DATA, DATA, DATA
Have you ever heard the saying, that to a person with a hammer, everything looks like a nail? I sometimes feel that way with regard to requests for data. That is, to a person with a computer, everything looks like data. Such is our modern world.
For example, we fill out a Parish Survey every October. We send that data to the Archdiocese. Much of it is compiled and sent on to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
Part of the survey asks for basic contact info, such as staff members. Another part asks for counts of Mass attendees during the month of October.
For me, one of the most interesting sections asked for numbers. Here are some of ours:
- Registered Parishioners: 1285*
- Registered Households: 549*
- Baptisms during the past year: 29
- First Eucharist: 24
- Confirmations: 24
- Marriages: 1
- Funerals: 33
*I take these numbers with a few grains of salt. Some of our active community members aren’t registered. In addition, some registered folks are no longer active here. Please notify us if change addresses or parishes.
I was pleased to see that we’ve had dozens of recipients of one or more sacraments of initiation this past year, i.e., Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. They lead to opportunities to engage with new members and families, offering hospitality and support.
By the way, other reports due this time of year include the Annual Parish Financial Report (APFR) we submit to the Archdiocese. I’m grateful to our accounting people at PASC (Parish Accounting Service Center), who take care of that report for us.
There’s also an annual Representation Letter, confirming to the Archbishop that we provide an annual Financial Report to parishioners, that we have a Finance Council that meets regularly, and that we discuss our budget and monthly financial reports.
Thank you for your support, and have a great week!
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