Financial Report to St. Vincent de Paul Parish, September 29, 2006

Gospel (Mark 10:46-52)

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
“Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.”
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more,
“Son of David, have pity on me.”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
“Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”
Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.”
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.

Homily

This Sunday we hear the great story of the blind man, Bartimaeus, who comes to Jesus and is cured of his blindness.  But it is not the cure of his blindness that caught my attention this weekend, but rather something that happened just before he was cured.  The Gospel says that, when Bartimaeus was called, he threw aside his cloak and ran to Jesus.

This may seem like an insignificant detail, but Bartimaeus’ reaction was really quite risky and dangerous.  A blind man in the first century was fundamentally limited to a life of begging.  He could not work and was dependent on the generosity of others.  Among his most prized possessions would be his cloak which would keep him warm on a cold night.  When Bartimaeus stood up, he threw the cloak aside and ran to Jesus.  There was no guarantee that he would find his way.  (There were no helpful beeping crosswalk signs like we have in downtown Peoria.)  There was no guarantee that the crowd would be particularly honest.  Bartimaeus might not find his way back to his place.  And even if he did, his cloak might be long gone.  Bartimaeus showed tremendous courage in running to Jesus and tremendous faith in Jesus that he would be cured.

This weekend, I present a financial report to the parish.  When I first arrived at St. Vincent’s, I told the finance council that I liked to preach about money.  (They stared back at me in disbelief.)  Then I told them that I can make preaching about money both fun and inspirational.  (Their jaws dropped wide open.)  I hear from other priests that they dislike preaching about money, so be ready for something different today.  Actually, the reason I enjoy preaching about money is because I don’t actually preach about money at all, but rather about the mission of the parish.  The reason we have financial assets, is so that our mission can be accomplished.  Our mission is the guiding principle governing our financial decisions.  As members of this parish, you have a right to know the state of the parish’s financial health.  But more importantly, you have a right to know the mission of this parish which is supported by your regular contributions.

I picked this weekend to make this presentation because many things about Bartimaeus’ courage and faith remind me of the founding pastor of this parish, Msgr. Robert Livingston, and his courage and faith.  Msgr. Livingston founded this parish in 1962 when this site was just an undeveloped plot of land.  Many years earlier, this area was a swampy moorish land far outside Peoria on the north side.  In fact, that is how Northmoor Avenue got its name.  Msgr. Livingston began not by building a church but by building a school.  In the fall of 1962, he welcomed the first students into the school.  What is now our cafeteria and gym served as the church by providing a chapel and a place for Mass.  In 1963 and in 1967, Msgr. Livingston added on to the school and the convent, increasing the capacity for enrollment.  It was not until 1977 that a parish church was built and dedicated.  That dedication took place 29 years ago this weekend.

Throughout this growing process, Msgr. Livingston demonstrated several qualities.  First, he exercised tremendous patience.  He knew that it wasn’t possible to build everything right away.  He took his time.  He planned the stages of growth.  He built the school which would attract and build up the parish base, and then he built a large church ready to accommodate a sizeable congregation.  In all this, he was guided by a vision that started by looking on a barren lot and developed into a beautiful and well designed school and church facility.  Msgr. Livingston had trust in Jesus, and much like Bartimaeus, he proceeded resolutely forward in faith.

The mission of St. Vincent de Paul continues today.  I am the current steward of this mission, and I promise to provide the best service I know how to the fulfillment of that mission.  But that mission doesn’t belong to me alone.  Each member of this parish shares the same mission and shares the responsibility to bring Msgr. Livingston’s vision to greater light.  What is that mission?  Fundamentally, it is no different than when Msgr. Livingston founded the parish.  First, it is to build up the spiritual life of each parish member by preaching the Gospel, celebrating the sacraments, and drawing each of us closer to Christ.  Second, it is to provide the best Catholic education we can to our children.

