Parish Finances

Prayer with fasting is good. Almsgiving with righteousness is better than wealth with wickedness. It is better to give alms than to store up gold, for almsgiving saves from death, and purges all sin. Those who give alms will enjoy a full life.

Tobit 12:8-9).

For most Catholics, opportunities for giving begin in their parish and diocese.  Diocesan and parish stewardship programs help individuals, families and  communities better understand why, in the context of a total commitment to stewardship that is planned, proportionate, and sacrificial, it is important to set goals for giving. 

We must consider prayerfully the gifts they have received from God, and then make a decision (in advance from the "first fruits" instead of what is left over after obligations have been met) about what will be given.

Please visit our A Generous Way of Life webpage for examples of how your financial support helps us live out the Gospel message.

• Envelopes - Stop in at the parish office or contact the Parish Secretary via email. 

• Online Electronic Payment - You may made your donation via periodic Credit Card or Bank Transfers (checking account). Please click here to go to the We Share service to signup.

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Fellow Parishioners:

Saint Luke’s concluded our fiscal year on August 31, 2022, on a moderately strong financial footing.

While we ended this past fiscal year with only a modest deficit of $1,285, overall, the two-and-one-half-year pandemic has challenged us financially – especially as one considers the significant backlog of maintenance we are confronting.

During the pandemic, St. Luke’s was granted a forgivable loan from the Small Business Association’s Paycheck Protection Program that helped by covering certain expenses. Further, we participated in 2020’s Legacy of Hope capital giving program that returned $0.40 for every dollar pledged to Saint Luke’s. Unfortunately, the Legacy of Hope program only garnered about half of the donations we hoped for to cover the major maintenance bills we are facing.
We have replaced the leaking, 30+-year-old roof on the Parish Center, and are currently renovating our Church steeple which has major structural problems and leaks caused by our New England weather. We have recently contracted for structural repairs to the water-damaged 50+-year-old rectory building; and are further upgrading the cybersecurity of our parish’s digital networks, records, and computer systems because churches like ours, believe it or not, are a major cyber target for hackers worldwide. Finally, our priests’ vestments, used daily to serve mass, are almost two-decades-old, and no longer serviceable; replacements are being ordered.
Rest assured that due to your consistent generosity, our Rainy Day Fund has reserves to cover these necessary investments; however, it will be reduced to less than a 90-day emergency fund – a less-than-ideal situation.  

Your continued generosity, especially through electronic giving, is the foundation of our Parish's financial well-being. If you are not already doing so, please consider enrolling in electronic giving as it helps us more effectively manage our parish finances. Please click here to go to the We Share website and sign-up or email our bookkeeper, Linda Underwood, at [email protected] She will explain the options to you.

Finally, please consider making a one-time special gift as we celebrate the holy day of our parish’s patron saint, St Luke the Evangelist either by utilizing the envelopes in the pews, or the We Share website. Your contributions and commitment, particularly your significant response during these trying past two-and-one-half years, helps provide a warm and embracing community in which we celebrate our faith. Thank you for living a generous way of life.  

With Christ’s Blessings,
Saint Luke the Evangelist Finance Committee