Today I ask your support for our Grand Annual Collection which will begin next weekend. Our parish has two major funding sources. The weekly collection is our primary source and our Grand Annual Collection is needed to provide about $120,000 for our budget. If you are a registered parishioner you received a letter from me this week encouraging your participation in the Grand Annual. I am asking everyone to contribute $150. Let me explain why and how.

WHY: THE SERVICES AND MINISTRIES OF OUR PARISH
The normal, every day life of our parish is full of activity: spiritual direction, confessions, anointings, last rites, visits to nursing homes and shut-ins, weddings, funerals, wakes, burials, baptisms, first communions, confirmations; all the special events and liturgies of Advent, Lent, Easter, Holy Week, Christmas; and the constant classes, preparations, practices, and teachings required for these such as Baptism Preparation, Marriage Prep, Teachable Moments for sacraments, our Religious Education, altar servers, lectors, choirs, extraordinary ministers of Communion and in the midst of all these our parish staff working out of an office opened daily from 8:30 A.M. until 9:00 P.M. to meet the constant requests and needs of a parish like ours, not least of which is the business aspect of the parish and finally, quietly and unremittingly, the continuous ministry of love and care to those who find themselves in the trying and painful moments of life when absolution or an open ear or just some TLC unites the heart to the Heart of Jesus; all of this is made possible by adequate financial support.

HOW: THE COLLECTION ITSELF
The Grand Annual will begin next weekend and continue until June. Let me address you who are REGULAR ENVELOPE USERS. Your letter this week contained a “specific to you” Grand Annual Collection envelope. Please use it to make your contribution. Let me add a note of appreciation. I am very aware that your regular use of offertory envelopes is the major cause of the parish’s successful cash flow. I am very grateful. Those of you who are registered parishioners but DO NOT PRESENTLY USE OFFERTORY ENVELOPES, your letter contained a generic GAC envelope. Please use it for your gift. I know that many of you are consistent in your weekly giving. And you know that I wish you would use envelopes. But that aside, I thank you for your weekly support and for your support of the Grand Annual. Some of you attend Holy Family, but you are NOT REGISTERED IN THE PARISH. Your participation is as important and welcome as anyone’s. Unregistered, you could not be contacted. Therefore we have provided generic GAC envelopes in each bench. Take one. Please use it for your gift. By the way, if you see yourself as a parishioner, why not visit the rectory and sign up?

OUR RESPONSIBILITY
Being a Catholic involves RESPONSIBILITIES. The Grand Annual is, after the offertory, THE way in which we all shoulder the economic responsibilities of the parish. The needy must be helped. Our staff must be paid. And like your own home, so our spiritual home’s expenses must be met. Money isn’t central. Christ is. But Christ’s Mission needs money to be carried out.

CAPABILITY
Our goal is $120,000. We are asking for $150 from everyone. Clearly those on fixed incomes, those in economic crisis, those with limited means should understand that you should give only what you can. $150 may be beyond you. However, some of us can afford more: $200 or $500 or even $1,000. Everyone, do the best you can!

If you want to send in your gift by installments, please feel welcome. Ultimately we are giving to Christ and our gifts exhibit our loyalty and love for Him. Thank you for considering this Grand Annual Appeal.

God bless! JFH

See Grand Annual updates at Special Collections