Financial Report of Good Shepherd, Pendleton and Good Shepherd - St. Augustine Campus, Clarence Center

Fiscal Year September 1, 2023, thru August 31, 2024

Good Shepherd Parish is blessed with parishioners who give of their time, talent and treasure. Our Parish Financial Report is presented to you with gratitude and appreciation for your support this past year.

Total receipts decreased $44,655.68 this year for a total of $420,251.63, compared to $464,907.31 in FY 2022-23. Likewise, offertory receipts decreased this fiscal year from $308,329.56 to $275,974.19 (a decrease of $32,355.37). The offertory receipts have decreased significantly since 2020 when COVID reduced Mass attendance, and some parishioners stopped contributing on a regular basis. This decrease in contributions to the church precipitated the letter that went out in early January 2025 asking everyone to prayerfully consider increasing their donations to Good Shepherd Church.

On a positive note, the parish received $40,713.10 in COVID retention credits for FY 2023-24 and a total of $39,460 was donated by a number of parishioners for carpet replacement and paving of the rectory driveway and part of the driveway at the school building. These monies helped us to end the year with an operating surplus. Additionally, a debt of gratitude goes to the anonymous parishioners who donate their time and money to take care of lawn maintenance at Good Shepherd, Pendleton, Good Shepherd Cemetery and Good Shepherd, St. Augustine Campus. In prior years, the cost of maintaining the grass at both sites as well as the cemetery have been in excess of $35,000.

Improvements undertaken in the past fiscal year include:

• Replacement of roof cap, dishwasher and garage door opener at St. Augustine rectory
• Mold testing and remediation at St. Augustine rectory
• Brick repairs to the Pendleton church
• Electrical work at the Pendleton campus
• Purchase of humidifiers for the parish hall at Pendleton
• Repair of entrance door of former school building at Pendleton

There were several successful fundraisers (included in "Other Auxiliary Income" on the Parish Financial Report) this past fiscal year including:

• 2023 Christmas Ham dinner & Raffle - $14,519.43
• 2024 St. Patrick's Dinner - $745.02
• 2024 Spring Raffle - $10,281.46
• 2024 SummerFest - $22,701.06

We have started the 2024-25 fiscal year in a deficit as a result of paying $52,206 in October 2024 for carpet replacement and paving at Pendleton, while the donations for these projects were received and reported in FY 2023-24. In addition, we will not be receiving any more COVID retention credits ($40,713.10) in FY 2023-24). We are budgeting a reduction in parish expenditures for fiscal year 2024-25 as we continue to monitor all line items and reduce expenses under our control. In order to balance our FY 2024-25 budget, the need to increase our revenue is necessary in order to break even and demonstrate that we are a vibrant parish.

If you are interested in increasing your support for Good Shepherd Church but are hesitant due to the bankruptcy proceedings of the Diocese, please contact Margaret in the Parish Office at 716-625-8594 to discuss some other options of ways you can help your Church:

• "Donor Directed donations" for a specific item for the parish
• If you are 70-1/2 years of age or older, you may be interested in setting up a Qualified Charitable Distribution QCD) directly through your IRA to the parish as it has advantages to the parish and to you. "CLICK HERE" for advantages to you personally)
• Donations to our Permanent Cemetery Maintenance Fund are needed to ensure that Good Shepherd Cemetery will have a dedicated fund for the operation of our Cemetery into perpetuity

And, as always, we are in need of your talents in so many ways from serving in a liturgical capacity at Mass (ie: altar server, lector, Eucharistic Minister of Communion, usher), office help, decorating and taking down decorations in the Church for holidays, helping with our social events in the kitchen or set up the hall, baking, donating items for theme baskets, raking, shoveling or picking up when needed as well as keeping Good Shepherd Church in your prayers. If you have a special talent or are interested in helping at your parish in any please contact the Parish Office at 716-6258594.

Let us continue to pray for healing in our Church and for continued remembrance of St. Augustine Church, both now and after its closure on May 18, 2025. We need your assistance in bring people back to the Church pews and your encouragement for the young people that they come to understand the importance of their faith. Please invite family members, neighbors and friends and let them know what a great parish community we have here at Good Shepherd!