You Can Count on Me

Dear Saint William Parishioner,

This weekend is commitment weekend. Over the past few weeks, we have had time to reflect on what it means to be a parishioner, why we register, and lastly why we tithe. Now it is time to put our thoughts into action.

I have been pastor of St. William for over four years and we have been through a number of events together: we lost our education building for a year and a half to a hailstorm; following the pandemic, we went from having a small team on staff to being nearly fully staffed to better serve our families.

Interestingly, while our community has grown, our collections have not yet seen similar growth. However, I am confident that together we can change this.

When we consider what it means to be family, we can reflect on how a father, mother and child often depend on each other for things needed at home. Through our unique gifts, time and talents, we each contribute in our own way to meet the needs of our families; in a similar manner, we, as active and engaged parishioners, do the same for our parish and one another.

Our Collective Participation Makes the Greatest Impact

Now, at first glance, it might appear to some that Saint William is a wealthy parish. I would agree with that statement, but not in the way some may think. We are wealthy in the number of parishioners we have at our parish. And it is through these numbers that we can provide for our parish needs through our tithe. Currently, our weekly

collections do not cover our weekly operational costs (the offertory report can be found on page 3 of the bulletin), but that could easily change if we all take part.

For example, let’s say we have 1,000 families that don’t currently tithe on a weekly basis. If those 1,000 families started to tithe $20 dollars a week, that would mean over a million dollars at the end of the year for our parish. Imagine the impact if our more than 4,000 parishioners at St. William families increased our weekly giving to our parish.

Furthering our Parish Mission

In a practical sense, our financial contributions help us maintain our parish grounds and programs at St. William. As some of you may have also experienced in your own homes, the cost of materials and services have increased, and now that our parish is nearly 20 years old, we can count on regular maintenance projects for our 10

buildings. Additionally, we have our parish debt of more than 5 million dollars and a

1-month emergency reserve that I would like to increase to six months so that we are prepared to respond to unanticipated events.

While these are specific needs, ultimately, our parish family’s collective participation helps us to offer a space that helps to further our mission and respond to the needs of our growing parish family, so that we can better serve you and your loved ones. We can only do this through your ongoing support.

When we each make a financial commitment to our parish, you are saying, “You can count on me!” We have an incredible community that loves our parish. I too love our parish—and you! It is a privilege to serve you and you can count on me to be the best steward of our parish resources. All that we do is for the Glory of God through the

intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. May God continue to bless our parish.

Ad Jesum per Mariam,

Fr. Francisco Rodriguez III

Pastor

Pledge cards are available at the church exits and in the Narthex and can be returned to the parish office or to an usher following Mass.

New to St. William? If St. William is your home parish, we invite you to register. Download the form, complete it and return it to the parish office.

Giving Tip: Whether you give via check, cash, or online, please be sure to include your envelope number or parishioner / family ID number. (Each household that is registered at Saint William has a unique ID.) This way we are able to reflect your giving on your parish account. If you have any questions, or need help locating your parishioner ID, please contact the parish office at: (512) 255-4473 or email: [email protected]