A reminder that we will be voting on the new Saturday evening Mass times and location. Here is the information on why and what we will vote on.

This is the full transcript of what was presented at all the Masses last weekend. I do know that many people will be concerned as if the Diocese will close down St Mary Church. At this time I have had no mention of this by the Diocese of Rockford.

We always give thanks to God for all the graces He has bestowed upon us. I am always grateful for the roof over our heads, the food we eat and the families and friends that support us. I also pray for those who go without the blessings we have. How blessed we are!

At the same time, we have to look at the financial difficulties in our parishes. Most Catholics in town know about the debt that St Mary Church has sustained. St Joseph thanks God for the generosity of others who have gone before us. Still, neither Church has been able to pay the bills for the simple operation of these parishes. Last January St Mary Church started the debt elimination campaign. We started with about $237,000 of debt. We are currently at about $300,000 of debt. This debt that has built up has been mostly due to the unpaid bills of the years past. We need to cut our costs.

In the pew survey last January, it was suggested a couple times to combine the Saturday evening Masses. It was something to think about. Since realizing the debt rate, we should really consider this option more seriously. It would cut the heating, air conditioning and lighting costs. This will not cure all of the financial woes, but can do its part in slowing down the rate of the debt.

How we should implement going from two Masses to one Mass is yet to be discerned. These are some options we could consider:

• First, what time do we want the Mass to be: 4pm, 4:30pm or 5pm?
• Second, the rotation of location: Should we switch from St Mary Church to St Joseph on a A) weekly basis, B) Monthly Basis, C) Seasonal (which would be summer at St Mary and winter at St Joseph), or D) keep it at a specific location (which would mean it would remain at St Joseph Church year-round since St Joseph is not going into debt).

We will be voting on this as a community on the weekend of December 17th. Please consider these options and pray about them. Having to cut costs is never a fun thing, but at times it is necessary. I would appreciate your help in discerning the best option available for our communities.

Voting sheets will go out to all adults in the pews. Implementation would begin January 7.