Many of our year round residents have been privy to all of the improvements that have occurred around campus over the summer. Our seasonal residents and visitors (unless they have been reading the bulletin online) have been pleasantly surprised upon their return. This past week I received a very nice letter from a parish family addressed to the Buildings and Grounds Committee. I contacted the family and asked if I could share their comments and they humbly agreed. Below are some excerpts from their letter.
We were pleasantly surprised as we drove into our church campus to attend the 11:00 am Mass last Sunday. So many new items and improvements; the lovely sign by the road, crisp landscaping, a fresh coat of sealer and signage on the paved areas, but most of all was the improved traffic flow within the parking areas and internal roadways. Your ministry members are to be commended for doing such an outstanding job this summer. All of this work was accomplished while we were up north in New Hampshire for the summer. We are not disappointed that we missed all of the construction work and the temporary traffic situation that must have had to be dealt with. It is heartwarming to return to St. John’s in the fall and find it even better than we left it. Thank you again for all that your ministry does to embellish the parish campus.
Thank you to everyone who gave so generously this past weekend at Mass. This was the first time since May that we exceeded our weekly budget. This is a sure sign that many of our northern parishioners have come back to paradise. Thanks you again for your continued support.
The Paniccia Prayer Garden is nearing completion. The Stations of the Cross have been installed and create a dramatic scene in the beautifully landscaped garden. Please see the picture of one of the Stations. We are currently awaiting delivery of the plaques recognizing the donors, which will adorn the front of each Station. Please see upcoming bulletins for information on the dedication of the Prayer Garden. In addition, the granite benches in the memorial garden, prayer garden and in front of church have been repaired. You may now sit on these beautiful benches.
Lighting Update
One very generous parish family chose to make their IRA required minimum distribution as a tax deductible donation to assist with our lighting project. The IRS provision to allow for such a charitable donation from your IRA is still in effect through the end of 2011, however, it may expire in 2012. If you would like to take advantage of this option, please contact me or your financial advisor for further information. We now have received $17,000.00 and are nearly 25% of the way to a new lighting system. If you would like to contribute, please drop a check in the offertory or better yet, stop by and see me in the office. Together, we can meet with success. Thank you very much to those that have made a contribution.
What would Scott’s Corner be without a plug for the Catholic Faith Appeal. As you can see from our CFA analysis, we are well below our goal for the 2011 appeal and sadly, time is quickly running out, and I am now more than a bit nervous. We need another $120,000.00 in pledges and/or contributions by the end of the year in order to reach our goal. Obviously the ultimate objective is to exceed our goal, however, at this point in time I would be ecstatic simply to meet our goal. Remember that you have numerous options in order to help us reach our goal. You may drop a check in the collection made payable to the Catholic Faith Appeal, fill out a pledge card and send directly to the Diocese of Venice or you may go to the Diocesan website and make a credit card contribution. The option of making a tax deductible distribution from your IRA (as mentioned in the prior paragraph) also exists. If we fail to reach our goal, the end result will be extremely detrimental to the 2011/2012 operating budget. If you are able, please help us reach our goal for the 2011 Catholic Faith Appeal.
We are hosting an AARP Driver Safety Class on November 12 from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. in the library of the Parish Life Center. The cost is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members. During the month of November, the class is free to Veterans and their spouse. This is a very informative and fun class. Upon completion of the program you will be eligible for a substantial discount on your automobile insurance by submitting documentation to your provider. If you are interested in participating, please contact Toni Valery at 593.9329.
The final round of flu shots will be administered on Tuesday, November 15 at 9:00 a.m. in the ballroom of the Parish Life Center. If you have yet to receive your shot this is an opportunity to do so in the friendly confines of St. John the Evangelist. The Flu Shots are being administered by the Visiting Nurses Association of Southwest Florida. Did you know that the proceeds from the Visiting Nurses Association will be used to provide Flu, Tetanus and Pneumonia shots to Immokalee Farmworkers free of charge?
Have you “liked” us on Facebook? By visiting our website www.saintjohntheevangelist.com you will have the opportunity to do so. Simply click on the link and you will be a friend of Saint John the Evangelist on Facebook and get updates as they are posted. If you are not one of the 500 million people currently using Facebook, now would be a great time to create an account.
In His work together,
Scott Schlossberg, MBA
General Manager