The Philipian, A Publication of St. Philip Neri Catholic Church — October 2021

OCTOBER 2021

the phi lipian

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F S T . P H I L I P N E R I C AT H O L I C C H U R C H

ST. PHILIP NERI CATHOLIC CHURCH

Stewardship Financial Review JULY 1, 2020 – JUNE 30, 2021

PRAYER TO ST. PHILIP NERI O holy St. Philip Neri, patron saint of joy, you who trusted Scripture’s promise that the Lord is always at hand and that we need not have anxiety about anything, in your compassion heal our worries and sorrows and lift the burdens f rom our hearts.

We come to you as one whose heart swells with abundant love for God and all creation.

Hear us we pray. Keep us safe through your loving intercession and may the joy of the Holy Spirit which f illed your heart, St. Philip, transform our lives and bring us peace.

Amen

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A Letter From Our Pastor

OUR ANNUAL STEWARDSHIP

Financial Report I

am pleased to present to you the Annual Stewardship Financial Report. This last fiscal year, the COVID-19 pandemic presented many challenges to our church and families. However, we know the one constant in our lives is God. He continues to provide for our needs, and we look to Him for the gifts He freely gives with His grace and guidance. I invite you to review our financial statements on the following pages with a spirit of gratitude and thankfulness as we are blessed

by God’s gifts.

Our Sunday offerings provide for 90 percent of our total parish income. These funds are used to support the parish administrative and operating activities, in addition to the support of our many ministries. With a budget shortfall of $103,081 in offertory collections, how did we continue to provide for these needs?

We did so in part with your continued support and generosity.

Many of our faith families who were unable to attend Mass found ways to continue their financial support. We saw an increase in online giving and many families chose to mail in their contributions. This allowed us to honor our commitment to:

want to thank you for your continued support of our parish mission with the gift of your time, talent and treasure. Your generosity is a witness to God’s love and His infinite gifts.

With much gratitude and thanksgiving,

Fr. Fabio Refosco, C.O.

 Tithe 10 percent of Sunday Collections to ministries and organizations  Support Catholic education  Provide for maintenance needs  Retain all staffing positions Credit must also be given to the parish staff.

Through their efforts, operating expenses were cut by 15 percent — $323,785.

Your generosity combined with the support of our staff, ministry leaders, and the delay of special property and facility projects enabled us to end the fiscal year with a net operating surplus of $314,771.

In addition, we were able to fund emergency needs through a generous bequest that allowed us to install an air purification system in the church providing for a safer, cleaner environment.

On behalf of the Pastoral and Finance Councils, I

“On behalf of the Pastoral and Finance Councils, I want to thank you for your continued support of our parish mission with the gift of your time, talent and treasure.”

— Fr. Fabio Refosco, C.O.

Our Parish Community:

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How We Engage in Ministry Formation and Education (2020-2021):

ven in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were blessed to welcome 191 families into our faith community this past year.

Today, we are a parish of over 2,770 registered families, and we continue to grow while we serve the needs of both our parish and our community through faith-filled actions, prayer service and fellowship. Here is how we engage in ministry, formation, and education.

Ministry (2020-2021):  Celebrating with 70 families as we welcome newborn and adult Catholics in our midst.  Uniting 13 couples with each other, and with the Lord, in the Sacrament of Marriage.  Praying with and comforting 33 grieving families as they commend their loved one into God’s care.  Forming 128 children and 165 teens with 12 catechists as they prepare to receive sacraments.  Walking with 12 adults on their journey of coming into full communion with the Church.

T I T H I N G AT

 Forming 391 children in K-6 Grade Religious Education. Due to the pandemic, this was an at-home program with parents serving as catechists.  Forming community among 116 middle schoolers in EDGE and 20 teens in Life Teen, with 16 EDGE Core Member volunteers and six Life Teen Core Member volunteers.  Nurturing the academic and social skills of 82 preschool children (3-year-olds and 4-yearolds) in our St. Philip Neri Child Development Center. Classes for the 2-year-olds were canceled due to COVID. To provide an alternative for in-person learning, the staff put together an at-home program in which six students and parents participated.  Providing 35 young adults with opportunities to be active in our faith community through spiritual, service and social activities.  Supporting 20 adults in their journey of faith through virtual adult Bible study programs.

