses. Our pews have never been fuller at the Vigil of Christmas or throughout the Sacred Triduum. The commitment to our faith is humbling, and truly good news indeed. There have also been many new families joining our parish and a good number of those new members have been seen week after week among those who have been here for decades. Regular Mass attendance is of utmost importance and it is truly great to see so many faces, new and old, coming together for worship of almighty God. Yet, the reality is that attendance is only a piece of how we as Catholics are called to worship. Here at the Parish of Saint Mary, we focus on our time, talent, and treasure. I personally can speak to the first 2 aspects of our trinitarian mission.

Time. We have 166 active volunteers who give of their time to serve in our various liturgical ministries at weekend Masses. We also have roughly a half dozen volunteers who also serve as readers, cantors and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion at our weekday Masses. The dedication of our many volunteers is admirable.

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

1 Peter 4:10

Our ministerial needs are ever changing. We have many older altar servers who have or will be leaving to pursue collegiate studies. We have had a few younger ones join us, but we are still in need of more young folks to serve at our weekend Masses. The same is true of our extraordinary ministers, who leave the ministry due to retirement or relocation, and we are in need of more who are called to serve the church in this capacity.

Talent. Many of our volunteers also share their talents with us. Our cantors and choir members lead us in sung prayer seven days a week. We have folks who assist the staff in decorating the church for the holy seasons of Christmas and Easter, whose eye for artistry and detail is impeccable.

In the months to come, it is my goal to further expand our ministries to include a ministry of art and environment; who will be dedicated to maintaining the beauty of our many spaces, and to expand the number of those involved in all other ministries.

To all of our volunteers, thank you. To those who are thinking about joining the ranks, step right up. The community needs you and thanks you.

God Bless.

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Worship

(continued)

The Parish of Saint Mary

VOLUNTEERS Masses per Weekend: 4 from May-September 5 from October-May* *subject to Standard Time vs. Daylight Savings Time

Altar Servers: 12 experienced (down from prior year) 9 New Servers (up from prior year) Total number of Altar Servers is up from prior year.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion: 55 in total (down 23 from prior year due to moving or medical reasons)

Cantors: 9 in total (Down 2 from prior year)

Readers: 28 in total (Up 1 from prior year)

Ushers: 31 in total (up 2 from prior year)

Greeters: 13 in total (Down 1 from prior year)

If you have an interest in learning more about any of these ministries please do not hesitate to contact us through the office, phone call, or email.

We welcome your many talents.

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Music Ministry Lauren Walters - Coordinator of Music Ministries

Over the course of the last year, we have continued to increase the amount of choral Masses on the schedule.

All major church events and sacraments had choral representation, including most civic holidays. The cantoring program continues to grow with two new cantors in the training program.

During the Summer Religious Education Intensives, children have learned the principal instruments for the Mass, the order and parts of the Mass, called the Ordinary, and have even learned the chant Ave Maria. The interest generated from the intensives has grown a need for a choir camp where students will have the ability to study the music of the church and provide music at Mass. The music ministry has started the planning process of comprising a faculty, setting a curriculum, and inviting students from Colts Neck and other areas of the diocese to form the first ever in the Trenton diocese choir camp intensive.

Additionally, the parish Youth Schola have learned the basics of good vocal techniques, sight reading skills, and several sacred chants including the In Paradisum, Regina Coeli, Christus Vincit, Pange Lingua to name a few. They have also sung with the Magnificat Choir, Marian Handbells, and other outside instrumentalists, increasing their exposure to sacred music and collaborative efforts. A branch off from the schola is the use of youth instrumentation at Christmas. Students studying stringed instruments have been paired with professionals, so that they are utilizing their talents for Mass while learning from those who are in the field.

The parish Magnificat Choir has begun learning and integrating the Communion antiphons at choral Masses, as well as adding new repertoire to the parish. From the Triduum to Father Lee’s 25th Jubilee, the choir has prepared a lot of new repertoire! They also sang at the Town Hall Tree lighting during Advent, which was well received in the community.

