Stewardship Report - FY July 2017- June 2018

PARISH OF ST. MARY COLTS NECK

FISCAL | 2018

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 2018 which is the period from July 1st, 2017 through June 30th, 2018.

Also included are our full calendar year statistics for 2017. 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.

From the Pastor

2

Worship & Music Ministry

3

Temporal Administration, Stewardship & Outreach

6

Charitable Appeals

9

Fiscal Overview

13

Faith Formation & Religious Education

14

Sacramental Statistics

17

Stewardship: On-Line Giving

21

Year of Youth Prayer

22

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

From the Pastor Reverend Fr. Jeffrey E. Lee, MDiv, MA, ThM

From Maintenance to Mission When serving a multi-lingual parish community I learned that there was no easy translation for the word STEWARDSHIP. Finally, I learned that this word, with its particular spiritual implications, is best translated as co-responsibility. This understanding furthered my own understanding of what it means for me to be a Christian Steward. Sharing Time, Talent & Treasure are not simply decisions to be made; but, rather actions to be taken that can and should impact others. Understanding Stewardship as Co-responsibility invites reflection and participation in support of a desired outcome.

The desired outcome is Impact; making a difference here at home and wherever there is need.

I am grateful to all our parishioners, benefactors and stakeholders for moving our parish community from maintaining who we are toward developing who we might become. It is important to have a sense of history, celebrating the firm foundation that we stand upon.

However, it is not enough for us to maintain our celebrated past.

We must be about mission: Celebrating the Sacraments, Building the Community of Faith, Reaching out to the Poor & Needy, Growing in our knowledge of the Catholic Faith…becoming stakeholders in our parish. This is what our parish is working toward. With your continued generous support of Time, Talent & Treasure we will further develop our mission in light of the command of Jesus to Go and make disciples.

Please take the time to review the following pages. These reports are provided to you as stakeholders in our Parish Community. They reflect much hard work and sacrifice. They show how we as stewards are growing in our faith and service. Should you have questions or concerns, please ask a member of our parish staff, either of our parish trustees or members of the finance or pastoral councils. A special Thank you to parishioner Annette Raynor for overseeing the layout of this report.

May Mary, Seat of Wisdom, continue to intercede for our Parish Community as we grow in Hope, Faith and Charity.

Peace.

“Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.”

Colossians 3:23-24

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Worship & Music Ministry Andrew J. Macirowski - Pastoral Coordinator As a worship community, the Parish of Saint Mary continues to both thrive and grow, amidst some challenges that come with that growth. In some areas we continue to shine, and others should become an area of focus for the coming year.

Mass Attendance I am pleased to report that Mass attendance remains steady, when looked at through the lens of the entire year. On a more detailed level, I have noted the following trends:

Daily Mass is well attended most days of the week. The Christ Chapel seats 52 people and there are regularly between 35-45 worshipers on average. Wednesday Masses, with adoration following, are the most well attended, sometimes filling the chapel completely. Thursday Masses see the lowest turnout.

Masses in our Lenten Chapel remain popular with an average of 50 attendees, sometimes into the 60s. For those of us who bring a friend to these services, that is much appreciated, as we bring the word and peace of Christ to others as we come together in worship. For those who have decided on their own to take advantage of the increased seating and come to Mass more often, that is a truly wonderful thing, and commendations are truly in order.

For our weekend liturgies, our October 2017 Mass count showed a decrease from the previous year, 2016. While the Mass count is but a snapshot of our weekly attendance, and the drop in number could be contributed to any number of reasons, we must be mindful of the Lord’s command to keep holy the Sabbath day.

“He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.”

On Holy Days, the attendance seems to remain constant, with morning Masses showing a congregation larger than a daily Mass, but smaller than our smallest weekend liturgy. Evening Masses remain well attended, with anecdotal evidence suggesting an increase over years past.

While these are mostly good things in terms of round numbers, our percentages are low. On average, 28% of registered household contribute to our weekly sacrificial offering. Accounting for those who give monthly or quarterly, it would be a safe bet that 30% of our registered household regularly attend. It would be great to see that number increase this year!

