I can’t tell you how impressive your response to the “This is My Parish!” campaign has been. The num-bers above tell the story so far. Who would have thought that in two weeks time we would have come so far?
Back in April the Finance Committee and I held our breath as we contemplated the monies needed to replace our church roof and repair parking spaces and driveways. “How can we do this?” I asked. The committee responded without hesitation, “Ask the people. We’re ready to help.”
And so you have. Bless you dear people.
But still I need to remind you that we are not done yet. Several facts remain that tell us it’s not time to relax.
1. Almost daily we’re getting reports that the roof substructure needs further buttressing. What we’ll find as we move down the length of the roof is anyone’s guess. Each new discovery and repair adds to the estimated bill.
2. Your pledge is for two years. A lot can happen in that time . . . to you and to Holy Trinity. Funding experts tell us that final tallies usually run 10 to 15 percent less than what is pledged. Unforeseen family circumstances can require some to forgo their pledge. (We understand this, and I trust you will make the decisions that are best for your family.)
3. There are other projects that I didn’t have the courage to tell you about . . . thinking we never could get to them. One is to help the worship experience in the west wing. (Some Sundays there are up to 200 people going to mass in folding chairs set up in the Gathering Space.) We’d like to help their worship by adding a large video screen and camera showing the pulpit and altar — the sound is already quite good there.
4. Take a look at the roof on the annex building (currently housing the Positive Pre-School). It’s a mess. It too needs a new roof.
5. Then there’s our ancient church boiler, the de-caying window fittings on our beautiful stained glass windows, and the leaking roofs discovered this past winter in the church wings.
Get the picture? Holy Trinity is a huge complex. The facilities are beautiful but aging for sure. We will do what we can to secure this place for the generation to come.
I promise you we will not take on any unnecessary projects or undergo any parish debt so far as we are able.
In the meantime, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. We’re on our way! If you have not yet made your contribution to “This is My Parish!,” please do so in the weeks ahead. We still have a ways to go. “And miles to go before we sleep.”
With love,
Fr. Tim
