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This past weekend, at Annunciation, St. Joseph & St. Jude, a talk was given regarding challenges, changes & opportunities facing the parishes in the next weeks to months. This is a summary of that talk:

Within the next six weeks, you will have the opportunity to share financially in the mission of your parish and the Green Bay Diocese beginning with the 2022 Bishop’s Appeal which begins this weekend. All the goals have gone down a little from last year. We still have to meet our goal through donations or we will have to take money from the parish operating funds to cover the balance. The challenge put out this year is to get it done by May rather than dragging it out through summer and to the end of September. We know we have to do this so let’s just do it and get it done.

Towards the end of February, you will receive information about the annual Quad Fest (formerly Mardi Gras & Winterfest). This year’s event is planned to be an in-person, sit-down dinner at Riverside Ballroom on March 26. Last year, instead of selling raffle tickets, everyone was asked to make a financial donation toward Quad Fest. This was very successful; we raised over $25,000 just from donations – and we didn’t have to sell raffle tickets! That request will be repeated this year.

Finally, in early to mid-March, you will be getting a letter regarding a diocesan capital campaign called the One by One Campaign. This campaign will be asking you to give a larger gift which will go toward Catholic Charities, Seminarians, Priest Retirement and Catholic education. Although we already support those endeavors through the Bishop’s Appeal and through special collections, those just maintain what is in place now. The One by One Campaign is meant to help grow these ministries. A benefit for the parishes is that one half of any gift made to the campaign will come back to the parish for specific needs. The goals set for the parishes are high; however, unlike the Bishop’s Appeal, if we do not meet our goal, we do not have to make up the difference.

Although all this asking for money can be overwhelming, keep in mind the following: You do not have to give to everything. Your priority should be parish support. Please do not reduce your regular weekly contribution in order to give to these other requests. When
you look at what you can share above and beyond parish support, parish capital campaigns (Annunciation and St. Joseph’s) would be the next priority followed by Quad Fest, the Bishop’s Appeal, then the One by One Campaign, and then any special collections. Pray about what you might be able to share & what you are most passionate about; then decide what you can give & what you want to give it to.

As of July 1, St. Patrick will no longer be a part of the Quad Parishes. With the loss of what St. Patrick contributed to the cost of shared expenses, mainly payroll, religious education, pastoral ministries and office expenses, the other parishes will need to make up approximately $48,000 each if everything stays the way it is right now. In addition, both Annunciation and St. Jude will lose over $40,000 each in rental revenue because Providence Academy has moved out of our buildings and into their new school at the end of December (congrats!). These are big numbers to work around and some tough decisions will have to be made. Currently, we are looking at reducing the hours of almost all the staff, making changes in the Faith Formation program, and trying to find other ways to cut expenses.

We continue to find Home, Hope & Holiness in our faith communities. We trust that God has a plan for our parishes and that the plan will be revealed sooner than later. Let us all pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we face whatever lies ahead of us. Feel free to
stop in or call if you have any questions.