Psalm 95:1

Page 3

Volunteers in Our Ministries We have 174 active volunteers who give of their time to serve in our various liturgical ministries at weekend Masses. This number is slightly higher from 2016, when we had 166 active volunteers. We had a few volunteers leave their ministry due to health concerns, but also had a very good number of young altar servers join us. This is truly good news!

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 volunteers is commendable.

There does come some struggle with this growth. Firstly, for a parish of our size, our volunteer base should ideally be better than 200 persons. Secondly, some volunteers but not all, often gravitate towards a single Mass, which skews the frequency of which some people will serve in their ministry. For example, we are often short on altar servers and cantors at the 8AM Sunday, short on Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at the 12Noon on Sunday, short on ushers for evening Holy Day Masses, et cetera. Likewise, the 10AM is well saturated with volunteers, but as such, those who attend only that Mass will serve less frequently. An overall increase in the number of volunteers is one way to help alleviate these small issues.

All Things Musical In the fall of 2017, we were happy to welcome Mr. David Maliakel to our parish staff, who helps lead our music ministry. David has been welcomed warmly, and his passion for sacred music and the spiritual health of the community make his a great asset to our worship community.

We continue to expand our parish repertoire every season. During the Holy seasons and on Holy Days, the choir has begun to sing the Communion Antiphon as prescribed in the Roman Missal. This is a practice that will continue and one that we hope will be adopted by more of the faithful, in time. Hymns and songs, both new and old, that have not been a part of our sung worship have also been in use lately and will continue as we expand our repertoire of music. It is important to recognize all time periods and styles of sacred music and to offer the best possible rendition of the most appropriate pieces of music at all times.

We have seen a slight decrease in the size of our choir, handbell, and cantor rosters as some members have retired from their ministry or moved out of our parish. As with all ministries, the music ministry is extremely important in the life of a church.

Last year, we welcomed the Monmouth Civic Chorus to our parish as they presented a concert of sacred and secular works with a small instrumental consort. This coming year we hope to be starting a concert series of our own, presenting concerts of both large and small proportions, some headed by our music ministry, and others by outside groups. Although not tied directly to worship, like our music ministry, it is the hope that these concerts will strengthen the fellowship aspect of our community, and bring people together for an afternoon or evening of music.

All are welcome!

Page 4

Worship

(continued)

The Parish of Saint Mary

LITURGICAL VOLUNTEERS Ministry

2016

2017

Altar Servers

23

23

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

55

55

Readers

28

23

Greeters

13

10

Cantors

13

10

Ushers

31

35

Liturgy of the Word Facilitators for Masses with Children

Statistic Unavailable

8

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 at: worship@stmaryscoltsneck.org

We welcome your many talents.

“Serve the Lord with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!�

Psalms 100:2

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Temporal Administration, Stewardship & Outreach Edwin A. Sevillano, MBA - Pastoral Associate This past year was very special as we observed the 45th anniversary of the creation of the parish. Among the challenges of each day and unexpected situations that required immediate attention, we were able to bring to completion many projects and planned events. One of those challenges was a considerable personnel rotation, as we had five people who transitioned out from our staff. While changes in personnel is always difficult, I am pleased to report we were able to secure new employees for all key positions.

Here are some of the highlights of what we accomplished this past Fiscal Year of July 2017 through June 2018 in the ministries and areas under my supervision.

FACILITIES: Madonna Hall Update. The project started the year prior but we concluded it formally the first quarter of this fiscal year. By then we completed the replacement of the old recessed light fixtures with new brighter and energy saving LED lights which are also dimmable. Also, the job was enhanced by replacing the old ceiling tiles with white flat clean ones and painting of the grid. In addition, we acquired new rectangular folding tables which are easier to set up for religious education and other activities happening in the hall.

Duct cleaning. Our HVAC ducts all over the campus were in desperate need of cleaning to remove years of accumulated dust and germs. In the fall of 2017 we scheduled with a contractor a major duct cleaning. Unit by unit, building by building they were all thoroughly vacuumed inside, vents removed and washed, a sealant coat was applied, and all filters were replaced.

