Weekly Collections for the weekends of October 11, 18 and 25

 

October 25, 2015

October 18, 2015

 

October 11, 2015

 

 

 

Three additional pledges; $50.00 additional pledged.

 

No change in pledges.

One additional Pledge of $5.00.

St. James Annual Financial Report

 

A few items which the reader can obtain from the financial reports of FY 2011 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015:

As of June 30, 2015 $6,596,209 has been expended on the new building projects.  Based upon the 6-30-2015  loan balance of $3,876,799, 43% of these expenses have been paid..

Extraordinary Mass on April 28 at St James Belvidere

 

Letter to St. James parishioners from pastor

 

 

Minutes of St. James Zoning Hearing now available

 

The 13 pages of minutes from the meeting, questions and testimony are now available on the city website. 

For minutes go to:  http://www.ci.belvidere.il.us/images/filecabinet/packets/06_17_2013%20city%20council%20packet%20for%20website.pdf

The minutes begin on page 40 of the 66 pages of PDG document

There should also be transcripts from the court reporter available soon.  COMCAST Channel 20 is showing tapes of the proceedings

Weekly collections for the weekend of April 21, 2013

The caption shown below are from the bulletins from the weekend of APRIL 28 AND APRIL 21, 2013

Four additional pledges; total pledges increased by $1,710 however that equated to sufficient funds to meet the $3,000 that was needed last week.  The $3,000,000 pledge goal was reached with $2,850,295.36 in total pledge.

New? St. James Church Building Plan

The following was an insert to the January 13, 2013 weekly bulletin.

BCJ: Parishioner speaks in support of Father Geary

BCJ/Rockford Register Star Letter to editor by Lowell Reinert

 

The following Letter to the Editor appear in Friday’s, May 4, 2012, Boone County Journal and Sunday’s, May 6, 2012, Rockford Register Star

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 has 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 from Dan Casey

 

 

Letter to the Editor:
I have come to the conclusion as of why the Dioceses
of Rockford, Bishop Doran as well as Father Geary, pastor
of St. James refuse to answer the questions concerning the
St. James project. If even one is answered another will
need to follow…and possibly some of the parishioners
that pledged out of duty or the willingness to obey might
rethink their pledge.
We were told that all PLEDGES are nonbinding as was
stated from the inception of the project. It could be that the
Dioceses is afraid of the complete melt-down of the project
by the parishioners if questions were to be answered…
so let’s say nothing…maybe the dissenter’s will just go
away…think again!
The failure of another Diocesan Pickle that eventually
led to the ouster of the Parishes Pastor Father Federspiel is
just another example of our Dioceses out of control.
Imagine if St. James were St. Anthony’s in Rockford,
mostly Italian parishioners, a young Priest, not a
Franciscan Friar was named pastor. His project, build a
large contemporary church in their parking lot and, when
built, teardown St. Anthony’s and save none of the historic
history of the building and tell the parishioners to just let it
go. It wouldn’t happen, I guarantee it wouldn’t.
So, shame on the Dioceses for pressing forward with
this project here at St. James. Two parishes are needed in
Belvidere. Freeport, Illinois has three and is smaller than
Belvidere.
If you don’t have the overwhelming majority of
parishioners in support of the project by now—which you
don’t—then you probably won’t—why don’t we ever hear
total project cost? It’s not $5.5 million, it is closer to $8
million, am I correct? That is another question to answer.
The aging parishioners here at St. James that rely on
canes, walkers or wheelchairs that use handicap parking
stalls, your future designated parking will be where your
Beautiful St. James now stands, you will need to cross
Caswell Street.
Sincerely,
Daniel Casey

The above is taken from page 2, of the April 27, 2012 Boone County Journal, available free of cost at merchants across the county and on line at:  http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2012/Boone-County-News-04-27-12.pdf#page=4

Letter to Editor: Stop the mistake before it happens

 

 

Editor,
Some years ago Mayor Brereton with several others
fought to save the Belvidere Community Building. That
building was built in 1939, and was a worthy WPA project.
Today after a wonderful remodeling program, designed by
local architects it’s one of the greatest assets of our city. This
building was featured on the Illinois 2004 show calendar
dedicated as “Art Deco at its Greatest.’’

The Boone County Planning Board originally turned
down the request to demolish St. James Church built in
1886 and build a new larger church across the street where
the convent and small parking lot are located at Church &
Caswell. This lot is very small, less than one acre. Several
months later and after many city council meetings, the city
council decided to approve the Rockford Diocese to build
on this small lot. This is after the local Priest Father Geary
had several conferences with the Mayor and city council
members. A few minor zoning laws were changed prior to
the final council meeting. There was even a passionate letter
written by a council member favoring its passage and was
read and distributed to all who attended the meeting. It was
decided that the new church, built at Church and Caswell
would greatly help downtown Belvidere.

You can’t bring downtown Belvidere back to the 1950’s
and 1960’s. It’s a different era now. Parishioners want convenient
parking with easy protected access to the church.

St. James was given 22 beautiful acres on the west edge
of Belvidere, located in Belvidere Township. This is the
largest growth area in Boone County.