The music and worship ministries launched our hymnal/missal project, which was completed by our goal outlined in last year’s report. In Advent, we incorporated these resources successfully. Our Advent/ Christmas Missal & Hymnal has all 3 reading cycles, as well as hymns, psalms, & songs pertinent to the season. We will continue this extensive project for all seasons throughout the year.

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CHARITABLE APPEALS

The categories listed below are funded primarily through Parish Tithing of net proceeds from: Fundraising Efforts, The Christmas & Easter Collections, Restricted Gifts‌with additional funding provided from the Sunday Stewardship Offerings to offset needed revenue.

Charitable Appeals/Social Concerns Ministry

$44,991

Adopt a Family (Sponsor & Adopt combined)

59 Families

Tree of Love (800+ gifts @ $25.00 per)

$20,000+

Direct Charitable Appeals

$13,703

Non-Diocesan Collections

$14,500

By providing adequate meeting space, The Parish of Saint Mary generously hosts a number of community based self-help, occupational therapy, social service, ecumenical prayer and personal enrichment programs. This would not be possible without the generous sacrificial stewardship of our parishioners to maintain our physical facilities.

Faith to Move Mountains (Diocesan Endowment Campaign) Saint Mary Parish Minimum Goal

$1,250,000

Saint Mary Parish Necessary Goal

$2,250,000

Amount pledged as of 07/27/2017

$1,390,294 196 $7,093

(including 3 years of the Annual Catholic Appeal) (to complete the 3 items detailed in the campaign’s case statement)

Number of Pledges Average Gift Rebates* Received by the Parish: Annual Catholic Appeal 2016 Faith to Move Mountains

$11,928 $35,369

* The money is isolated and restricted until all FTMM rebates have been received.

Thank you to all parishioners for continuing to make your pledge payments on time!

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Parish House Project

The Parish of Saint Mary purchased a home on 27 December 2016 that was constructed in 1968, a fixer upper in 07722, to serve as the residence for the clergy of our parish. This current parish house (photo left) was selected following consultation of the parish pastoral council, finance council, buildings-grounds, patrimony, and trustees as well the building commission and expansion-restructuring commission of the Diocese of Trenton. This home is located 1 mile from the main campus and within 07722. The current parish house had to be vacated due to health hazards associated with the severe mold problems found on every level and in all rooms including all duct work of the home. The pastor has been residing in a carriage house on the property of one of our parishioner families since November 2014 when the mold remediation did not work. The decision to purchase an existing home came when the Faith in our Future initiative was announced.

This home will serve as the residence for our parish clergy until a final long term decision can be determined. It is our plan to make a final decision regarding the parish house on the main campus within 10 years. The current house and existing 8 garage bays will be used for much needed storage. Remember, that our main campus is located within the agricultural district of 07722 and as such has a 10% coverage restriction. That is why we will keep the existing structures until definite long term plans Former Parish House New Parish House have been agreed upon. (on-campus) (off-campus) The purchase price of the current parish house was $575,000.00. We were able to negotiate a loan from another 6,000 sq. ft.

3,000 sq. ft. parish within the Diocese of Trenton. The auditors approved the loan in the amount of $825,000.00. This will provide for 6 bedrooms 4 bedrooms the purchase, some improvements and updating in the coming years as well as some increase in our contingency 4.5 baths 3.5 baths fund. The terms are: 10 years; 3% interest fixed; no prepayment penalties; 5 years interest only; years 6-10 principal 2 full kitchens 1 full kitchen & interest based on 10 year amortization; year 10 balloon 2 full laundry rooms 1 laundry area payment.

The current house is located in a stable neighborhood built by Zimmerer and sold in 2008 for 6 detached 2 bay garage $843,000.00 when the real estate market in town was at its garage bays attached pinnacle to date. This purchase is a good investment and provides some time for our parish to develop a long term plan especially as we are collaborating with the other parishes of cohort 13. This purchase is an increase in assets for our parish and can be liquidated when/if no longer needed for use by our parish.

Thank you for your continued concern and support of this project.