Parish house upgrade. Improvements, known at the time of purchase, have been completed. They include work to the exterior masonry on the chimney, lining the interior with stainless steel, re-building the fire box to safety code; cleaning up the grounds from damage caused by superstorm sandy; remove two layers of roofing material, replacing 24 sheets of plywood on the roof, providing attic ventilation and expanding the footprint to enlarge the kitchen in order to maximize the return on this investment. These projects were completed in consultation with the trustees, pastoral and finance council and a representative of the buildings and grounds committee.

These projects were anticipated at time of purchase and were part of the loan negotiated at that time.

Theatre Lightning update. The theatre original light fixtures from the 1980s were finally updated. In the Spring our facilities personnel installed new LED dimmable lights, painted the grid white and replaced the old ceiling tiles with new ones to match those we installed at Madonna Hall.

STEWARDSHIP: Our weekend collections averaged about the same amount as the previous fiscal year and there was a slight increase in the Easter collection (up 3%), but there was a decrease in the Christmas collection of 7%. Our Building and mortgage reduction collection also decreased by 4%. It is important to remind our parishioners and stakeholders that our Sunday collection funds our daily operations. Our fixed costs however continue to raise which is a matter of concern for the staff and the finance and pastoral councils.

“Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God.�

1 Peter 4:10 Page 6

Temporal Administration

(cont.)

We continue to receive and welcome new parishioners as new families are moving into the area. Through our New Parishioner Orientation sessions, we stress the need to establish a long lasting relationship between our parishioners and the parish. It is appropriate to remind new and old parishioners that in order to remain active and registered parishioner of Saint Mary Parish, we ask of you: (1) faithful and regular mass attendance, (2) involvement in a ministry, event or program throughout the year, and (3) your financial support.

These three components allow us to continue serving and caring for the spiritual needs of our community of faith and to maintain our outreach programs to those in need in the larger surrounding area of the parish. If you have any questions of concerns about your parishioner status, please call the parish office for more information.

To supplement our ordinary income we have needed to run fundraisers throughout the year. The most important ones this past fiscal year have been Love Thy Neighbor, our Super 50/50 and the Golf Outing & Summer Social.

Love Thy Neighbor was planned to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the parish. A committee of parishioners was put together months in advance to discuss and generate ideas for this milestone celebration. Hosted at the estate of parishioners Juan and Marta Gutierrez on September 15, Love Thy Neighbor was a night to remember.

Live music by the Moondance Big Band and several caterers, cocktail bars and a cigar bar were some of the highlights of the night. Over 200 parishioners and friends enjoyed the night and helped the parish raise a little over $60,000 of much needed funds.

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.�

John 15:11

The Super 50/50 was held later in the fall. We continue offering the option to buy tickets online and we also did a massive postcard mailing to help spread the voice. We sold 261 tickets this year and raised about $12,000 for the parish.

Page 7

Temporal Administration

(cont.)

Golf Outing & Summer Social

The 9th Golf Outing changed venue this year, as it was hosted at Battleground Golf and Country Club. The Summer Social was brought back as a complement for the evening dinner at the end of the golfing event.

The main challenge this year was golfers registration as we barely hit the 80 golfers mark required by the contract. Those who attended enjoyed a beautiful day and a great game in the renewed Battleground facilities. In addition, about 110 people enjoyed the dinner, 50/50 and silent auction at the Summer Social night. The Golf Outing and Summer Social raised a significant $41,600 for the parish.

The Diocesan capital campaign Faith to Move Mountains continued on its redemption stage this past fiscal year. Close to 200 of our families have helped the parish pledge over $1.3 million, which also includes 3 years (2016, 2017 & 2018) of the Annual Catholic Appeal. We strongly encourage our parishioners to continue making your pledge payments as the parish is already benefiting from the rebates received from the campaign.

Outreach With the tireless help of Roger Zurro, the outreach support programs to the poor and needy in our midst continue growing and being the main charitable works of mercy of the entire parish. This past 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 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-AFamily 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 possible thanks to the support of our parishioners and the initiative of parish leaders.

