We have just celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the dedication of our church building and in less than a year we will celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the founding of our parish. As a parish family, our journey continues. We have been blessed over the last forty years to have many of those who founded this parish still active members of our community. We have been blessed by new members who have joined our community over the years. Some of those new members were here for a short while and others remain with us to this day. We are a community; a family who has weathered the storms of life together. We have celebrated milestones and enjoyed each other’s company. We have prayed together and opened our doors and hearts to the greater communities of Scripps Ranch and San Diego. We have, indeed, been blessed.
As we continue our journey, we begin a new phase of caring for our campus and our church building. As with most twenty-five-year-old buildings basic components such as the roof and air conditioning begin showing their age. We need to replace the air conditioning units and repair the roof within the next few months. These two projects will cost an estimated $500,000. The ongoing annual maintenance cost for our now mature landscaping and facilities is approximately $100,000.
Therefore, the finance council has advised Father Bart to begin a capital improvements fund, which will be used strictly to pay for major capital projects and ongoing maintenance on the church campus. As a tribute to Deacon Ron Diem, this fund will be known as The Deacon Ron Maintenance Fund. Our goal is to raise $750,000.
Additionally, we ask all households to consider a modest increase in their weekly offering. We have not asked for an increase in weekly offerings for a number of years. However, the parish, like all parishioners, has weathered the storm of COVID with its decrease in Mass attendance and the inflation of the last few years. Our costs have continued to increase as weekly donations have decreased.
As we continue this journey as a parish community together, we thank God for His many blessings. We pray for His continued blessing. We look forward with hope and anticipation for all God has in store for us.
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