Twenty - Eighth Week In Ordinary Time - St Hyacinth Catholic Church

October 9, 2021

by Fr. Reginald Samuels

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ

In our discipleship with Jesus, our relationship cannot be reduced to checking off good deeds and avoiding bad ones. Our life of faith requires us to work on building the kingdom of God. This means that we are called to give a ‘yes’ to Jesus in the face of personal difficulties and challenges. In our Gospel this week, we are giving the perfect example of how we are called to say ‘yes’ and not be tied back by things that would keep us from a relationship with God.

On July 1, 2021 we began a new fiscal year at STHY as did all of the parishes in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Copies of the FY 2020 - 2021 financial reports are in the Guyot Hall Lobby and or online at Sthyacinth.org.

I can report that STHY financial health is stable. However, going forward due to the ongoing COVID – 19 health crisis and the decrease in Church attendance, we will be challenged in the parish finances. The Church bills are being paid; we are in good standing with all our Archdiocesan obligations. However, STHY’s finances going forward in 2022 will be challenged by the increase in the cost of ministry obligations and the increase in the cost of the maintaining the aging infrastructures of the main Church and parish facilities.

I thank each of you for your continued sacrifice, week in and week out, to support the ministries and operations of our parish. Only with your support are we able to do the work of the Gospel.

The projected FY 2022 budget has been discerned to be drastically conservative in nature, with forecasted collections and revenue to be flat. Due to the challenges we face here at St. Hyacinth in the coming year, the budget cannot account for all of the major increase in the costs and expenses for ministry and to take care of our 52 year old Church building and 37 year old Guyot Hall building. All the Church infrastructures are aging and need major attention and repairs in the very near future.

I ask that you prayerfully consider reviewing your weekly giving to the parish, and if it has remained at a constant and consistent level the past few years, please consider increasing it.

However, I do want to address the approximately the over 1000 registered families here at STHY that we have no record of your giving to the Church. We do acknowledge that many are giving to the Church through the weekend collection; however, STHY needs you start using your envelopes or move toward electronic giving. In this way we can account for all those who are a part of the parish that are truly giving, and it is an expense of the church for envelopes to be mailed to registered families. We currently spend close to $10K a year on offertory envelopes and if we could use our electronic giving, this would reduce the expense of mailed offertory envelopes dramatically.

We are now currently in renovating the main Church facilities and we have replaced both the heating and HVAC systems to the Church and Religious Education Building along with replacing the AC for the Guyot hall Kitchen. Go to https://sthyacinth.org/church-renovation-2021 to see updates on the renovations.

We are living in constantly changing times, but two things that are not changing are our devotion to our parish and it's needs. We know many of our lives have been turned upside down in the last year and a half. The STHY has been too. We need, same as you, to know what's coming in so we can budget what goes out. I'm asking you to give DIFFERENTLY. By going to the website and signing up for RECURRING online giving, you let the parish know we can count on your support weekly.

Finally, for 2021, Cardinal DiNardo has assessed our parish DSF goal at $80,000. Currently the DSF collection is at $ $54,361with 196 participants. DSF supports more than 60 ministries that serve the faithful of the Archdiocese and us here at St. Hyacinth. We have been asked to “Walk in the light of Christ.” Cardinal DiNardo has just announced for this years DSF program, that if the parish reaches its DSF goal, 100% donated amount over goal will be returned to the parish. In the past the parish would receive a rebate of 50% of the amount over goal. Thank you for your generosity.

God Bless,
Fr. Reginald Samuels