To conclude my report, I want to close with a final word to thank all of you for your generosity and continued support.

Saint Mary Parish, with your involvement and care shall continue to be a vibrant community flourishing in Monmouth County and the Diocese of Trenton.

God bless you!

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FISCAL 2017 CHARITABLE APPEALS Renewing Our Commitment to the Poor & Needy 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.

Direct Support Adopt a Family (Sponsor and Adopt Combined)

$47,922 60 Families

Tree of Love (812+ gifts @ $25.00 per gift)

$20,300

Direct Charitable Appeals

$13,367

Non-Diocesan Collections

$14,500

Hurricane Harvey Relief extraordinary collection Missionary Co-Operation Plan: Diocese of Yaounde, Cameroon

$14,298 $8,151

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 (including 3 years of the Annual Catholic Appeal)

$1,250,000

Saint Mary Parish Necessary Goal (to complete the 3 items detailed in the campaign’s case statement)

$2,250,000

Amount pledged as of 07/27/2018

$1,386,694 197 $7,039 $660,434

Number of Pledges Average gift Paid pledges Rebates* Received by the Parish: Annual Catholic Appeal 2017 Faith to Move Mountains * The money is isolated and restricted until all FTMM rebates have been received.

$11,250 $61,041

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

Page 9

Fiscal Overview: Year Ending June 30 th , 2018 Susan Lambert, CPA Fiscal year July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018 reported a profit of $98,844 which was applied to pay mortgage principal and repayment of past due debt leaving a net surplus of $4,842.

Highlights of the year’s financial results are: 

Total offertory revenue decreased from last year even though Sunday Stewardship remained stable.



Golf outing and 50/50 raffle showed no increase from previous year.



With the help of the Love Thy Neighbor fundraiser, which contributed nearly $60,000, the total revenue is $21,665 higher than last year.



Overall expenses were $7,830 lower than previous year as a result of savings due to staffing changes and benefits offset by building repairs and maintenance.

The overall financial condition is as follows: 

Financials are prepared on the accrual method and therefore expenses are recorded when incurred and not when paid. After taking into account the principal mortgage payments of $69,070 and outstanding Catholic School Support invoices of $24,932 the net surplus was $4,842.



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



The mortgage balance on existing loan was reduced by $69,070. Interest payments are being made on the building loan with principal payments to be paid in the future.

Going forward for June 30, 2019 a loss of $95,111 is anticipated. The following should still be considered: 

Increase of Sunday Stewardship giving is necessary to keep up with rising fixed costs.



Shift from dependency of fund raising to reliance on Sunday Stewardship Offering for stable revenue stream.



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 and equipment maintenance and care of grounds.

Page 10

Calendar Year 2017 Annual Offertory

Annual Offering (All Funds: Sunday, Mortgage, Christmas & Easter) Offertory Amount

# of Households

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

4 86

$340,892.00

$2,500 to 1,000.01

212

$324,253.67

$1,000 to 400.01

224

$150,658.00

$400 to 100.01

285

$66,971.00

$100 to .01

290

$15,096.00

$0.00

168

$0.00

Total Households

Total $65,993.00

1,269

$963,863.67

Loose Cash

$75,497.00

Total Annual Offering

$1,039,360.67

Note: # of households with $0.00 contributions derived from 1,269 total households registered minus 1,101 active contributors.

Weekly Offering (based on calendar year January through December 2017) Offertory Amount

# of Households

$200.00 to 100.01 $100.00 to 50.01

11 42

$1,541.96 $2,717.96

$50.00 to 30.01

76

$2,942.37

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

100

$2,400.31

75

$1,285.03

103

$1,260.27

570

$1,931.69

292

$0.00

Avg. Per Week

Total Number of Households EOY 2017

1,269

Total Non-Zero Contributing Household EOY 2017

977

On-line & Envelope Loose Cash Total CY 2017 Weekly Weekly Average (51 weeks excludes Easter)

$718,059.62 $63,992.00 $782,051.62 $15,334.35

Page 11

Statement of Financial Operations

Page 12

Statement of Financial Operations

“For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.�

1 Timothy 3:13 Page 13

Faith Formation & Religious Education Jim Bridges, Ph.D. - Pastoral Coordinator Introduction I began this ministry here at the Parish of St. Mary at the beginning of January after many years of parish and diocesan ministry elsewhere in New Jersey and across the country.