Page 22

Fiscal Overview: Year Ending June 30 th , 2017 Susan Lambert, CPA Fiscal year July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017 resulted in a surplus of revenue over expenses of $69,349 but was lower than previous year.

Highlights of the year’s financial results are: 

Although total offertory revenue increased from last year, Sunday Stewardship remained the same.



Fundraisers this year collected a lower amount than the previous year due to additional fundraisers being planned.



Diocesan assessment and insurance increased $9,000.



Overall expenses were only $4,751 higher than previous year.

property/liability

The overall financial condition is as follows: 

Financials are prepared on the accrual method and therefore expenses are recorded when occurred and not when paid. After taking into account the principal mortgage payments of $67,030 the overall gain was $2,319.



Vendor payables, diocesan payables, and catholic school support payables has decreased and elementary school support was paid in full this fiscal year.



The mortgage balance on existing loan was reduced by $67,030. The new loan of $825,000 was for the purchase of building and to fund on-going capital improvements.

Currently, interest payments are being made on this loan with principal payments to be paid in the future.

Going forward for June 30, 2018 a gain of $29,978 is anticipated.

The following should still be considered: 

Increase Sunday Stewardship giving



Expand the use of online giving to steady revenues especially when families are out of town



Consider bequests or legacy gifts to provide for the future



Continue to address physical facility maintenance and care of grounds Page 23

Statement of Financial Operations

Page 24

Statement of Financial Operations

“But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.�

Matthew 6:3-4

Page 25

Calendar Year 2016 Stewardship Offering

Annual Offering (based on calendar year January through December 2016)

Offertory Amount

$25,000 to 10,000.01 $10,000 to 2,500.01 $2,500 to 1,000.01

$1,000 to 400.01 $400 to 100.01 $100 to .01 $0.00 Total Households Checks & Cash Total Annual Offering

# of Households 4 81 201

242 331 309 835 2,003

Total

$63,932.38 $332,001.00 $310,650.00

$163,418.07 $74,493.70 $15,807.00 $0.00 $960,301.15 $59,484 $1,019,786.15

Note: # of households with $0.00 contributions derived from 2,003 total households registered minus 1,168 active contributors.

Weekly Offering (based on calendar year January through December 2016)

Offertory Amount

$200.00 to 100.01 $100.00 to 50.01

# of Households 9 44

Total

$1,204.26 $2,818.68

$50.00 to 30.01

65

$2,528.22

$30.00 to 20.01 $20.00 to 15.01 $15.00 to 10.01 $10.00 to .01 $0.00

96 88 91 621 989

$2,415.66 $1,545.42 $1,141.74 $2,049.34 $0.00

Total Number of Households EOY 2016: 2,003 Total Non-Zero Contributing Household EOY 2016: 1,014

On-line & Envelope Checks & Cash Total CY 2016 Weekly Weekly Average (50 weeks excludes Easter & Christmas)

$690,841 $59,484 $750,325 $15,006

Page 26

Total Sacramental Statistics Calendar Year: 1 January 2016 through 31 December 2016

Baptisms

47 Infants

57

RCIA Adult

0

First Holy Communion

76

Children

75

Adults

1

Confirmation

111 Children

110

Adults

1

Marriages

16

Funerals

41

Anointing of the Sick

19

Sacramental Statistics As compared to historical totals

1976

1986

1996

2011

2016

Baptism

23

23

72

55

57

First Holy Communion

58

37

76

126

76

Confirmation

89

116

76

143

111

Marriage

17

29

20

12

16

6

17

23

8

19

Calendar Year

Anointing of the Sick

Page 27

Sacramental Statistics Calendar Year: 1 January 2016 through 31 December 2016

Baptisms Lola Mae Agnello Mia Angelina Alicea Alivia Louise Annunziata Parker Francesca Berke Kevin Andrew Bodnar Dylan John Burton Gregory Nicholas Carmignani Matthew Christopher Cicero Joseph Anthony Cifelli Kelly Elizabeth Daly Khloe Grace Davis Joseph Nicholas De Pierro IV Gavin Martin De Vito Gage Michael Fedina Noah Joseph Fernandes Luca Edward Ferreri Chase Thomas Frank Elizabeth Noelle Galletta Alexandra Ann Gavaras Nadia Eve Gear Christopher James Geneve Scarlett Rose Grant Ethan George Guirguis

