SACRED HEART CHURCH
SUFFERN, NY
PASTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT
September 1, 2014-August 31, 2015
Dear Parishioners,
It is my duty to present an annual report to the parish, and this task reminds me of just how wonderful is our parish. Consider the following statistics:
The Church’s way of organizing activities runs from September to August of the following year. From September 1, 2014 until August 31, 2015, in addition to our regular schedule of Masses and confessions...
We had: There were:
† 77 Sacrament of Baptism † 2638 registered families
† 114 First Holy Communions † 985 active contributors
† 112 Sacrament of Confirmation † 150 new parishioners
† 10 Marriages † 165 parishioners taken off the registry
† 22 Weekly visits to the homebound † 257 children in Sacred Heart School
and to the Nursing Home and Hospitals † 487 children in Religious Education
† 25 Anointing of the Sick † 66 Eucharistic Ministers
(Other anointings are done by hospital chaplains) † 23 Lectors
† 87 Funerals † 12 Ushers
† 64 Altar Servers
It is a bit hard to believe but this is the tenth year-end report I have written since I arrived in this parish nine and a half years ago. Our recent opportunity to meet and greet fellow parishioners after Masses reminded me of the many things taking place here. There is always room for improvement, but beginning with participation at Mass, this is a vibrant parish. We all have to do our part to keep it that way.
Finances continue to be a source of concern for this parish, as they are for almost every parish. Years after the Great Recession supposedly ended, some people are still struggling. Some cannot find adequate work and some have moved away from the area. Most disturbing, some have stopped coming to Church. It is remarkable, then, that ours is a better than break even budget. In reality, if you take into account the fact that we received a few large one-time influxes of cash (see bottom of reverse side), it is actually lower than a break-even budget, but the generosity of our parishioners is truly inspiring. (By the way, the budget for the current year is basically as good.) Not only do our people support the parish, but the donations to the needy, the archdiocese and a number of other causes are substantial. We actually receive much more in donations than it takes to run this parish, but between schools, archdiocese, Catholic Charities, missions, the Holy See and others, we are called to share—and we do. As our food drives attest, we want to help others.
I simply wish to thank everyone who contributes to make this a strong and beautiful parish! Father Michael Moon, our staff and volunteers help me keep everything running smoothly. We are a blessed family in Jesus. Please continue to come together in prayer, and offer the support needed to keep Sacred Heart vibrant. May others come to know, or come back to know, of the presence of Jesus here in our midst. He makes all things possible.
May the Lord, in His Sacred Heart, Bless us and Sustain us always.
Gratefully yours in Christ,
November 2015