Much of what is reported here is a reflection of the valuable work and contributions of my immediate predecessors, Deacon Vincent Rinaldi and Linda Dickinson-Pancila, and of course, many other volunteers among the parishioners. My own current responsibilities embrace much but not all of the areas in which they worked.

Baptism: 53 infants were baptized with 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.”

First Holy Communion: Last year 74 children (Spring) and 2 young adults (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.

Confirmation: 95 young adults were Confirmed. For young adults, the process is a two-year on-site preparation program with classes every other Sunday, consisting of over 20 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.

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

Proverbs 22:6 Page 14

Faith Formation & Religious Education

Religious Education Program: In the 2017-2018 school year we had 546 registered students: 44 Grade 1 & 2 on-site 157 Grade 7 & 8 on-site 144 Grade 1-6 on-line

201 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 they attend at least four (4) family learning sessions and/ or event s throughout the year which consist of teaching, liturgical, family participation, and Penance/Reconciliation. Various ministerial activities are also included.

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 2018.

Our parish offered a 5 day mission led by Sr. Lisa Marie Valentini, MSC (a Missionary Sister of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus), beginning October 21, 2017. She shared her musical gifts as well as presenting inspirational talks on the theme: “God loves you, God really loves you!” Her mission visit was a special gift to our parish.

The Ascension Press study for both men and women ran two programs: t h e B o o k o f A c t s (20 sessions) and Mary: A Biblical W alk with the Blessed Mother (8 sessions). The committee worked on long range planning and are open to participants from other parishes.

Other 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, 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.

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.

Page 15

Faith Formation & Religious Education 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.

Two Book clubs opportunities: Sofia’s Circle (Fridays), and Spiritual Reading (Tuesdays) with Sr. M. Francis Lomeo. Many great books were read, discussed and applied to life situations.

Book Give-Away & Kiosk – To provide faith filled resources to the community, a variety of faith-filled books are distributed throughout the year. Little books of reflections were also distributed during Advent (blue book) and Lent (purple book), and a white Easter book of reflections. 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.

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”

2 Peter 3:18

Page 16

Total Sacramental Statistics Calendar Year: 1 January 2017 through 31 December 2017

Baptisms

56 Infants

54

RCIA Adult

2

First Holy Communion

80

Children

73

Adults

7

Confirmation

103 Children

95

Adults

8

Marriages

9

Funerals

28

Anointing of the Sick

37

Sacramental Statistics As compared to historical totals

Calendar Year Baptism First Holy Communion Confirmation Marriage Anointing of the Sick

1977 14

1987 20

1997 81

2012 59

2017 56

53

35

81

129

80

110 16

104 14

66 27

147 12

103 9 15

Page 17

Sacramental Statistics Calendar Year: 1 January 2017 through 31 December 2017

Baptisms Gabriella Marie Bellomo Crosby Nolan Boodey Liam Daniel George Brennan Patrick Sheeran Broslaw Quinn Joseph Brown Abigail Rose Carfora James Joseph Carfora Margot Elizabeth Chance Payton Grace Chesler Declan Thomas Christensen Carmela Jane Crepezzi Ruby Marie Crepezzi Giana Grace Cruz - Morfino Francesca Josephine De Pierro James Patrick Degenhardt Olivia Josephine Del Vecchio Louisa Irene Dillon Joseph Jack Dugo Emma Margaret Frederick Matthew Mason Gaglio Genevieve Elena Galletta Brennan Matthew Glazier

Axel Arthur Herberger Emmett James Harris Riley Anne Heulitt Benjamin Joseph Ignaczak Colin Steven Johnson Kiera Jeanne Kakol Joseph Michael Leonardo Matthew James Jr. Linquito Jaxson Georgelio Lucas Sabrina Mae Mahjouri Christopher Salvatore Massaro Ryan Ross Motch Connor Patrick Mc Alpine Gianna Elizabeth Minucci Isabella Patricia Molinaro Anthony James Molinaro Mackenzie Elizabeth Moniz Nico Pasquale Pace