As I look at our first goal of building up the spiritual life, I ask myself several questions:  Are our Masses reverently celebrated and offered at convenient times for the benefit of the faithful?  Do we have sufficient time for confessions?  Do we have sufficient opportunities for adult faith education, prayer, and Eucharistic adoration?  Are the sick, the suffering, and the homebound provided adequate spiritual care?  With respect to our church building and our facilities, I ask myself whether these facilities best provide for these needs to be met.  Does our equipment allow sound to be effectively transmitted so the Scriptures are proclaimed effectively and preaching is understood?  Is our church being well cared for?  The lights around this church reflect upward toward this magnificent wood ceiling, but the heat generated from these lights is also melting away the protective coating on the ceiling and drying out the wood.  At some point, it will be necessary to protect this wood so it endures for years to come.  Do we have adequate space for parish offices?  At this time, I have no place to meet in private with parishioners when there is a need.  Is our parking lot well maintained and sufficient for our parishioners?

As I look at our second goal of providing the best Catholic education we can, I ask myself other questions:  Are our students formed in the practice of the faith?  Are our students academically prepared for high school and for college?  Are our students socially and morally prepared to become responsible young men and women?  Do our students have sufficient athletic opportunities to develop their physical skills?  With respect to our school building, I ask myself whether these facilities best provide for these needs to be fulfilled.  I think about the salaries we pay our teachers and the responsibility we have to pay a fair wage.  We have made improvements in recent years to bring us more in line with the public schools in our area.  Do our classrooms provide a conducive environment for learning?  Is there sufficient electricity and technology in each room to meet the students’ educational needs?  Is our building safe, with adequate control of outside access to the building and adequate visibility of visitors from the school office?  Is our building well cared for?  I think of the asbestos in the building and the efficiency of the windows which are original to the building of the school.  Is the cafeteria and gym adequate?  The cafeteria and gym were built originally for perhaps 300 students, although we have over 600 students served by these same facilities today.

As I describe these goals, you may be seeing dollar signs passing before your eyes.  This vision is ambitious.  But I don’t think we should be afraid of ambitious goals.  It’s good for us to remember those virtues of Msgr. Livingston:  Let us remember his tremendous patience as we work to achieve these goals.  Let us be guided by a vision of where we should go to keep this parish and school strong.  Let us proceed with the same faith and trust in Jesus.  I have asked for the services of a professional architect to help us evaluate our facilities and assess our needs as a parish and a school.

Today, I draw your attention to the financial report included in your bulletin.  There are some very positive signs.  It is worth noting that this parish is well on its way to meeting and exceeding its goal for the diocesan Rooted in Faith campaign.  Please remember that 20% of all contributions made from this parish return to pay for parish needs.  However, once we pass our goal—which we are close to doing—we then receive 80% of all contributions made from this parish.  I encourage those with outstanding pledges to continue honoring them and I thank you for your generosity.

However, the financial report also causes me one concern.  While our expenses have continued to increase each year, as is expected over time, our collection has remained about the same.  The danger is that we may only take in what we need to meet our expenditures for the year.  As any householder knows, it is important to set aside some reserves for the future, for an unexpected need, or for important planned improvements.  I hope to continue our past practice of setting aside a portion of what we receive for these future needs.

Today, I ask for your response in faith.  I ask you to prayerfully consider increasing the amount of your regular contribution to the parish.  For some here, you may be on a fixed income or financially unable to do more.  Perhaps what you contribute is already as much as you can reasonably afford.  Let me be the first to say, “Thank you.”  Thank you for your regular support of this parish.  Whether you contribute a large or a small amount, everyone who supports this parish according to his or her means is a part of the mission of this parish.  We can’t do it without you.  For others here, you may be in a position to contribute more.  I ask you to consider this.

Why do I ask this?  Not because I’m telling you to give more.  Not because I’m trying to shame you out of guilt.  And not even because I think Msgr. Livingston would want you to.  (Although I’m sure he would want you to!)  But rather because I hope that you will want to.  Because you believe in this mission I have described of our parish and our school.  Because you see that this is a sacrifice worth making.

I ask you to set out with courage like Bartimaeus.  I ask you to follow the path that has already been marked out for us by Msgr. Livingston.  I ask you to journey on this path that is now entrusted to us to carry into the future, and to walk to Jesus with great trust.