May 3 is what I commonly refer to as the third and final exodus of seasonal parishioners out of Southwest Florida. From now through the middle of October it will just be us year rounders remaining in paradise. For those who are heading north, we wish you safe travels and look forward to seeing you in the fall.
It looks as though our rainy season may be off to an early start which is great news considering that we are right in the middle of a historically very dry period. If you have noticed, our non-irrigated grass parking areas are beginning to show the effects of the increasingly hot dry weather. Hopefully, this moist air pattern will allow for a few showers and thunderstorms to irrigate the campus. From now on it will be status quo with forecast of highs in the 90s and lows in the 70s for the foreseeable future. Welcome to summer in Southwest Florida!
Have you registered your children for our “Wilderness Escape” themed Vacation Bible School to be held on June 9-13? As of Wednesday of this past week, there is still space available for your child. If you would like to register, please contact Jasmine Dina at 289.0585.
What makes our Saint John the Evangelist Vacation Bible School so special? It is the volunteers who donate innumerable hours. As mentioned before, we have a team of volunteers within our parish that donate countless hours to create a truly magical experience for our children. Not only do our parishioners give of their time and talent, they also recruit their family members to do the same. Karen Beebe has spent many hours producing an awesome set for this year’s VBS and has recruited her husband (Rick) to help out. In addition, Brian Youngs has once again stepped up and assisted with his amazing carpentry skills. Did you know that our VBS props are so well done that other parishes locally rent them for their own VBS after we have finished? Thank you once again to all our volunteers who give so generously of their time and talent.
I have included in my column this week a listing of expenses for the month of April. This information is intended to give everyone an idea of what Saint John the Evangelist pays in your name to support the many ministries of our parish and the numerous needs in our area on a monthly basis.
Salary & Benefits 95,575
External Clergy Services 900
Church Repairs 7,703
PLC maintenance 7,792
Landscaping 1,900
Security 216
FPL 5,430
Collier County Utilities 1,412
Rectory Utilities 1,444
Utilities Other 730
Rent Expense 1,400
Telephone 2,055
Janitorial/Paper Supplies 1,643
Adult Ministry 476
Youth Ministry 475
Music Expense 6,498
Liturgy 5,547
Hospitality 4,645
Social Expense 3,659
Religious Publications 1,770
Vacation Bible School 753
Office Expense 4,433
Misc. Ministry Expense 2,588
Advertising Expense 1,027
Subsidies to Parishes 5,000
Contracted Services (Sheriff) 4,854
TOTAL $169,925
Although this is just a snapshot of one month of operating costs, it is important for our parishioners to see the substantial expenses we incur monthly. Some of the above expenses were slightly higher in April versus other months due to the fact that Easter fell in April this year. As I have mentioned previously, the finance council is working diligently to further reduce our operating expenses.
I received a call from a parishioner last week regarding the Catholic Faith Appeal. She is a faithful supporter of the CFA but suggested that I should occasionally allude to the programs that the appeal supports rather than simply ask that everyone support the CFA. The funds raised by the CFA are allocated to the following areas: Pastoral outreach, pastoral ministries, support of missions and poorer parishes, a portion of Catholic Charities budget, the Offices of Worship, Ministry, and Vocations, Department of Education, support of schools, and administration of the Diocese. As you will see from the collection summary, we are slowly inching our way towards the $300,000.00 mark with respect to the 2014 Catholic Faith Appeal. If you are a remaining seasonal resident or visitor, please continue to make your checks payable to the CFA with St. John the Evangelist in the memo line. Thank you for your unrelenting support of the Catholic Faith Appeal.
In His work together,
Scott Schlossberg, MBA
General Manager