A generous donor has committed to matching whatever funds we raise up to $50,000. This means that if parishioners at St. John’s can collect $50,000, then $100,000 will be raised for our church operation. In other words, every dollar you give becomes two!
November 24, 2019
Dear faithful of St. John the Baptist Church,
“Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:29) These words of St. John the Baptist echoed out among God’s people so many centuries ago, and yet still today they ring out in our city. This message is preached within our church, and it is also preached by the mere fact that our sacred structure is viewed countless times a day by those who pass by our beautiful church! The mission to keep St. John the Baptist Church going strong is therefore for the benefit of the faithful who attend, but also for the whole city who love to gaze at our golden dome!
It is with a sincere desire to provide for the longevity of St. John the Baptist that I write to you today to inaugurate this year’s annual appeal. As you recall, last April, Archbishop Aymond gave us a plan in order to continue worshipping at St. John’s. After six months with this plan, our collections have fallen short of our operating costs by $14,500. We need to cover this deficit so that our bills may be met exclusively with St. John’s funds. He also gave us the goal to contribute toward building restoration; here too we are about $9,000 short of the Archbishop’s goal.
However, this Advent, we have a golden opportunity to achieve our goals. A generous donor has committed to matching whatever funds we raise up to $50,000. This means that if parishioners at St. John’s can collect $50,000, then $100,000 will be raised for our church operation. In other words, every dollar you give becomes two! Please remember that this annual appeal will be a success only if our Sunday collections do not diminish. The success of this appeal depends on the participation of each and every member of the St. John the Baptist family. Since an average of 130 faithful attend St. John’s each weekend, this means that we will need each person to give roughly $380 for a successful effort. Next weekend, envelopes will be made available for pledges and contributions.
The funds we raise will not only cover our debts, but they will also enable us to make much-needed repairs to our air conditioning system and our stained glass windows. The needs are great, but I know that our resolve as a church community is greater! I am deeply grateful to Fr. Roux for his faithful leadership. Together we can all continue to proclaim the presence of the Lamb for many years to come!
Wishing you a very blessed Feast of Christ the King, I remain
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Garrett O’Brien
Pastor
