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    Pastor Letter – 2019-2020 IHM Parish Financial Report – Emailed January 7, 2021

      Dear Parishioners,

      Included in this weekend’s bulletin (and attached to this Flock Note) is the annual parish financial report for the fiscal year July 2019 through June 2020. Click here to view the report.

      This report was reviewed by our Parish Finance Council and accepted and approved by the Diocesan Finance Office without incident in August of 2020. This always makes a pastor happy.

      Our church and school rely heavily upon your generosity. Thank you for this consistent weekly diligence and sacrifice allowing IHM to complete its mission of ministry to our parishioners and students.

      Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, our income was down last year. Mass attendance has dropped considerably and probably will remain that way for most of this fiscal year! This caused a significant reduction of Sunday collections beginning in March 2020. Additionally, the loss of “cash in the basket” (typically $1,000.00 per week) for the church collection was down as IHM had no weekend Masses and continues to be a loss for us. We also experienced a major loss in our Easter Collection during the shutdown in April. Fundraising became extremely difficult as well. Events had to be cancelled or postponed. Therefore, income we hoped to receive for school operations did not materialize as originally planned and budgeted before this pandemic occurred.

      Even amidst these uncertain times, IHM remains optimistic and hopes to gain ground this current fiscal year (July 2020 – June 2021). Because of YOU, we are getting things back on track. Here are a few examples:

      • We held a VERY successful CAR RAFFLE selling 3,467 tickets (net proceeds going to school operations).
      • An OSV offertory enhancement program was initiated in September, 2020 to assist the declining weekly collections. IHM’s response was very positive!
      • Many parishioners have generously offered an additional one-time gift to assist the loss of weekend envelopes and “cash in the basket” due to COVID-19.

      With so much going on in your lives, you remained VERY generous last fiscal year (2019-2020). Your charitable giving is to be commended.

      I sense this fiscal year (2020-2021) will see the same if not more sacrificial generosity from you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

      Many blessings,
      Father Jim

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