St. James Contributions and Campaign Numbers for weekend of January 29, 2012

 

Thirty new pledges; $23,060 additional pledges for the week.  Still $691,880 from the $3,000,000 pledge requirement.  For the four weekends since the “commitment” push there were 53 pledges totaling $47,461.  As expected, pledges paid exceed the $1,000,000 mark.

 

Fourteen additional pledges; $12,003 additional pledged for week ending January22, 2012. Still $715,000 from the $3,000,000 needed. For the three weekends of the “Commitment” push there were 23 pledges totaling $24,401.

Below is the published campaign results from a July 2011 bulletin. The O’Malley Trust pledged $50,000 this fall. If that large pledge is subtracted from the January 23, 2012 pledge total ($2,308,119 minus $50,000 equals $2,258,119), there is approximately twenty thousand dollar increase since the July 2011 numbers.($2,235,599.44 as shown below)

From what I heard at the St. James’ Education Commission meeting in December, the $50,000 O’Malley Trust pledge is conditioned upon the campaign reaching the $1,000,000 and $3,000,000 goals.

Has the campaign really progressed since July 11, 2011?

Rank and File Catholic Numbers and Birth Control

Among Catholics, birth control is relatively popular and most are against Church leaders' intervening in that decision. Ninety-five percent of Catholic women used contraceptives, per a report by the Catholic University of America. Eighty-five percent of all Catholics support expanding access to birth control for women who cannot afford it, higher than the 82 percent of the general population who favors this, according to a survey by the Public Religion Research Institute in Washington, D.C.

"Rank-and-file Catholics also have some reservation about how prominently they want the bishops to be involved in politics," said Robert P. Jones, chief executive and founder of the institute, which found that more than half of Catholics are against their religious leaders' pressuring politicians. "There's some possibility that some Catholics could perceive this as overreaching."

Click on the following for more details:  http://news.yahoo.com/catholic-church-vs-obama-election-showdown-191549666--abc-news.html

More details on which Catholic institutions are included and excluded

The appeal, which the bishops issued through an insert to parish bulletins nationwide Sunday, lambastes a Health and Human Services department rule “requiring rule requiring almost all private health plans to cover contraception and sterilization as ‘preventive services’ for women.”
“The rule includes a religious exemption so extremely narrow that it protects almost no one. It covers only a ‘religious employer’ that has the ‘inculcation of religious values” as its purpose, primarily employs and serves persons who share its religious tenets, and is a church organization under two narrow provisions of the tax code. A great many religious organizations — including Catholic colleges and universities, as well as hospitals and charitable institutions that serve the public — will be ineligible. Individuals and religiously affiliated health insurers will not qualify for the exemption."

The proposed religious exemption stipulates that a church organization is "not a religious employer if it (a) serves those who are not already members of the church, (b) fails to hire based on religion, or (c) does not restrict its charitable and missionary purposes to the inculcation of religious values," according to the bishops’ statement.

Read more on Newsmax.com: Bishops: Obamacare Rule Targets Catholics, Threatens Religious Freedom
Important:

Bishop Doran’s Letter to parishes this January 28-28, 2012

Bishop Doran’s statement appears to be ignoring the basic exemption granted by U.S. Department of Health--Churches, Church run grade and high schools are exempt from the regulations.  Only church affiliated colleges, hospitals and health organizations are included.  

See the posting which follows(   http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2012/01/phoenix-diocese-reacts-to-birth-control.html  )—“Specifically, the rule would exempt religious groups that have religious education as their purpose, that "primarily employ" people who share the groups' religious tenets, that primarily serve those whose share the religious tenets, and that are non-profit organizations.”

 

Click on the photocopy to enlarge:

The above letter is available on the internet at: http://www.rockforddiocese.org/pdfs/Bishop-Letter-Re-DHHS.pdf

Phoenix Diocese reacts to birth control feature of Obamacare

 

Although the Catholic Church itself is exempt from the proposed regulations, Olmsted believes the federal government's decision is an attack on religious liberty. He is encouraging church members to actively oppose it.

