As we make our way toward the end of the Church’s liturgical year in late November, the idea of service is prominent in our Sunday gospel readings. We find it again this week on the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time in our reading from St. Mark. In it, James and John, the two brothers, ask Jesus for a place of prominence in the kingdom of God. He reminds them long ago, and us today, that “whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant.” Just as Jesus, the Son of God, did not come to be served, but to serve, so too must we. May God grant us the grace to do with a lively faith.
As we have closed out the first quarter of our parish fiscal year, permit me to update you on some financial reporting. You will see in this week’s bulletin that we have updated our current weekly offertory reporting figures. I know a few of you follow that closely (and thank you for that), though I remind you that it does fluctuate from any given week due to timing on deposits and clearances from the Chancery of the Archdiocese. You will see that we have budgeted $78,600 as our weekly offertory goal. That’s up about 2.3 percent from last year and represents the increases we have seen in associated costs and expenses for various expenditures at the parish, just like you have undoubtedly seen in your home and personal budgets.
One of the chief drivers of the increase, and one that is out of our control, is the health insurance premiums that are part of the employee benefits from the Archdiocese. That continues to increase significantly each year, though the Archdiocese works with its insurers to find the best rates for our employees. Another that has increased dramatically is our property insurance. Again, that is controlled by the Archdiocese, but the parishes are responsible for paying it. Beyond that, I’m grateful for our staff for working to keep our budget in line. We live within our means, and I thank you for your continued financial support that makes it possible for us to further our mission of the Church. Your weekly (or monthly) offertory, whether in the baskets that are passed in the pews at Mass or done virtually online through Faith Direct electronic giving, are how we pay our bills and advance the Gospel. Thank you!
I’m also happy to report that we have concluded our participation in the Ignite Capital Campaign of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston that began before the pandemic. You’ll recall that its aim was to strengthen St. Mary’s Seminary, boost the Archdiocesan Future Disaster Recovery Fund, further rebuild parishes and schools following Hurricane Harvey, establish a Faith Formation Endowment Fund, and support Catholic school endowments across the region. Additionally, 33 percent of funds raised individually at parishes through Ignite supported on-site parish needs. In total, CtR parishioners gave $1,512,447 to the Ignite campaign. Thank you!
At CtR, we used our portion of Ignite funds returned to us to enhance our Prayer Garden with the construction of the Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine that was completed last year, and is 100 percent paid for with no additional debt to the parish. We are so grateful to the many donors who helped make Ignite successful for our community and were responsible for making the Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine possible for prayer and reflection for all who visit.
Today is World Mission Sunday which raises awareness and funds for all missionary organizations and is, as the name applies, a worldwide collection. We’ll have the second collection after Mass and I encourage you to remember that we are all missionaries by virtue of our baptism in Jesus Christ. Offerings from Catholics in the United States from this collection are combined with offerings from those around the globe and distributed to mission dioceses – about 1,100 at this time. It helps spread the Catholic faith to mission dioceses most in need. In addition, these dioceses submit requests to the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome for assistance for, among other needs, catechetical programs, seminaries, the work of Religious Communities, communication and transportation needs, and the building of chapels and churches. Thank you for your support and prayers for the missions.
Remember that our CtR Catholic School is hosting its annual fall Open House today Sunday, Oct. 20 from 12:30-2 p.m. Parents and grandparents, I invite you to come and see all that the school has to offer, and to prayerfully consider it as an option for your child or grandchild. Members of our staff and administration will be on hand to answer questions and tour you through the campus. As a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School, now is a great time to consider the gift of a Catholic education and to learn how to apply for admittance early next year. Our school is ready to welcome you and your child and help them grow not only in mind and knowledge, but equally so in heart and virtue. Join us to see all that we have to offer for students in Pre-K3 through 8th grade. The Open House begins at 12:30 p.m. today in Redeemer Activity Center Auditorium.
Lastly, thanks to the Knights of Columbus who hosted our annual CtR golf tournament this past Monday. It was a hot day on the links (we missed the cool front by about 48 hours!) to support scholarships and the charitable efforts of the Knights. Marty Weidemann did another fine job as chairperson of the tournament this year, and he was more than ably helped out by several brother Knights and the women of the Ladies Auxiliary who assisted with the meal afterward. It takes a lot of work behind the scenes to pull off a successful tournament and our KCs did a great job, and best of all, the proceeds come right back to CtR to help support our youth and Cypress Assistance Ministry.
Peace, Fr. Sean
P.S.: Respect Life Month continues throughout October, and I offer my thanks to all who have returned their Baby Bottle Blessing to help mothers in need. Feel free to continue to bring them either to Church when you come for Mass (you can drop them off in the crib in the narthex) or to the parish office.