Finance Council Rises to the Unique Challenges of Pandemic
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n the midst of the many ministries and activities that keep our parish bustling, there is one group that helps to maximize the temporal works we are able to accomplish here at St. Benedict — the parish Finance Council. This council draws on the talents of participating parishioners to help steward our financial treasure in the best possible way. This year, with churches closed for a time and many parish activities curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our Finance Council was called to rise to the challenge of continuing to manage our parish finances amid a global crisis. Throughout the church closure, our Finance Council continued to hold meetings virtually as they kept a close eye on the delicate balance between financial giving and the projected parish budget. “When the pandemic hit and Masses were shut down, giving came to a halt,” says Finance Council Chair Steve Titzer. “For the first several weeks, the giving was way off. Of course, we were trying to create momentum by talking with people, and Father was making some requests over the Internet in communication with people. We encouraged online giving and really had an increase in that. Then a few weeks later, we had another spike in giving.” One thing that helped our parish weather the pandemic was the Finance Council’s effort back in February to introduce parishioners to online giving.
By signing up to make regular online contributions to the church, parishioners are able to keep their giving steady, even on weekends they may be away for vacation or home sick from Mass. Between the many parishioners who signed up for electronic giving in February and those who did so during the pandemic, our parish was able to continue receiving valuable financial support. “We are still running behind where we want to be in giving for the year, but the stewardship philosophy and culture we are trying to create is definitely catching on,” Steve says. “We have had a lot of people sign up for electronic giving, and that has really helped.” Early in the church closure, the Finance Council also helped the parish apply for a federal loan through the PPP — Paycheck Protection Program — for small businesses. After an intense application process, St. Benedict was granted the funds, allowing the parish to bring back employees that had been furloughed. The past months have seen a constant analysis of our parish finances and budget as our Finance Council sought to provide Fr. Godfrey with their advice and support. “I felt the most important part of my role as the Chair of the Finance Council was keeping the committee informed as we worked through things, continued on back cover
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