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The following is the talk given by Fr. Marty at the weekend Masses, June 13 & 14, 2009. I have been wanting to speak to all of you, providing you with an update on the projects related to our Faith, Families & Future Capital Campaign. Indeed, I realized around the 5th Sunday of Lent that I needed to speak to you but with Palm Sunday, Easter, CSA, First Communions, etc… The opportunity did not present itself. One year ago we began to save from the pledges made and from others who regularly give to the campaign. This was added to the nearly 416,000 collected from the first campaign, The Cross Leads Generations On. We set for ourselves three main goals;
As the winter began so also began weekly meetings with our general contractor (Berglund Construction), architect (Entheos), myself and our pastoral finance director, Tom Swanson. These meetings worked through the myriad of details regarding the project making the actual doing of the work smoother. As spring approached and the final bids were coming in, it became apparent to me that my enthusiasm, which had sustained my hope to finish both up and down stairs in one move, would not be borne out. Even though pledge payments were right on schedule and even though the final set of bids lowered the over all cost, it became apparent that my hope was a little too aggressive. In the end it came down to a matter of practical finances. I needed to meet with the Bishop prior to beginning actual construction. In doing so I needed to lay out the financial particulars about the first phase of our plan for the Bishop and his Consultors (these are the five priest-Deans who oversee the five deaneries into which our diocese is divided). We had already done preliminary work, installing the elevator and finishing some structural infill which increased the amount of usable square footage in the upper level. (These were approved by the Bishop in spring 2008 and used up those funds collected in The Cross Leads Generations On campaign.) On April 3rd I met with the Bishop. At that time we had $780,000 in our savings for this first phase of the project. I would need to borrow about $120,000 to complete the first floor, the Social Hall, kitchen and three adjoining meeting rooms. Now it is important to understand the Diocesan policy regarding the saving and borrowing of money for capital improvements. We can borrow up to 1/3 of the total construction cost based on the anticipated pledges. This equation might seem a bit constraining but it does help a parish not to get too far in over their head. For us the costs of the first phase, initially envisioned, (that is completing the main floor and upstairs all at once) including the preliminary work would have allowed me to ask the Bishop for this consideration. I would have needed to ask for an additional $750,000 to complete the upstairs. Thus we would borrow upwards of $870,000. But, here is the problem. The planned for capital improvements (the new windows, electrical and HVAC upgrades) to our school building cannot be delayed until the summer of 2011 – they really need to begin in June of 2010. This means we need to start planning with some level of confidence this fall and winter to order what needs lead time and then to move on the project in the most efficient way next June. In order to proceed with the needed school improvements next spring, I would need to have some money in the bank to borrow against. If we borrowed $870,000 this spring we would have just paid it back by next April or May. That would mean that we would have no money saved in the bank to borrow against next spring. Bearing on me also was the current economic situation we all find ourselves in. We are told it is improving but many of us need to be more convinced. So, after much prayer, I made what I consider to be a sound financial decision at this point. Though we cannot totally finish the second floor of the south end of the church building we are preparing the upstairs for completion next spring. Any plumbing, electrical or HVAC that needs to poke through the ceiling of the main level is being done now. Thus, when we move to finish the upstairs, we will not have to disturb the Social Hall. This August, probably mid-August, the hall and the 3 adjoining meeting rooms will be finished for our use. (Addendum: At the last weekly construction meeting, we were informed that several items on order will not be delivered in time for a mid-August completion date. The projected completion date for this phase of construction is now September.) The little we borrow will be paid back, all things being as they are now, by the end of 2009 if not sooner. (Indeed, it appears that it might work that as pledges come in, we will need to borrow only a fraction of the $120,000 for which we have been pre-approved.) Little or no debt now gives us five to seven months to build our savings, enabling me to approach the Bishop next spring to ask to complete our projects – the upstairs of the church building, the school and even the old church demolition, borrowing on the expected pledges. If more people choose to participate in the Faith, Families & Future campaign closing the gap, we still have between the goal of the campaign ($1,900,000) and the present level of pledges ($1,772,000), we can have even more certainty in completing our three goals even before the end of the three year campaign, which ends in late June 2011. I do not consider this one year delay in finishing the second floor of the church building a major problem. It is a prudent readjustment of our timeline that can actually enable us to move more readily on the school improvements next spring and at the same time complete the meeting rooms and educational rooms on the second floor of the church building. The important thing to bear in mind is that all three projects will be completed by the end of our three year campaign (and hopefully even sooner). As many of you know ( because hundreds of you hit our website often, in particular the Parish Council notes) the parish Finance Council this past January engaged a firm to conduct a “forensic study” of the church building to evaluate the moisture problems we have been experiencing in this building since 2001. Their report is extensive and thorough. Presently, it is being digested by a team of parishioners with expertise in engineering and insurance responsibilities. This committee along with the Pastoral Council and Finance Committee will be working on a process by which this full report will be presented to the whole parish early this fall. This is an important factor that must be taken into consideration, though I cannot yet speculate how substantial its impact will be. Moisture problems in the masonry work in the south façade that have been identified are known to our contractor and are being addressed as work in that area is being done. I, like you, am sometimes overwhelmed by the complexity and inter-relatedness of these issues. In my prayer I am often reminded that the Lord does not give us more than we can handle; but – just enough to make us realize that we must constantly turn to him for strength. As you know we have our Parish Festival approaching in August along with the Big Ticket. Mr. Doffin will be addressing this in the coming weeks. Please keep this in mind; and I know you will make that important endeavor a success, as you all try to do each year, with God’s help. All of these sources of income play off each other, all are important to maintaining the many good works we do as a parish. I have said this before, and I do mean it very sincerely; to those who have pledged, to those who give regularly to the campaign, to those who give regularly in the Sunday collection to support the work of Christ in and through St. Michael’s and to those who truly are unable to give but have expressed your participation pledging your prayers to this good work, I am continually thankful for your exemplarily generosity. As a pastor, my main intent is to enable us all to trust more in God each day. Our common sacrifice in this endeavor and so many others at St. Michael’s does stretch us. But this stretching is not in vain – it strengthens us and helps us to trust more in God and that is a good thing. We all know that money does not grow on trees, as my mother and father often reminded me. So your willingness to sacrifice with me and your fellow parishioners to make this happen is exactly what makes it able to happen. For it to be fully completed we know we must continue with God’s grace to do our part. May God’s Will be done in and through us by the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank You.
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