Rob DeFrancesco, spokesman for the Phoenix Diocese, said that even though the diocese, its parishes and its schools will likely all be exempt from the rule, the bishop is concerned about "many other organizations," such as charities and hospitals, that are Catholic in belief but may not fall under the diocese's administrative umbrella.

the mandate will include exceptions for certain religious employers, such as churches and church-governing groups.   …

Specifically, the rule would exempt religious groups that have religious education as their purpose, that "primarily employ" people who share the groups' religious tenets, that primarily serve those whose share the religious tenets, and that are non-profit organizations.

According to Catholic News Service, bishops in nine of the nation's 195 dioceses are preparing letters to be read at Masses on Sunday encouraging churchgoers to lobby against the measure

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2012/01/27/20120127phoenix-bishop-defy-feds-birth-control.html#ixzz1kuwgMeUb

Bishop Finn’s Case in Kansas

The following update is available at:  http://lakeexpo.com/news/top_stories/article_8c65fd7e-48c5-11e1-8011-0019bb2963f4.html this story is also available at:  http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/26/3393481/september-trial-set-for-bishop.html

REPOSTING--- The New St. James Church: Many Questions; Few Answers

 

The New St. James Church: Many Questions; Few Answers

This artistic rendering is based upon submission to Belvidere Planning department by St. James. The picture was altered to eliminate the tall trees which will not exist after construction.

Changes from October 6, 2011 in Yellow. November 3, 2011 changes in orange.

Since January 2011 parishioners have been asked to support the campaign for a new church. However since then there have been many changes some of which only a few parishioners are aware. Just to clear things up --here is what you should be aware.

• The capacity of the new Church is now 850
• It is being planned to be located at the old convent/parking lot on Church Street and Caswell Streets. The main entrance doors will be on Caswell. [NOT on the 22 acres West of Belvidere on Town Hall Road]
• The new church will have steps at the front and at all side entrances. The church will be handicapped accessible only for the front. The handicapped ramp will be much less steep than the current ramp however it will be approximately twice as long. And it will require the walker to enter on the school side Church Street side of the church. See drawings at: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/07/new-st-james-church-will-be-very-bigyou.html
• A number of neighbors have signed formal protest requests regarding the parish’s zoning request. None of the adjacent neighbors have agreed to sell their property to the parish. Only the property owners on the side of the school parking lot have signed sales contract. See: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-much-does-bird-housecost.html
• Type of roof on the new church: Despite what the application for zoning stated and what Father Geary stated earlier, the roof apparently now is standard shingles—not a metal roof. (Metal roofs have a much longer life) Mr. Linkenheld at 8-23-2011 meeting stated that standard shingles were always planned for the roof.
• The old church will be torn down to make a parking lot. The new church will be five stories tall. There will be four inches (basically zero) set back on the Church Street side of the building. The new church is now seven feet shorter (63 feet at peak relative to ground). The baptistery is now on the parish center side approximately 12.5 feet from parish center.
• The Parish will pay all city expenses for rebuilding the 300 block of Church Street to make diagonal parking alone the new church building. for widening Church Street to accommodate fire trucks. Parking will be in the same parallel style but may have handicapped parking on the church side of street.
• The parish will now have 170 on parish premises parking spots. The rectory will be torn down and converted to parking. The parish will be buying two parcels adjacent to the school playground/parking lot to accomplish this goal--548 Caswell Street and 402 Laurel Court..
• When will Father Geary or Bishop Doran communicate with St. James Parishioners? First communication in bulletin on 8-7-2011; To see this, click on following: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/08/insert-to-parish-bulletin-8-7-2011.htmlFew of the changes (such as those listed above) have been published in the weekly bulletin or any other written source. Father Geary has orally stated many things which “the Bishop will not approve or Diocese demands” but such things have not been written nor has the pastor, the parish finance committee or the parish council disseminated the information in written form to the parish. Other than continuing to solicit funds, parish administration appears to have little desire to communicate with the parish members concerning changes to the new church.

