Dear Friends, a blessed New Year!
God is very good to us: in November I reported to you that our financial situation is stable. Now, in January, we must look toward our Grand Annual Collection (GAC) because, as you know, your continued generosity in both the weekly Offertory and the Grand Annual keeps us fiscally healthy.
Our Grand Annual goal will stay as in recent years at $160,000. (We exceeded that last year!) So, I am asking $200 from everyone again this year. My usual advise is simple, 'give what you are able'. Giving by installments? Fine. Possibly able to give more than $200? Thanks a lot. Must contribute less this year? Fine. Can't give at all? Just keep praying. Some of us use monthly envelopes, some do not. So just being practical, enclosed are the yellow GAC envelope and a mailing envelope, so that without exception everyone is set. The Grand Annual begins on January 8th and continues until June 30th. I believe that gives all of us time to give as well as we can. Thanks ahead of time for your customary generosity.
Interestingly, attendance keeps increasing, gradually. In the four weeks of November, we averaged 474 people at our English weekend Masses. That is 66% of our pre-COVID average of 720. l thank all of you for your love of Jesus and His Church. May this New Year find us all more and more encouraged in our faith and united in offering Christ's Eucharistic Sacrifice to Our Heavenly Father on the Lords' Day.
Thanks for all you do for Him, He is very fond of you! God Bless!
In Jesus' Name,
Father Jim Hickey
Pastor