Dear Parishioners,

"One more cookie, Daddy!" "Just one more!" Some children can’t quite get enough. I had breakfast after Confirmation-First Eucharist with the Bishop back in November. He was telling me about Father Rich Poole’s effort to join the Air Force as a chaplain. It must have been something in the syrup, because I told him I would stay at St. Mary’s another year if it would help letting Father Poole go into the Air Force. So I am here for another year. Some of my friends have suggested I can’t let go. I will hopefully prove them wrong come June of next year.

This is my sixth report to you as pastor of St. Mary’s. My first responsibility is always the spiritual life of this community. That has many dimensions, but one of the ways of measuring it is the simple recounting of the number.( Last years numbers are in the parentheses). This community now numbers 1602 (1590) families with 3998 ( 3997) baptized members, 4701(4683) total family members. This year we baptized 39 (39) infants and 6 (8) persons of catechetical age (youth and adults.) 71(69) were confirmed in faith by the Bishop or Pastor. 9 (17) couples pledged their lives in Christ in marriage. Parish staff has helped 11 (9) persons regularize their marriages through the ministry of the Diocesan Marriage Tribunal. 45 (38) have passed into that kingdom where all things are truly one in Christ.

The last year was a great challenge to many people because of the economic melt down. Enclosed you will find the financial report for our parish and our school. Your generosity and faithfulness has brought us through this rather difficult year with a $7,600 increase in Sunday offering. I am most appreciative and amazed.

There is new life in our midst. Father Matthew Larsen was ordained on June 26^th and his first assignment as a new priest for our Diocese is St. Mary’s Parish. He has been with us for two months now. So I am sure you are getting to know him. I am grateful to you for the warm welcome that has been extended to him. He is going to be a great priest in service of God’s people.

As I shared with you early in this process, the increase of staffing with a full time priest is an economic challenge for the parish. I ask for your help. In the Summer voice I set out the increased costs of salary, retirement, medical, etc. It was about $50,000. I ask for your help. It is a blessing to have a new young priest. Please lets dig down and pay for it. The Diocese has given us a big help for the first year by funding my salary as the beginning of retirement. We are going to need an additional $3000 a month to keep our heads above water. Again, I ask for your help!

In the midst of this transition, I want to thank Father Jim Kuhns for his three years of service here at St. Mary’s. Father Jim has been a wonderful part of our community. His coming here at the beginning of his retirement was a special gift for our parish. I have certainly enjoyed his presence as a brother priest and as a good friend. Father Jim has moved to a Duplex close to Our Lady of Fatima on the South Hill. We are grateful to all his has done for us and wish him continued good health and happiness as he takes a step deeper into the reality of retirement. Father Brian Mee spent five months with us this year. He is now very busy as pastor at St. Peter’s. Thank you for your kindness to both of these priests as they have been a part of our parish life.

Father Jim was instrumental in the most significant project undertaken in the last year, the renovation of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and construction of the window to the tabernacle. When Father Jim came three years ago, I asked him to study and make some suggestions as to how we could enhance our devotion to the Blessed Sacrament here at St. Mary’s. The Sacrament Chapel at St. Mary’s has been a special place for private prayer and devotion 24/7 for the last thirty five years. But its presence in the Church was almost a secret. I think you would all agree that the renovation was a great success. Thanks to Father Jim, to Kevin Jester, the architect, to Leverier Construction and to all the donors. My hope has been fulfilled.

Last year I reported that we would be starting a capital campaign in the Fall. Well, the economic melt down occurred. This effort was been set aside. We were able to re-roof the south pod last summer and this summer with the help of the Auction and the Lemonade stand we have been able to redo the roof on the North pod. The future of the school roof is part of the need for a comprehensive plan and funding project. This remains a part of our future.

The extensive work we had planned for the parking lot in front of the Church was also minimized to the removal of one tree and a small fix of the offending sidewalks. This will probably serve for the near future. The trees will continue to cause problems with the sidewalks, but for the moment, it is safe.

St. Mary’s school had a great year in 2008-2009. I am grateful to Mrs. Nauditt and the staff for the educational ministry that takes place in our school. It touches the lives of the children and the families involved. Enrollment has been good. The programs for early childhood education have been very helpful to the families of these young children.

I am grateful to the parish staff for a great effort this year. We have experimented with a number of educational efforts for adults including movie nights and expanded Scripture study. The response has been wonderful. During this year the RE program was offered only on Wednesday night. The numbers increased and the results was a more positive experience for the boys and girls in the program. This coming year we are going to move the RCIA program to Sunday between the Masses and open it up to a broadened educational program. With the help of Father Matthew on staff, I think this will give a new opportunity to some adults. We need your help in bringing people to an awareness of this opportunity to embrace Catholic faith.... either for this first time or as an effort of personal renewal.

Deacon Cary had significant surgery early this Spring. He hopes to be able to continue increasing his diaconal ministry as he gets stronger. Deacon Mike, as Finance Officer of the Diocese, has been involved in our effort to do a first "audit" of the parish finances. During this year, the Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Council set this as a needed priority. This first review is in process for the fiscal year which is reported in the enclosed report.

As you receive this, I am probably on my Fall adventure in Europe. I have been itching to return to my Grandmother’s little village in Austria. I was there 25 years ago, but for only a part of a day. This little Austrian village of Illmitz is the focus of my adventure at the moment. I had a great trip to Asia in the winter. We had such a hard winter. Those days in the warm of SE Asia were wonderful. While I escaped the snow, the staff here did a great job controlling its impact.

I am grateful to St. Mary’s for its life and its spirit. The parish staff is a very collaborative group of faithful believers. They are faithful and faith filled. From last year’s report: " Next June will mark the completion of my six year term as pastor of St. Mary’s. I will have finished 40 years of ministry as a priest and be 66 years old. I will join the pensioners in the crowd and start drawing Social Security in January. This parish needs a younger pastor..... But I am committed to go out swinging." Father Matthew is the beginning of the youth movement. I am sure he will help me to face the future with joy and hope in the work of the spirit in the Church. The death of my classmate, Father Mangan, has told me my highest priority for this year is to appropriately clean up all the "things" I have accumulated during the last 40 years. What I must swing is a broom! Others might say I need a garbage truck!

September 21, 2009

Dear Parishioners,

Enclosed you will find the annual financial report for St. Mary’s Parish. As is customary for a parish report, we have provided a two-year comparison of income and expenses and the projected budget for 2009-2010. I want to thank Sharon Greany who is overseeing the day-to-day financial management of our parish and school. I am thankful to God for the generosity of this parish community and the works of the Gospel that we are able to perform.

Fr. John