Gianna Noelle Gumnitz Jory Austin Gutierrez Sienna Jean Hanley Mary Elizabeth Higgins Hayes Francis Hoitt MacKenzie Miller Holtz Charlotte Mae Jakubik Adam Stephen Kondratowicz Mario Brennan Liberatore Rocco Santino Lotito Jacob Thomas Lopusznick Jaxon Joseph Mascaro Cadys Helena Maslo Vincent Mezzapella Jax Thomas Murello Christian Joseph Orrico Camilla Mia Pace

Luca Paul Pesce Victoria Paige Rapuano Nicholas Sarapochillo Gia Rose Serrantonio Angelina Giulia Settineri Sebastian Alexander Sica John Louis Slipek Anderson John Smith Quinn Teagan Sweeney Lillian Mary Szoke Sienna Rose Tramutola Hadley Kate Velho Sylvia Marie Visscher Daniel Stanislaw-Dumancela-Wachowski Carina Lucille Williams Hunter Thomas Willis Brielle Aurora Young

First Holy Communion Alivia Adams Cameron Alicea Matthew Anderson Aiden Andreyko Daniel Annunziata Bryant Barca Cecilia Barreiro Anthony Bartolomeo Sarah Bednarczyk Christopher Borao Kennedy Buss Emma Camilli Josephine Cassidy Sophia Clemente Isabella Clemente

Christopher Collins Hayley Correia Nicholas Cucchiara Kyle Davis Daniel DeSerio William Drechsler Jack Dugo Richard Ecklord Matteo Fabbricatore Madeline Fazzolari Dylan Flynn Marianinez Franco Stefanie Galpern John Glusko Charlotte Grant

Dean Grilli Nicholas Guglieri Christopher Guglieri Priscilla Guiliano Colin Gulka Hope Jordan Olivia Kapp Kaitlyn Kappelmier Ryan Kearney Olivia Knowles Alexander Lennon Joshua Lopes Jack Main Isabella Marchese Corbin Marchese

Sofia Marx Owen Moran Richard Murray Julia Navroski Riley O'Shea Ross Petrini Colin Pinguelo Sarah Ramos Andrew Reisinger Abigail Riddle Thomas Rocco Mia Rodriguez Alexa Ronca John Schatzle David Schell

Richard Schibell Dylan Sciarrillo Brooke Solvang Nicholas Strausbaugh Jonathan Stubbs Isabella Suarez Alexandra Szary Julia Tormey Salvatore Joseph Vaina Matthew Veisz Ryan Westby Michael Willis Dillon Patrick Younger Nicholas Zeni Alessandra Zilinski Page 28

Sacramental Statistics (continued) Calendar Year: 1 January 2016 through 31 December 2016

Confirmation Alexis “Anne” Allegro Logan “Anthony” Andreyko Caroline “Marie” Aquinas Jose “Francis” Austin Meredith “Catherine” Basile Taylor “Marie” Benevento Connor “Nicholas” Bennett Rachel “Clare” Boliver Christina “Veronica” Borao Elizabeth “Jessica” Borao Shaun “Giuseppe” Burke

Anthony “Michael” Buzzetta Arianna “Michela” Calo Nicholas “Noah” Campisi Nicole “Rose” Caposello Jill “Jill” Carson Alexandra “Frances” Casey Chazz “Michael” Cipriano Anthony “Michael” Citro Bridget “Elissa” Clarke James “James” Como Guytano “Andrew” Conforti Victoria “Maria” Coppola Daniel “Elias” Cowles John “Francis Xavier” Cregg Amanda “Aurea” DeFalco Julia “Mary” D’Eletto Nicolette “Christina” Dell’Anno Patrick “Francis” Dickinson Garett “Salvatore” DiFazio Olivia “Nicole” DiPilato Christopher “Christopher” Dragone Avery “Julia” Drechsler Olivia “Genevieve” Ecock Michael “Patrick” Egan Gabrielle “Elizabeth” Eschinger