  Is the Church still going to have a basement? NO, IT WILL NOT See 8-7-2011 Insert; click on following: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/08/insert-to-parish-bulletin-8-7-2011.html

  Many heard that the project was running over the $5.5 limit [maybe this is $6,000,000, see insert] and no basement was being planned even though at public meetings an unfinished basement was stated. If there is no basement St. James Parish will have even less storage. The school and organizations are already complaining about storage. Where will the old stain glass and other sacred items be stored?

  QUESTIONS that remain unanswered:
  How much money does the campaign have in the Parish DIAL account? There have been many expenses for the campaign management firm, architect, surveying and legal. The campaign needs $1,000,000 in the DIAL account. How close are we to that requirement? SEE 6-30-2011 accounting, .go to: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/10/st-james-fy-2011-financial-reports.html As of the 6-30-2011 accounting , $633,306 of new church pledges were received , $165,737 of new church building expenses were paid and $387,862 of DIAL deposits were indicated as building deposits. Apparently the remaining $79,707 was used to pay other parish debts or assessments.($633,306 minus $165,737, minus $387,862 equals $79,707)
• The “Bird House”, 534 Caswell, was purchased for $62,737 and the empty lot for $10,000. These transactions occurred in September 2011. (See: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-much-did-st-james-pay-for-two.html). It is not certain if cash was used for the transaction.
• What happens if the pledge goal of $3,000,000 is not reached? Will any funds be returned to the donors?
• Will the expenses for the campaign and pre-construction be shown in the parish’s June 30, 2011 annual statements to the parishioners?If not, what type of public accounting will parishioners receive and when? To see 6-30-2011 accounting go to: http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/10/st-james-fy-2011-financial-reports.html As of the 6-30-2011 accounting , $633,306 of new church pledges were received , $165,737 of new church building expenses were paid and $387,862 of DIAL deposits were indicated as building deposits. Apparently the remaining $79,707 was used to pay other parish debts or assessments.($633,306 minus $165,737, minus $387,862 equals $79,707)
• Will St. James be a good steward of the Earth in the building of the new church?Will modern ecological/energy-savings devises and systems be employed to lessen heating, cooling and lighting bills? Can a church with 50 feet ceilings ever be consider energy efficient? Will the demolition, constructions and operations be earth friendly?
• What is the projected cost of the total project now? Rumor says the church building will cost $6.4million and if there is a basement $7.5 million. And now there is talk that the parish will be buying the houses of the landowners who have signed formal protests. Could that be another $1,000,000?   9-9-2011. A budget limit of $5.5 Million is still in effect, based upon my personal conversation with Father Geary.

  I have been told by Father Geary that he will answer questions when he deems the parish should be told.

BCJ: Letter to Editor regarding St. James Campaign

.
Editor

I just wanted to state my position & opinions regarding
the destruction of St. James Church to build what I would
consider an eye-sore. I think it is a hoot that people think an
850 capacity church will bring everyone together and they
want to engage with their fellow Catholics. These people
don’t interact with the 350, why are they going to do it with
850? Overcrowding at Christmas is always going to occur
(new church means fewer Masses therefore overflowing
crowds at Christmas). The quest to build a new church
has only divided parishioners & will create a debt beyond
belief. Some seem to think that in six years the church will
be paid off. Only if a true miracle occurs. I personally
think it is a sin to expect parishioners to ante-up so much for
something they had no input on. Those people that think
you’re going to build what is intended to be a $5.5 million
dollar church will be surprised when the final tally is closer
to $8 million and their grandchildren will be paying off this
debt. Let’s talk about the generous offer by the Dioceses for
the building of the new church at a mere $500,000 collateral.
The Dioceses thinks 18% down is a good idea. St. James is
considered a poor parish. Why would they loan us all that
money? To get their hands on the 22 acres that just happens
to be a future crossroad for Highway 76. I think it is a shame
that the land donated for a new church will just be gobbled
up by the Dioceses. The note in the bulletin to remember
St. James in your will just irks me no end. All those people
who have committed to paying for this mess may as well
ante-up more, because those that didn’t commit to this mess
aren’t going to contribute.

