An Adoring and Tithing Parish
CELEBRATING 125 YEARS AS A FAITH COMMUNITY
1881 – 2006

Parish Capital Campaign
Preserving Our Past
Preparing for Our Future

Frequently Asked Questions

Q:  Will our Parish be assessed by the Archdiocese for the money we raise in this Capital Campaign?

A:  No.  All proceeds from this campaign will remain in our Parish, and will be used only for the purposes stated in this Campaign literature.  No portion of the funds raised during this Campaign will be assessed by the Diocese.

Q:  Is the School a significant financial drain on the Parish?

A:  We do not believe the school is a significant drain on the Parish.  In the fiscal year ending June 2007, our Parish directly supported our school with a subsidy of $240,000, down 45% from $435,000 in 2005.

       Our school has made significant progress in moving toward its goal of "self sufficiency" over the past few years.  Through extensive marketing efforts, school enrollment has increased to 80% of capacity, and tuition has been increased to keep pace with inflation.  The School Advisory Board ("SAB") has also adopted an economic model that will allow our school to break-even when it achieves enrollment capacity, and it is promising to note that the lower grades are already at recommended capacity levels.

       The quality of education at Saint Mary School is remarkable and has recently scored in the top 10% of public and private schools in the United States in reading and math achievement.  Our school is currently being considered to be designated one of the top 50 schools in the nation.  We have made a sound investment in education here at St. Mary.

       In addition to its rigorous academic standards, Saint Mary School's daily instruction in traditional Catholic values makes it an important ministry within our Parish.

Q:  What happens to the money donated through the building fund envelopes ?

A:  The Building Fund (yellow envelopes) was initiated and designated for the sole purpose of building a new church.  These funds are therefore restricted for that use only, and should not be used for any other purposes without the permission of all who have contributed.

Q:  Has the Parish considered selling any of its rental properties?

A:  We have decided not to sell any of our rental properties listed below at this time.

       These properties were purchased between 1997 and 2004 to provide flexibility and options as our Parish developed an overall church strategy.  They are all currently being leased.  The real estate at 171 High Ridge has a mortgage that will be retired with the funds raised from this Capital Campaign.  Our Parish generates a net income from the rental of these properties of approximately $19,000 per year, after covering all related costs (maintenance, taxes, mortgage principal and interest.

       While it may appear feasible to sell one or more of these properties, any decision needs to be considered in the context of our Parish's overall facility requirements (additional parking, meeting space, potential expansion of the church etc.).  In addition, given the current depressed state of the real estate market, it would not appear that a sale would yield an optimal return at this time.