Happy Sunday!
The Lord has been good to us this year. I am happy to publish our 2018-2019 Financial Report. There are many highlights from the report, thanks in no small part to the great generosity of our community. We are grateful to have received $229,000 in contributions from the Together Let Us Go Forth campaign. This allowed us to complete the campus-wide roofing project, campus-wide exterior paint project, and the Ramada renovation. We were also able to do work on the parking lot including a seal coat and re-striping. The priests were grateful that part of the project included a rectory chapel addition, interior paint in the rectory, and an A/C unit.
While we are grateful for the many good works we were able to accomplish to maintain our properties and enhance them, we were able to work effectively in other areas as well. Building maintenance costs were reduced by $25,000. This was partly due to completing many maintenance projects in house. Due to renegotiating our waste/recycling contract, we were able to reduce utilities costs by $10,000! In the past year the parish mortgage was reduced by nearly $70,000. It is set to be paid off by February 2020. A great boost came to us by way of our annual Fish Fry which garnered a profit of $18,000. Part of what we do is to support the needs of the Church outside of St. Joan of Arc. The Charity Development Appeal is one way this happens as we support many charitable works around the Diocese of Phoenix. This year our parishioners pledged $82,000. What a gift!
There has been so much hard work going into so many aspects of our parish. As a staff we do our best to be good stewards of the resources we have been given. However, this can only go so far. I am so grateful to all of you for the generous ways in which you support the parish. So many of you responded so generously when the Diocese of Phoenix began the Together Let Us Go Forth campaign. We are fortunate to have seen the fruits in our own parish and will undoubtedly see them throughout the life of our diocese. Thank you for being such a gift. My short time here has already taught me many lessons, including the sacrifices that so many of you make to support the mission of St. Joan of Arc. I am grateful to be a part of this community and look forward to the coming year. As always, know of my prayers for you and your families and my gratitude for your generosity.
In Christ,
Fr. Connealy