There are many who don’t want the old church torn down,
especially to make room for 17 parking spaces. The old
church is structurally sound & may need some maintenance
(maintenance is more cost-effective than building an
unwanted church). If you are going to build a new church it
should not have steps, so the aging parishioners can make it
to mass. The new church should have a basement.
Let me comment on the notion, “we” have too many
Masses now and the Priests are over-burdened saying Mass.
We have visiting Priests say Mass, and I bet they like the fact
they get to say Mass, since this was their vocation. Even if
one Priest had to say 6 Masses over two days, with the same
message in all 6, if they are tired or burned out, then maybe
they should look at their vocation. School teachers teach
the same thing 6 or more times a day, and they work 5 days
a week. Too many Masses? I would think the Priest would
want to say as many Masses as possible to maximize the
spreading of the good news. Many bring up the point that
Boone County needs two parishes & the 22 acres would be a
better place to build a second church. That would eliminate
the overcrowded parking that currently plagues St. James.

St. James parishioners should think before donating or
pledging.

 

See the correction (below) from the February 3, 2012 Boone County Journal.  Dan Snow is the author of this Letter to the Editor.

 

 

 

The above is taken from the January 27, 2012 Boone County Journal available free of costs at merchants across the county and on the internet at:  http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2012/Boone-County-News-01-27-12.pdf#page=1

St. James Contributions and Campaign Numbers for weekend of January 22, 2012

Fourteen additional pledges; $12,003 additional pledged this week. Still $715,000 from the $3,000,000 needed. For the three weekends of the “Commitment” push there were 23 pledges totaling $24,401.

Below is the published campaign results from a July 2011 bulletin.  The O’Malley Trust pledged $50,000 this fall.  If that large pledge is subtracted from the  January 23, 2012 pledge total ($2,285,059.48 minus $50,000 equals $2,235,059.48), a nearly identical number to the July 11, 2011 pledge amount ($2,235,599.44) is obtained. 

From what I heard at the St. James’ Education Commission meeting in December,  the $50,000 O’Malley Trust pledge is conditioned upon the campaign reaching the $1,000,000 and $3,000,000 goals. 

Has the campaign really progressed since July 11, 2011?

 

Building Campaign needs support NOW

The following insert was in the bulletin this past weekend.  In addition a member of the campaign committee spoke after each Mass at announcement time.  Father Geary is on vacation for two weeks.

 

The shortage of Priests—the numbers

Click on the photocopy to enlarge:

The above is taken from:  http://www.futurechurch.org/fpm/corpus/prieststats/statistics.php

The above is taken from:  http://cara.georgetown.edu/CARAServices/requestedchurchstats.html

US Conference of Bishops makes public their annual accounting; why doesn’t the Diocese of Rockford?

Click on the following to see the complete 28 page report:  http://www.usccb.org/about/financial-reporting/upload/Final-Consolidated-Report_07-25-2011.pdf

Was there really any cost/benefit analysis done for St. James’ decision to build in town? Does Mr. Stroik care how many blocks you have to walk to your car?

This recent article by St.James’ “nationally renowned “ architect indicates that Mr. Stroik may have his prejudices about building in the country.   Read the article for yourself by clicking on the following:  http://www.traditional-building.com/Previous-Issues-11/DecemberForum11.html

 

“One of the most insidious strictures of the conventional wisdom mandates that any new church needs 20 acres”—Duncan G. Stroik

Concerned Catholics approaches 8,000 page views since its beginning in June 2011

There have been 7,959 page views since July 4,  2011.

Radical Secularism

The interesting article shown below is available by clicking on the following:  http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2012-01-19/catholic-pope-secularism-politics/52682816/1?csp=34news

The Vatican version of the same speech is available at:  http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1200227.htm

and is shown in part below: 

St. James Contributions and Campaign Numbers for weekend of January 15, 2012

 

Six additional pledges; $7,048 additional pledged.  Still a long way from the $3,000,000 needed.