Gabriella Rose Pellegrino Giovanni Pizzano Logan John Rehberg Miriana Angel Rosario Amanda Marjorie Russell Devin Vaughn Saez - Kamdar Annabelle Mac Donald Sessions Faye Marie Sette Emma May Swenson Ryan Joseph Tedeschi Serafina Josephine Termini Danielle Towler Audrey Barrett Wasenius Meghan Willow Watts Louis William Weber Nina Wroblewski

First Holy Communion Chaz Agliata Sophia Aiello Amara Amaefuna Sabrina Apolito Michael James Bacile Colin Barone Victoria Beninato Olivia Brown Dennis Bruck Gavin Brunelli Thomas Bujnowski Elizabeth Buzzetta Mattilyn Caffiero Maximilian Clemente Kiersten Cygal Valentina Dugo Angelina Emma

Sheri Emma Priscilla Emma Lola Esposito Ava Failla Samantha Faiella Gianna Ferrara Julian Fortunato Ashlyn Galski Amanda Garfield Lindsey Garfield Matthew Gibson Abby Girgis Ian Girgis Mia Grant Sophia Hennessey Ava Ippolito Gabrielle Kazymirczuk

Kayla Kling Chase Knowles Gavin Koster Brandon Lakefield Kirsten Lukowitz Nicholas Marx Ryan McKay Tatiana Miele-DiFabio Sean Moore Pedro Navroski Maia Noble Rowan O'Connor Lilyanna Palazzolo Paul Pape Brian Petrosino Christopher Quincannon Dylan Reger

Jordan Renard Kenneth Rogers Sienna Romano Andrij Rudko Christopher Sabin, Jr. Luke Sans Owen Schell Audrey Schibell Sean Sciarrillo Addison Shearer Isabella Spano Charles Strausbaugh Andrew Martin Taeschler Charles Tappen Amelia Thompson Nicholas Toscanini Danielle Towler

Sara Trumino Sofia Tzoulis Stella Tzoulis Sophia Valente Hudson Valvo Avery Velho Alba Sofia Wagar Valentina Wager Nathan Weller-Oldani Hanna Willis Michael Wrate Nina Wroblewski

Page 18

Sacramental Statistics (continued) Calendar Year: 1 January 2017 through 31 December 2017

Confirmation Joey Nicholas Allegro Kristen Nicole Anastasia Annabella Angela Andiorio Isabella Teresa Andiorio Ashleigh Patricia Anzevino Gianna Anne Augustine Matt John Baker Kayla Ann Barba Ashton Michael Benavides Deven Michael Bhatnagar Logan John Boag Heather Claudia Boliver Kaitlyn Francis Brannan Alexander Anthony Brey Vanessa Faith Burns Emily Julia Cannizzaro Sophia Mary Carlin Damon James Casucci Stephen Paul Ciccarone Lucas Onofrio Cingari Jonathan Maximilian Colaco Abigail Brigid Cowles Jerry Michael Daly Peter Joseph Davi Julianna Elizabeth Davi Lauren Rose Davis Andrea Emily DeCarolis Ashly Priscilla DeGaetano Giovanna Teresa DeJohn

Brianna Adele DeLuca Skylar Isabel Domanski Aileen Bridget Dowd Christian Luke Dudas Jack Patrick Duffy Edward George Eastman Angelina Phoebe Emma Priscilla Nicole Emma Sheri Gianna Emma Amanda Victoria Eschert Madison Rosemarie Esposito Michaela Patricia Farrell Isabella Maria Favilla Seamus Patrick Fitzpatrick Cassidy Genevieve Friend Tyler Gerard Garfield Jake Richard Gershon Jack Sebastian Greenspan Joseph James Gregoli Sara Rose Margaret Grizzaffi Derek Nicholas Haaf AJ Bonaventure Haaf Daniel Xavier Hartman Nicholas Paul Hroncic Alexander Anthony Jankowski Adrian Gabriel Jimenez Elizabeth Catherine Klein Jesse Genesius Kodama Ryan Stephen Kryscnski