Father Geary says the new church built at Caswell and
Church St. on the south side in an older congested residential
area is the best spot for the next 100 years.
WHY????

The present church built in 1886 will last another 100
years with some proper maintenance. This is a landmark.
Let’s continue to use it and build a new church on 22 acres
on the west edge of town. It will cost less.

THE BEST TIME TO STOP A MISTAKE IS BEFORE IT
HAPPENS.

Sincerely,
Jack Wolf

2011—Old St. James Church’s 125th Year of Devotion and Community—Part 1

In 1886 the present church was build by parishioners for $22,000. There was no mention of celebration or commemoration in 2011-- even though St. James Church celebrated its 125th birthday.
A multi-million dollar capital campaign was initiated to build a large, 1000 capacity (now 800) church done in a classic Romanesque style similar to century old churches in Italy.  That campaign appears stalled. Based upon reported campaign pledges, ground breaking in 2012 or even 2013 seems improbable .  Little is known about the final design or costs of the cathedral style church. What is known is that the venerable old church will be destroyed to provide less than 20 parking spaces.
As a tribute to that great old church built with the pennies and nickels of hardworking  Irish (German and other) families,—various history studies of the area will be utilized to inform our present parishioners and friends what St. James Church was and is.


In 1976 the Boone County Bicentennial printed this historic account of Boone County.  Page 80 & 81’s citation regarding St. James are shown below.  There are two older churches in Belvidere that are still being utilized has houses of worship:  Trinity Episcopal Church (1857) and First United Presbyterian (1858).

It is very interesting that after Vatican II, Hispanic Catholics attended Mass at a Spanish language service held for a time at Green Giant.  Also note that the Last Supper insert in the current altar is taken from the insert from the original high altar.

,

Concerned Catholics approaches 10,000 page views since its beginning in June 2011

There have been 9,871 page views since July 4, 2011

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 At least that is what the  8-7-2011 insert stated; 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.

How does the The Observer Subsidy work?

Well here is how it works at St. Rita’s.

 

Reposting: Parish Stewardship and St. James’ Approval Letter

The following items were originally posted on August 14, 2011. [http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2011/08/parish-stewardship.html]   Based upon traffic to that posting I am reposting for the convenience of my audience.  The big question is:  Are the various provisions of the October 8, 2010 letter from the Vicar General still in effect?

 

Following is taken from: http://www.stewardshiprockford.org/

Parish Stewardship

What is Parish Stewardship?
Parish Stewardship is one way of organizing the gifts of parishioners resources to invigorate the parish community. Good disciples are good stewards. They know that God has given them time, talent, and treasure to be shared with others. Therefore, they plan and budget their resources wisely so that God's will can come first in their lives, so that prayer and service can be high on their list of priorities. Our office can help teach your parishioners how to be good stewards of their God given resources.

Each parish can benefit by exemplifying the eight characteristics of a stewardship parish for their people.

What are the eight characteristics of a "Stewardship Parish?"
Get a copy of Eight Characteristics (in pdf) here.

1. Parish should create a stewardship commission. The commission should be formed by the teachings of the 1992 U.S. Bishops' Pastoral Letter, Stewardship: A Disciple's Response which makes the connection between the evangelization/conversion process and the people's use of their time, talent and treasure.

2. Parish should have ongoing educational activities that instruct the parish membership throughout the year in the Church's teachings of stewardship. This should include themes from the 1992 Bishop's Pastoral Letter and the readings from the Liturgical cycle.

3. Within the context of the Church's teachings on stewardship, parish should conduct an annual stewardship of time and talent renewal to encourage parishioners to share their gifts as a faith response and as a way to meet the ministry needs of the parish and local community. Pastoral leaders should empower the laity to discern and contribute their variety of gifts in the service of parish ministries and church vocations.

4. Within the context of the Church's teachings on stewardship, parish should conduct an annual stewardship of treasure renewal to encourage parishioners to share their material gifts as a faith response and for the support of the parish ministries. The learning objective for parishioners would include encouraging parishioners to embrace the biblical tithe and to give in a planned and sacrificial way. A current Catholic interpretation of this type of giving is for people to give 5% of their income to the parish, 1% to the diocese and 4% to other charities.

5. Parish should strive to incrementally move toward the elimination of second collections, special envelopes and special fund-raisers for expenses related to normal parish operating activities and ministries. Annual celebrations or festivals should mainly exist for the purpose of building community, not fund-raising. See Policies for Projects < $12,500 (in pdf).

6. Parish should contribute a portion of their Sunday offertory collection to poor parishes in this diocese, our own diocesan social ministries and worthy community, regional, national and international programs that further the plan of God on earth. This practice will provide an example to the parish community of the type of proportionate giving that the leadership is encouraging its members to assume. See Parish Tithe Policy (in pdf).

7. When parish leadership is conducting a campaign for extraordinary capital improvements/repairs, new building projects or debt reduction, these types of projects should be presented to the people within the context of the Church's teachings and practices of stewardship. There are excellent examples of how some parishes in our diocese are integrating the teachings and practices of stewardship into these types of projects. See blue area below Capital Projects Policy (in pdf).

