Retreat

I'll be on retreat for the week and be back for Weekend Masses. I look forward to the quiet and the long walks in the woods. I expect to be back refreshed and renewed. November will be a busy month with the PAC Blessing, First Reconciliation Workshops, Morality Series, Thanksgiving, and my 29th birthday (34th anniverary).

Improvements

Thanks to David Harig and Jim Butler for the new altar at the PAC. Jim provided the wood and David crafted it into a beautiful altar. Fr. Kevin provided an altar stone. A pulpit and stands for the statues will follow.

Sound boards go up in Carpenter Hall this week. Stripping for blacktop should start as well. We will start to equip the kitchen. First priority is a sink. We'll start with a temporary stove. The hood and stove are the two biggest expenses of $50,000.

Vegas Nights

In the short history of the Parish Activity Center we have hosted: a Community Hymn Sing; A Choir Workshop and Concert; a Scrapbooking day; and a Fundraiser for the Couple to Couple Program and the Pregnancy Care Center (Vegas Nights). Currently we are working on a Rummage Sale.

The Vegas Nights was a real hit. Everyone had a great time. Opinion was let's do this again soon. It was a learning experience. Carpenter Hall is a very versatile space. We have a ability to offer quality entertainment in support of parish programs.

Thanks to Erin Giddens and the LIGHT crew. Also thanks to all those who donated items for the silent auction. We can look forward to a lot of exciting things in our new home.

Finance Committee

The trouble with finance reports is that they rarely answer the questions people have. Until the building is finished, we won't know what the final debt is. We are on track with collection of pledges for "Building Together". There were a lot of expenses not included in the approved building cost: Blacktop, Floor tile, kitchen, classroom equipment, phone system. We used about $40,000 we collected from "Finishing the Job", the pledges that came in after the orginal $800,000 in "Building Together". We are paying for some of the expenses out of the $25,000 projected refund from the Bishop Annual Appeal. We will not be able to clearly define our financial debt for the building until January.

The parish operating budget still has several "soft" line items. We projected utilities budget but until we get actual data the numbers don't mean much. Even the payoff on the debt is impossible to pin down since all money received from pledges goes to the diocese until a final debt is established. We budget interest and principle payments that total less than we are sending. After the building is completed, I will sign a note with the Diocese for what we owe and determine a payment plan. Until then, everything is "soft" and undefined.

PAC

Every time we do something at the PAC, we learn more about what needs to be done. Events scheduled for a Saturday mean a complete set up is required for Sunday morning. Every Wednesday morning, we need to check that the classrooms are set up for the PSR classes.

We are limiting the number of keys that are given out. To maintain building security, only those with a planned program will be able to sign out keys for that event. When we rent the building, we will provide a Building Monitor to provide security.

Next week, David Harig will be mounting the Markerboards in the classrooms. After the Rummage Sale, the sound panels will be added to Carpenter Hall.

Sunday 5:00 Mass

After three weeks attendance is only averaging 20 people. If by the end of October we do not significantly increase that, we will cancel the Mass.

Getting caught up

Adjustments to using the new Parish Activity Center are falling into place. Every week, we get something new added. We are slowing getting the Religious Education Program up to full speed. We've almost figured out Set up and take down on Carpenter Hall.

David Harig will be overseeing maintenance of the grounds and buildings. He will need some volunteers especially for Sunday Mornings.