As an email forwarded to me this morning declares: “Math is cool!” And as a former Math major there are few things that warm the cockles of my heart as much as being able to repeat in this space the highlights of the brief end-of-fiscal-year report that we sent to all Newman’s parish members at the start of July. While a fuller accounting of “the year that was” will be included with the materials for Membership Renewal in September, in brief let me say the members of the Finance Council and I are thrilled with the generosity you’ve shown the parish the past twelve months. Even in the face of national financial unsteadiness and your ongoing commitments to our renovation fundraising, your regular giving to parish business has been steady. Overall Sunday collections for 2007-2008 were just a freckle ahead of last year, but that was enough to allow us to end the year current with all our bills, and transfer $82,000 to our building fund cookie jar. At the same time, you contributed an additional $524,966 directly to our Building on Good Faith effort, so as of June 30 the renovation checkbook stood at $1,671,688, more than sufficient to start work.

And speaking of that, invitations for bids on Phase One of our renovation went out last week, so next we must wait to see what the trades people of the area think is fair for undertaking the work we’re asking them to tackle. We will open bids in a couple of weeks, so in the meantime keep your fingers crossed that our estimates will be close to how the bids come in. If not, a little more tweaking of our hopes may be necessary. We have a meeting with Bishop Jerome for his Seal of Approval scheduled for August 13. If all goes well, this work addressing the front and back entrances and most of the offices will start late in August. Somewhere before that date, we will offer a couple meetings so you can see how things will look … and hear what adjustments we will have to make while being “under construction” for the next six or seven months. The starting date for Phase Two of the plan (our Chapel itself) will be a function of how well we continue to do in the fund raising department versus the rate of inflation. These are exciting times. In the meantime, thank you, thank you, and thank you for your generosity, and the hard work of the Renovation Committee to bring us to this point.

And while I spoke of “keeping your fingers crossed” in the prior paragraph, heck …let’s do better than that, and add some prayer. Below you will find a copy of the text that we composed for the start of this effort two years ago. Now It’s time to wear this baby out as we call on God (and remind ourselves) what this is all about … and how all the strain and stress won’t matter much if we forget what our mission to the campus is about.

Building on a Prayer

Lord God, we thank you for your Loving Kindness and your Word of Life.   We are grateful for those who came before us, who founded our campus ministry and, later, this campus parish.  Building on their good faith, renew us now, that we might be your Catholic presence at the University of Wisconsin—La Crosse and Western Technical College.  Guide our efforts as we plan the future of Roncalli Newman.  May this work of brick and wood and metal and money make a sheltering place fit for students to pray, seek counsel, and find fellowship.  May it bring others to You … and deepen the faith of those who are already here.  Help us overcome our hesitancy and fear.  May students and members forty years from now have reason to look back and be encouraged by what we have done, for You, who are our strength, have promised to be their strength as well.

+Amen