Staying Connected

Dear Friends,

It’s easy to think of our Finance Council in the simple terms of reviewing and reporting on numbers - what comes in; what goes out. This is one function, but the traditional role of a Finance Council is to provide oversight to the processes, procedures, and controls around handling money and spending for the parish.

At CTK & St. Stephen our focus is more broadly one of stewardship and the careful application of a few guiding gospel principles. Are we judiciously using the funds so graciously donated to our parishes? Are we supporting the needs of our various ministries? Are we treating our dedicated staff fairly? Are we properly maintaining our physical plant to support the many activities of our parishes? Are we participating in the life of the universal church through our financial support and charities? Are we addressing the needs of the poor? Are we following best practices for the management of parish business? 

Canon Law and the Diocese require each parish to have a Finance Council. Perhaps surprisingly this is the only committee each parish must have, and the Diocese requires this committee to formally review and approve the annual parish budget. When St. Stephen was rolled under the leadership of our pastor, we combined Finance councils so that there is one group with financial oversight of both parishes. Now that a full merger of our parishes is on track, there is work to do in 2023 to fully combine finances and processes. 

At CTK and St. Stephen, Fr. Paulson has opted for full transparency to financial data and decisions and has asked us to fill a larger role in the review of donations and spending. We assist our pastor in applying the gospel principle of stewardship of our funds. We’ll be adding a monthly report in the bulletin.

To reading click on the button below

Catholic Schools Week

January 29th - February 4th

On Sunday, January 29th, we will kick off Catholic Schools Week with the 9am mass followed by an Open House in the school from 10am to 12pm.