8. Parish should promote the stewardship of assets and endowment awareness among parishioners for the long term financial benefit of the Parish, Diocese, and Universal Church. Parish shall establish an endowment account in the Catholic Foundation. Endowment awareness would include education of stewardship of assets and encouragement for bequests through wills and other planned giving instruments. The creation of an endowment committee is encouraged. See Endowment Gifts.

.

Stewardship and the Assessment System
Approved on May 1, 1998
by Bishop Thomas Doran
Updated March 2009

Capital Projects
I. Basic definitions and observations
Capital projects are defined as the construction of new buildings, remodeling or repairing existing buildings, or the purchasing of new equipment, land or buildings which exceed $12,500.
Normally, revenue for capital projects and debt associated with the project are raised through a combination of an approved capital campaign and supplemented with Parish Ordinary Income. Some parishes have paid for capital projects using Parish Ordinary Income only.
II. Diocesan Policy Statements
Implementation of Stewardship Goal
When parish leadership is conducting a campaign for capital improvements, new building projects or debt reduction, these types of projects should be presented to the people within the context of the Church's Stewardship teachings.
Statement of Diocesan Assessment Goal
To establish parity between parishes which choose either the "Parish Ordinary Income only" option or the "capital campaign" option.
Statement of Procedures
1) Capital projects must be planned in accordance with the Uniform Procedures for the Purchase of or Contract for Land, Building Remodeling, and Improvements. A letter of request must be submitted to the Diocesan Bishop outlining the project.
2) Capital projects are not capital projects until the Diocesan Bishop gives initial approval for the plan and it is entered into the Diocesan Capital Projects log. As part of the approval process the parish must indicate the means of fund raising by either: a) conducting a capital campaign and using Parish Ordinary Income as supplemental, or b) using Parish Ordinary Income only. The diocesan project approval letter will include a statement recognizing the fund-raising method to be employed by the parish. Three – five years will be the normal timeframe to conduct capital campaigns and to redeem pledges. See St. James Approval Letter below.
a) If the parish is approved to conduct a capital campaign, revenues from the drive will not be used in the calculations for the diocesan assessments. Parish Ordinary Income used toward the capital project will not be deducted from Ordinary Income before diocesan assessments are calculated.

b) If the parish is approved to fund the capital project through Ordinary Income only, a maximum of 20% of the parish's Ordinary Income will be deducted from Ordinary Income before diocesan assessments are calculated.
For this "Parish Ordinary Income only" option the parish must have adopted most of the 8 Characteristics of a Stewardship parish and agrees to the following conditions:
a) no capital campaign
b) no special envelopes
c) no other fund-raising activities for the capital project
d) no other second collections (except a poor box)
e) no formal memorial drives for non-endowment purposes
f) parish must demonstrate ability to pay capital debt within 15 years.
[Note: While not reducing Ordinary Income, bequests or unsolicited special donations do not disqualify the parish for this deduction.]
3) If the Capital Campaign is initially chosen and when the three to five year capital campaign payment period is completed, the parish must formally decide which method it will choose to pay off the remaining debt. It may either choose the Parish Ordinary Income method, or choose to conduct a debt reduction drive and introduce a special envelope for that purpose. Written permission from the Vicar General is required

St. James Contribution and Campaign Numbers for weekend of February 11-12, 2012

Eight additional pledges;  $2,248 additional pledges.  Still $687,543 from the $3,000,000 pledge requirement.

 

St. James Contributions and Campaign Numbers for weekend of February 5-6, 2012

Weekly offerings: February 5-6

Three additional pledges for $2,040 additional. Still $689,841 from the $3,000,000 pledge requirement.

Catechismus in Lapidem --"Catechisms in Stone"—Duncan Stroik

 

Did Duncan Stroik come with the requirement of a building budget so large that a parish would have to have a large mortgage?  Was Bishop Doran’s financing concession for the parish benefit or what Mr. Stroik required? The following is an excerpt from Mr. Stroik’s editorial (May 2009) on building beautiful churches.

These requirements[the strict monetary policies of the diocese]which are often seen as more binding than papal encyclicals, vary greatly across the country. They usually reflect some mix of cash, pledges, and loans. At the extreme there are dioceses that require their pastors to have 100 percent of their budget in cash and pledges before the architect can finish the drawings. In that scenario, is it any wonder that our modern churches do not inspire? Most of us could not have bought our houses if we had to have 50 percent cash down. So why does the Church require that of the house of God? To make matters more difficult, parishes are expected to pay their mortgage off in five years. Again, an impossibility for most families but considered reasonable for parishes!

This scenario helps to explain why churches are so cheap and ugly today, and why many built in recent decades are falling apart. Many parishes in the suburbs are filled with young families, creating the need for larger churches and schools. Yet, these same families are the ones least likely to make a substantial contribution

Read the entire editorial by click on the following:  The Institute for Sacred Architecture | Articles | Catechismus in Lapidem

Reposting: Jack Wolf’s Letter to Editor: Questions that don’t get answered

The following is taken from the Boone County Journal’s January 6, 2012 edition, which is available free of costs at merchants across the county and on-line at: http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2012/Boone-County-News-01-06-12.pdf#page=1