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.

Fellow Parishioners:

Saint Luke concluded our fiscal year on August 31, 2018. We ended the year on a strong financial footing with a balanced financial year, due to your continued generous support.  Our Parish remains a healthy and vibrant community with strong attendance at mass, active engagement in our incredible 32+ ministries and a large number of students enrolled in our Faith Formation Program.  Thank you!
 
The Parish ended the year with a modest surplus; however, our weekly collections were down 3.8% despite a $25,326 donation to the 2017 Perfect Storm Collection.  Nevertheless, we were able to balance our budget because we received a generous one time donation and by aggressively managing expenses.  Total expenses were down by 1.7%.  Moreover, St. Luke ended fiscal year 2018 with one month of operating capital in our checking account and an adequate Rainy-Day fund.  Only one outstanding liability exists, an unfunded retirement plan liability totaling an estimated $70,500.  We have aggressively managed this liability and have paid off $12,500 of that liability this fiscal year.
 
As a Parish we are committed to sharing the first 10% of our collections with those in need through our Sharing First program.  This year our donations amounted to $78,189.  We have proudly and successfully assisted National programs, Worcester based programs, Westborough based programs and overseas Missions. 
 
Your continued generosity, especially through the embrace of our electronic giving options, have become the foundation of our Parish's financial well-being.  However, electronic giving increased only 1% to a total of 35% of our total collections for the fiscal year.  Increasing the number of parishioners who participate in our electronic giving program will significantly help improve our financial health.  If you are not using this program, we ask that you consider doing so.  Please call the Rectory and ask for Linda Underwood, our bookkeeper. She can explain the options to you privately. 
 
Finally, the Parish has a backlog of significant repair and maintenance issues.  We need to renovate our Church Tower and Church bells due to normal aging and weathering.  Also, St Luke should consider the need to paint our Church among other sprucing up.  The Rectory, too, needs repairs and modernization.
 
In summary: Saint Luke is in excellent financial shape.  However, there are some repair and maintenance issues that need to be addressed soon.  Thank you again for your continuing support of our Parish. 

Below is a fiancial statement showing our past 2 years of actual income and expenses and our current budget year.
 
With Christ’s Blessings,
Saint Luke the Evangelist Finance Committee