ST. PHILIP NERI

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or where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” — Matthew 6:21 As Catholics, we are challenged to choose stewardship as a lifestyle based on our baptismal call. The Bible tells us that everything — yes, everything — is a gift from God and that we are called to be good stewards (managers), not owners, of the resources entrusted to us.

Tithing is one way we acknowledge God’s provision in our lives and exercise good management. St. Philip Neri Church is a tithing parish — 10 percent of our offertory collection is given to charitable causes. This is possible because of the generous financial gifts of our parishioners. For this, we are truly grateful.

For the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2021, St. Philip Neri Church’s tithing was in excess of $160,000. Here is a percentage breakdown of our parish tithing donations for the 2020/2021 fiscal year:

The application for tithing funds can be found on the parish website at saintphilipneri.org/ resources/forms.

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Opportunities For Giving

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our financial stewardship gifts are used to advance the mission of our parish. By contributing, you are providing for sacramental preparation, liturgical and Christian formation programs, and costs associated with day-to-day operations of the parish.

There are many ways to give financially to our parish including the following options.

Online Giving: A Quick and Easy Way to Give Online giving is an environmentally responsible choice that can simplify how you can make contributions to the church. You can make your contribution electronically by credit or debit card, or have it withdrawn directly from your bank account.  Consistent Collections — Helps minimize the fluctuations caused by vacations, illness, weather or when families simply forget their contribution.  Eliminate Writing Checks — Helps reduce or eliminate your need to write checks. A record of your electronic contribution will appear on bank or credit card statements.  Flexible Options — Specify donation amounts and how frequently it will occur; weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Offerings will be automatically withdrawn from your checking or savings account, debit, or credit card.  Changes Easily Made — Change donation amounts or cancel recurring contributions at any time.  Simple Enrollment — Go to www.saintphilip neri.org, click on the GIVING, Online Giving button.

If you have questions about online giving or wish to learn more, please contact parish bookkeeper Melissa DeLaO at 803-548-7282, ext. 228.

AT ST. PHILIP NERI

Online Auto Bill Pay Contributions are initiated by you through your personal banking bill-pay service. Please remember to reference your parishioner number and desired fund on the check.

Text-to-Give Manage your charitable giving straight from your smartphone to facilitate one-time or recurring donations. For more information, please contact parish bookkeeper Melissa DeLaO at 803-548-7282, ext. 228.

Offertory Envelopes Offertory envelopes are mailed to every registered household bi-monthly.

A Gift from IRA – Required Minimum Distribution If you are the owner of an Individual Retirement Account, IRA, age 70 ½ or over, making a gift through a qualified charitable distribution is an option worth considering. It’s a convenient and smart option to support the mission of the Church while providing the donor a real advantage at tax time as you owe no tax on the gift. For more information, please contact your tax or investment consultant.

Plan Today and Give Later A will or living trust is a thoughtful way to benefit your loved ones while giving you peace of mind that your estate is shared as you intended. You can also include St. Philip Neri in your will or living trust. A gift can take many forms and can provide you with many options. You can gift a specific sum of money, a percentage of your estate, stocks, or property.

Careful planning today can also provide comfort and lessens the burden of your loved ones during what can be a very difficult time.

Tax or legal information provided is not interned as tax or legal advice. Always contact your legal, tax or financial advisor to assist with your giving plans.

St. Philip Neri

Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID City, ST Permit #

C AT H O L I C C H U R C H 292 Munn Road East Fort Mill, SC 29715 803.548.7282 saintphilipneri.org

LIVING A

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Life of Stewardship

iving out the Gospel value of stewardship as a disciple means sharing your time, talents and treasures. Why? Because everything we have to share is from God, and it is all meant for sharing.

In Baptism, we were called to the common priesthood of Jesus Christ — showing Christ’s presence in the world, we were called to be a prophet, Gavin Miller’s youth stewardship example — given in gratitude to help those in Haiti. and to serve others lovingly. In Confirmation, we receive the power to live this call by the gift every opportunity to show God’s love through our of the Holy Spirit. The Eucharist sustains us random acts of kindness. Share our time. Share and gives us the strength to respond to this call our talent. Share our treasure as Gavin Smith did even when we don’t feel like responding! with the monies that he received from his Holy To live a life of stewardship, we need to seize Communion to help the poor.