Luke John Kubeck Gianna Cecilia Leccese Richie John Lee Joshua Sebastian Leonetti Jessica Victoria Luckenbach Sophia Dorothy Lyon Kelly Bridget Lyons Vanessa Genevieve Maiello Anthony Giorgio Marretta Brynn Agnes McGuiness Lindsey Mary McNeill Nicholas John Moldaver Lindsay Mary Morin Bryanna Michele Murray Michael Thomas Muscio Ryan Abraham Nodine Nicholas Francis Nunziato Isabella Rose Nunziato Courtney Maria Nuzzolo Ryan Robert O'Connor Nikki Marie Parisi Danny Daniel Parker Ryan James Pastor

Jack Joseph Pastor Lia Therese Patharkar Matteo Leo Piperno Gianna Angelina Praet Gabriella Maria Prus Gabrielle Agnes Reese Isabella Juliana Rivero Jimmy Cono Ruggieri Angela Teresa Russo Gianna Grace Savo Taylor Hope Schoenhut Gianna Emma Simmons Megan Mary Smith Danielle Edith Towler Cole Joseph Tucker Jack Michael Unger Brendan Andrew Whalen Nina Marie Woblewski Andrew Joseph Woodward Jennifer Catherine Zappulla Gina Teresa Zarantonello Sara Ann Zilinski

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Sacramental Statistics (continued) Calendar Year: 1 January 2017 through 31 December 2017

Marriages Groom and Wife Maiden Name Joseph Benevento and Carrie Eudaly Patrick Dean Brennan and Siobhan Kathleen Brunner

Christopher Emma and Sheri Lynn Yannon Anthony D Foti and Victoria Vignone Sean Kronstadt and Mary Angelique Zara Ivan Aris Bastian Oud and Michelle Teresa Scilla Brian Penton and Amanda Jane Zoltowski Patrick S Pezzello and Brittany L Wright Tristan Pillari and Kelsey Lee Canta

Funerals Anthony Abbatiello Dorothy Alexander Jaqueline Andras Daniel Baldassare William Barnett Nancy Cavaliere John Clemente Evelyn Coviello - Pusateri Antonio De Marco Rosa De Marco

Joseph Donatelli William Eyers Lucille Fino Evan Gienter Gloria Hambor Robert Hanna Judith Joyce Richard V. Kelly Michael La Salle Daniel P., Jr. Mc Garry

Thomas O'Connor John Jr. Pal John Saldon Elena San Filippo Joseph Scala Albert K. Sellitti James Stynes Barbara Zwolinski

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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! http://www.stmarycoltsneck.com/index.php/about-us/online-giving

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.

Weekly Income

Challenge Giving

Discipleship Giving

Growth Giving

Entry Level Giving

$500

15% $75

12% $60

10% $50

9% $45

8% $40

7% $35

6% $30

5% $25

4% $20

3% $15

2% $10

1% $5

$800

$120

$96

$80

$72

$64

$56

$48

$40

$32

$24

$16

$8

$1,000

$150

$120

$100

$90

$80

$70

$60

$50

$40

$30

$20

$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

$5,000

$750

$600

$500

$450

$400

$350

$300

$250

$200

$150

$100

$50

$7,000

$1,050

$840

$700

$630

$560

$490

$420

$350

$280

$210

$140

$70

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Year of Youth Prayer Dearest Lord, Help us to increase the active engagement of young Catholics in relationship with Jesus and help them to grow in faith as missionary disciples.

Guide us, As we celebrate the gifts of young Catholics and increase their opportunities to use those gifts to make a difference, in their school, their parish, and in the world.

Give us, The wisdom to challenge misconceptions and cultivate a more positive attitude among adult Catholics about the desire of young people to live their faith in Christ.

Bless us, with the opportunity to offer parishes assistance to focus on welcoming young people, helping them to feel at home, and encouraging participation in parish life.

We ask this through our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Amen

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