Several months ago I wrote about the aging of our facilities and the need to address our buildings pro-actively in order to prevent large unexpected expenditures in the near and not so distant future. The “Honeymoon Period” ended quite some time ago for the church and is now ending for the Parish Life Center and in a few more years will have expired on the Claussen Center as well. It seems that every other week there is an issue popping up either in the church or PLC that requires immediate attention and immediate dollars. I touched on some of the issues in the PLC such as the fire sprinkler system, flat roof and spalling concrete (and associated rebar damage) around the perimeter of the building itself. In addition, we have had to deal with a surprise Mold issue in the PLC that, although covered by insurance, will require a deductible and numerous non-covered ancillary expenditures. The mold remediation has required us to close the parish office for nearly a month now including the cancelation of several events and the relocation of several others.
We have recently discovered several issues in the church with the AC and duct work that will also require a somewhat large expenditure in order to remedy. As a result, we will most likely have to close the church for at least four consecutive weekdays and relocate daily Mass to the Seminar Room so that crews may come in and make the necessary repairs.
As I stated previously, this is not a “gloom and doom” scenario and is certainly not a plea for additional funding but rather an illustration of transparency so that you, as our parishioners, are kept aware of the associated costs and headaches of operating a campus with three buildings that are beginning to show their age.
As you know, in addition to our general operating account, we also have a savings account held at the Diocese of Venice. This account is intended to be accessed only in the case of an emergency or in times of incredibly poor cash flow to satisfy operating expenses such as payroll, utilities, etc. In my 17 year tenure at Saint John the Evangelist we have never had to access these funds and instead have kept them in safekeeping. This has been accomplished through numerous different methods, my favorite of which is establishing VERY lengthy terms with our creditors. Net 30 or 60 for larger expenditures is unheard of in my vocabulary. Instead I attempt to establish terms of 180 days or greater so that we are able to satisfy our general operating expenses while taking care of other vendors on our terms and not theirs. With that said, there are many ways for us to remain solvent while we address our immediate needs with regards to unexpected repairs in the church and PLC.
We certainly apologize for any inconvenience experienced as a result of the steps which are being taken to make sure that YOUR facilities are operated in a safe, clean and efficient manner.
I think it safe to say that there a more than a few bargain hunters in our parish. After announcing two weeks ago that there will be a rate increase in the purchase price for plots in the Memorial Garden, I have been inundated with calls, emails and appointments to secure final resting places for our parishioners. Although the rate increase will not take effect until the first of the year, many are obviously being proactive and trying to beat others “to the punch” for the best plots remaining in inventory. The current all-inclusive purchase price is $1,500.00. The new price as of January 1 will be $1,700.00. If you would like to save a few hundred dollars and have been on the fence, please contact myself or JP to schedule an appointment.
Thank you to all of our parishioners for your incredible generosity during the two weeks of Undy Sunday. There were literally bags of undergarments anywhere and everywhere. Representatives from Catholic Charities were ecstatic at the turnout from Saint John the Evangelist. In addition, monetary contributions increased nearly 100% over last year’s campaign. If surrounding religious establishments replicated our efforts, then many of those children in Collier County needing assistance will certainly receive the necessary undergarments to go back to school. Thanks again!
Thank you again for your continued support and generosity.
In His work together,
Scott Schlossberg, MBA
General Manager