Claire “Louise” Falletta Brandon “Blaise” Farrell Nicholas “Paul” Feaster Carson “Anthony” Federico Morgan “Elizabeth” Feiler Timothy J. “Victor” Fetter Thomas “Michael” Finnegan Madison “Alexis” Flynn Camryn “Catherine” Foltz Anthony “Anthony” Galante Mark “Albert” Gathman Carrie “Elizabeth” Greenspan Alexandra “Audrey” Grieco Haley “Anna” Hawthorne Michael “Kevin” Hernandez Scott “Vincent” Horvath Mary “Catherine” Huntley Michael “John” Jordan Julianna “Andrea” Kaminski Dylan “John” Kazymirczuk Sara “Isabella” Knox Sydney “Clare” Kodama Lily “Julia” Krok Jenna “Catherine” Kushnir Joseph “John” LaPorta Richard J. “Sebastian” Larsen Thomas “Charles” Lidondici Alejandro “Joseph” Loureiro Ashley “Victoria” Mangan Joseph “Michael” Martinelli Chloe “John” McAloon Sean “Andrew” McGovern Caryn “Isabella” McGrory Jordan “Veronica” McKay Michael “Patrick” McVey Matthew “Michael” Mentonis Michelle “Francesca” Mistretta Mikayla “Nicole” Murray Christian “Raphael” Notaro Megan “Stefanie” Nuzzolo Liam “Luis” O’Hara Michael “Raphael” Pellecchia Victoria “Carmella” Piro Jessica “Grace” Praet

Alexa “Anne” Prus Evan “David” Purdy Nia “Cecelia” Quigley Chandler “Eric” Reed Ava “Alexa” Reganato Daniel “Anthony” Reger Samantha “Anne” Relay Dylan “Anthony” Renard Justin “Anthony” Rinaldo Ryan “John” Rinaldo Christian “Francisco” Rivero Joseph “Anthony” SanFilippo Isabella “Elena” Santamaria Anthony “William” Scala Juliana “Rose” Schaefer Emily “Olivia” Schulte Isabella “Kathleen” Sessa Noelle “Anne” Sierp Nicholas “Joseph” Siniscalchi Jenna “Theresa” Steensen Alexandra “Mary” Stortz

David “Frank” Stortz Cara “Marie” Stortz Daniel “Andrew” Straub Sarah “Bridget” Sysyn Kayla “Sophia” VanDuysen Cassidy “Genevieve” Wilson Matthew “Aaron” Wilson Nicholas “Paul” Wrate Madeline “Olivia” Younger Page 29

Sacramental Statistics (continued) Calendar Year: 1 January 2016 through 31 December 2016

Marriages

(Groom Full Name and Bride Full Name)

Bryan Arthur Anderson and Suzanne Michelle Murphy Andrew Charles Barnett and Hannah Dorothy Jannarone Jonathan Antonio Benavides and Krystle Judith Almodovar William Eugene Brunk and Kristen Elizabeth O'Dowd Matthew Joseph Cerbone and Meredith McEntee Daniel Clifford and Edna Wunder Edward C. Eastman III and Caitlin M. Burns David Michael Gallello and Magdalena Kolbuszewska Richard T. Gerbino and Allison M. Finn Thomas Charles Langton and Rachel Caitlin Fitzpatrick Kyle James Manley and Christine Buckley

Funerals Joseph Astorino Michael Baselice Richard Beard Amanda Belfiore Mary Belton Angelina Brock Margaret Catta Anthony Citro Mary Colando Deborah Connolly-Cusate Lenora Daniele

Vincent S. Mezzapella and Jessica L. Meer-Reyes Andrew Michael Robbins and Christina Audrey Joyce Joseph Nicholas Spagnola and Danielle Marie Hamlin Carlos F. Vela and Andrea P. Vizuete Vincent Zappulla, Jr. and Jennifer E.Paustian

Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Luci DeAngelis Pietro DeNicola Martha DiFedele Bridget Dowd Gerald Fitzgerald George Forte Michael Gorman Grace Grousso James Hamill Helena Haupt George Illmensee

Charles F. Kitson Mary Ann Kovacs Patricia Ann Madzin Donald March Marie McKee Brian Meehan Luis Menconi Joseph Nogueira Thomas J. Nolan., Jr. Americo Penna Frank Perretti

Patricia Pope Carmela Provenzano Mary Alice Redden Alice Roman Herbert D. Smith, Jr. Victor Spina Joann Tortoriel James Wagar

Page 30

Stewardship: Benefits of On-line Giving Why consider the convenience of on-line giving:         

Convenient, simple and secure alternative to the weekly church envelopes or cash giving No need for writing checks Option to remain anonymous Support parish even if you are unable to attend Mass Contribution amount is easily adjusted Financial planning allows you to align your paychecks with your parish offertory schedule Automatic deductions from bank account/credit card Take advantage of programs such as airline mileage or cash bonuses with credit card option Make your parish a priority in budgeting - Avoid compromising your good intentions by the pressure of expenses and billing cycles



Benefit to Parish: Giving arrives on a designated day, in a designated amount, and is available for immediate use while simplifying bookkeeping and budgeting efforts.



Offertory Cards can be provided to each online giving family if desired to be placed in the Offertory collection basket each weekend. Cards are recycled each weekend.

Sign up for Online Giving today!

Seek the Right Path God first and foremost wants us. He loved us before we were born. What He wants most of all, is our time. This begins with prayer. We must give our time to God in prayer, and listen to what God wants of us. Secondly, He expects us to use our talents for the good of others and our parish. He expects us to actively participate in parish life with our many gifts. Finally, we are challenged to put our treasure in His hands, and be generous with the gifts God has given us.

Guidelines for Prayerful Reflection Of all the ways we are asked to be generous, giving from our treasure - giving money - can sometimes be the most challenging. God understands this. He calls us to tithe for this reason. Giving money to charity will do much good, but the most good it will do is free us from our attachment to money. This frees us to serve God and draw closer to Him. Tithing challenges us to see the difference between what we need and what we want. Tithing means giving 10% from our gross wages or income. We strive to give 5% to our parish, and 5% to the needs of the greater Church and world – other charities.

Giving freely is an important tool to develop in our journey to draw closer to Christ. For most, it takes time to reach a full tithe.

Challenge Giving

Discipleship Giving

Growth Giving

Entry Level Giving

Weekly Income

15%

12%

10%

9%

8%

7%

6%

5%

4%

3%

2%

1%

$500

75

60

50

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

$700

105

84

70

63

56

49

42

35

28

21

14

7

$800 $900 $1,000

120 135 150

96 108 120

80 90 100

72 81 90

64 72 80

56 63 70

48 54 60

40 45 50

32 36 40

24 27 30

16 18 20

8 9 10

$1,200

180

144

120

108

96

84

72

60

48

36

24

12

$1,500

225

180

150

135

120

105

90

75

60

45

30

15

$2,000

300

240

200

180

160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

$3,000

450

360

300

270

240

210

180

150

120

90

60

30 Page 31

Family Life Prayer Gracious God You have created humanity through your Divine Love and You have ordered the family as the locus of this Love.

In these times, families are in need of your Divine Grace as we strive to live righteously in the center of much busyness and distraction.

We ask You to bless all parents as they struggle firstly to discern your will and then sustain them as they seek to travel along Your path of goodness and truth. We ask that you pour forth the Light of Christ upon us as choices are many and deceptions abound; help us to discern Your will in our lives as we travel along the path of life.

Illumine us to Your ways of peace and joy through simplicity and, more importantly, through trust in you.

Expand our hearts so that we may prayerfully seek Your friendship each day and know that You are always with us as we strive to guide our children purposefully.

And most importantly, teach all families that You await us in the Eucharist and long for us to share richly in the fullness of Your Life as you strengthen us along the disciple’s journey.

Amen

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