State of the Parish Address

Dear Parish Family at Seton,

What a year it has been and continues to be!  The global pandemic with its effects on our society and economy have been a challenge. Hopefully, we have all gained a deeper love and appreciation for our faith, family and parish community. This letter provides an update on our parish community.  

The general shutdown of our society has impacted our parish life in many ways, as you might imagine, for instance our regular collections have decreased these past six months. Not having Sunday Mass from Palm Sunday until the end of June has been one of our biggest challenges. We appreciate the loyalty and support of our parishioners during this time. Thank you for loving your parish.

In spite of our challenges, we have much for which to be grateful. Our staff and ministry leaders have been working hard to check expenses, and to find new and creative ways to serve our community. We have also seen an increase in online giving. Our Capital Campaign to build a new church has received steady support, and we hope to break ground in the summer of 2021 as we had planned!.

With your help, I believe our future is bright. As we face the present times, you can help your parish family in one of three ways; 

1.   If you are not using Faith Direct, please consider giving to our secure, online platform thru Faith Direct. This helps to stabilize our income and to more accurately forecast our budgetary needs. You can click on the link below for more information and to sign up.  
2.   Please consider making a special "one time" gift, either to replace what you would have normally given these past few months, or as an additional contribution to our parish operation. Typically, we receive a higher percentage of donations at this time with year end giving. The Cares Act has provided extra incentives as there are tax advantages to charitable giving for 2020 only. Whether you itemize your deductions or take the standard deduction, everyone can benefit from these tax incentives in the next 3 months. Of course, you can make these one time donations thru Faith Direct or by mailing a check to the parish office or dropping it in the collection box at church.
3.   Due to COVID protocols, we were not able to have our annual Gala this fall. However, we are still having a parish wide raffle. Raffle tickets will be mailed to you this month. Please consider purchasing some and encouraging family and friends to do so as well. Grand prize is a $5,000 Visa gift card. Every single ticket sold helps our bottom line.

I am happy to report that many of our ministries are using technology in order to serve you and maintain a community spirit. We are grateful to the parishioners who use their time and talent to make our livestreaming happen, not only for Sunday and daily Masses, but also for many other special events. 

Our Faith Formation program has been adapted to serve the needs of our families, especially during the pandemic. We hope to lay a foundation of strong Catholic families for generations to come by encouraging our parents to receive special religious formation in order to form their children in the faith. We hope this will enrich Catholic family life through the sharing and discussion of faith and values at home. . 

Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support. Our parish family is indeed blessed through your generosity and effort. As I mentioned earlier, I am optimistic about our future. I am looking forward to a great new year in 2021!

Thank you for your time and attention. As always, if you have any questions or if we can serve you in any way, please let us know.

Walking as the People of God may we be blessed in our journey!

Yours in Christ, Fr. Bradley

Faith Direct On-Line Giving