 

Three additional pledges; $5,350 additional pledged.

Duncan Stroik: The altar rail architect?

 

Altar rails are present in several new churches architect Duncan Stroik has designed. Among them, the Thomas Aquinas College Chapel in Santa Paula, Calif., the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wis., and three others on the drawing boards.

Altar (Communion) rails are returning for all the right reasons.

Said Father Markey: “First, the Holy Father is requiring holy Communion from him be received on the knees. Second, it’s part of our tradition as Catholics for centuries to receive holy Communion on the knees. Third, it’s a beautiful form of devotion to our blessed Lord.”

James Hitchcock, professor and author of Recovery of the Sacred (Ignatius Press, 1995), thinks the rail resurgence is a good idea. The main reason is reverence, he said. “Kneeling’s purpose is to facilitate adoration,” he explained.

When Stroik proposed altar rails for the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, “Cardinal [Raymond] Burke liked the idea and thought that was something that would give added reverence to the Eucharist and sanctuary.”

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/altar-rails-returning-to-use/#ixzz1jgNupn83

 

Make sure you look at the Comments.  Here are some opposing comments, they are few.

 

 

Posted by Carolann Quinn on Saturday, Jul 2, 2011 10:08 PM (EST):

My knees aren’t what they used to be. This is not a good thing. If this would be at my church, I will quit going to Communion since I won’t get up without help. And the Catholic Church backslides more into the 16th century.

Posted by Mal on Saturday, Jul 2, 2011 10:34 PM (EST):

No, do not bring it back. It is so wonderful to bow then step forward and put the left hand forward (asking to receive the eucharis)then reverently placing the host in the mouth. It is more natural than sticking the tongue out and having the host deposited on it. Kneelers are foreign to today’s Catholics in India and other places. Let us keep the practice of receiving holy communion the same all over the world.

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/altar-rails-returning-to-use/#blogComments#ixzz1jgSjs8Ul

Reposting: Why will Father Geary not answer questions about the new church?

Why will Father Geary not answer questions about the new church?

Is there a problem when parishioners have to use a plea via a letter to the newspaper to receive answers regarding a church project?

Father Geary needed permission from the diocese to solicit funds for this project, why isn’t the diocese requiring Father Geary answer these fundamental questions?

The following Letter to the Editor was sent to the Boone County Journal because Father refuses to answer the many questions which were asked at the Community Building meeting on August 23, 2011.

 

The above Letter to the Editor was published in the Boone County Journal’s January 6, 2012 edition, which is available  on-line at: http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2012/Boone-County-News-01-06-12.pdf#page=1

Insert to St. James Bulletin: Personal follow-ups to begin for those who have not responded to the campaign

The following was inserted in the parish’s weekly bulletin:

Note the section at the bottom left:

Is there a deadline to the “deal”* that the diocese has proposed?

* instead of requiring pledges equaling the entire project as required elsewhere in the diocese;  a little more than half ($3,000,000) is being required.

 

Take a look at last week’s bulletin insert:  http://www.boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2012/01/push-is-onis-there-deadline-for-st.html

Coach for Christ: St. Peter Catholic Church welcomes new priest

Posted: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 4:00 pm

Will O'Brienbeloitdailynews.com

Coach for Christ: St. Peter Catholic Church welcomes new priest

If personal endorsements are any indication, Sabo has the tools to sort out St. Peter's recent troubles, which include declining school enrollment and a canceled new building project that the Rockford Diocese axed due to a lack of funds.

 

Read the entire Beloit Daily News by clicking on the following:  http://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/coach-for-christ-st-peter-catholic-church-welcomes-new-priest/article_88ea3a76-3b9a-11e1-9d02-0019bb2963f4.html#user-comment-area

“It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness”

The quote is from Leo Tolstoy

—Leo Tolstoy

 

Is this necessarily good?

St. James Contributions and Campaign Numbers for weekend of January 8, 2012

 

 

Three additional pledges; $5,350 additional pledged.