Successful Retreat for Business
Managers, Jacklin Retires
The
annual Rockford Diocese Parish Business Managers Retreat occurred this year
from April 8-10 at Cardinal Stritch Retreat Center in Mundelein, IL.
Jonathan Foster, OFM, of Mayslake Ministries conducted the retreat. The
group bade a sad farewell to Carol Jacklin (second row center) who is retiring this April 30th
after 39 years of service at St. Peter Parish, Geneva as the former business
manager and currently as part-time facilities manager. The group presented
Carol with a beautiful bouquet of roses and invited her back to next year’s
retreat. Carol was business manager who advocated for the development of the
Parish Business Managers’ Support Group in 1989. All wished Carol many happy
years of retirement!
Upcoming Estate Planning Seminars Around
the Diocese
We encourage you to promote
Wills to your parishioners. This is the best way to get them thinking of
providing for their families: biological and Church... Here are the
upcoming seminars:
-
April 13, Sunday, 1:30pm - St.
Thomas More, Elgin
-
April 20, Sunday, 11:45am - St.
Thomas Aquinas, Freeport
-
October 8, Wednesday,
7:00pm - St. Catherine of Genoa, Genoa
-
November 10, Monday,
Time TBA - Sacred Heart, Marengo
Mark your calendars and
plan to attend the
2008 International Catholic
Stewardship Conference
October 12 – 15, 2008
Chicago, Illinois
Download notice by
clicking here
Parish Stewardship
Materials Available
Each parish
should have received materials to help promote giving to the parish. These materials are also available here on the web site. We encourage
you to use these resources.
Planned Giving Tips
& eNewsletters
Click here to go to Archive Index
Editor’s Note: Below is a
letter received from Father William Schuessler. Father Schuessler is a
priest of the Rockford Diocese currently assigned to the Diocese of
Chulucanas, Peru. The South American diocese covers approximately 14,000
square miles. A third is coastal desert and the other two-thirds are in the
Andes Mountains, extending from 3,000 to 11,000 feet above sea level. There
are 17 parishes (a geographic designation similar to our deaneries), each of
which has anywhere from 50 to 130 villages within its jurisdiction. There
are 20 diocesan priests, six Augustinian priests, 55 religious sisters and
one deacon. The total population of the diocese is estimated at 450,000.
Ninety percent are Catholic. He has been in service to the missions there
since 2004.
Greetings from
wet Peru!
Dear
Friends,
It has been too long since I have written you. You are always in my thoughts
and prayers. I hope you are having a Happy Easter. Remember, Easter lasts
until Pentecost. You already know that. Because Easter is so early this
year, Lent fell in the middle of summer vacation time.
We have had torrential rains since around Christmas. They have been a
blessing, since there has not been any serious rain for about 5 or 6 years.
Wells were drying up and fields barren, and there was no real pasture for
animals. Now everything is as green as northern Illinois in springtime.
Animals have fattened up and farmers have been able to plant and harvest.
There are some crops that have two harvests per year since we really never
have winter. Wells are full as are the rivers and steams that had completely
dried up.
The downside is that there has been so much rain that there has been
flooding and much damage. We are without light, and thus Internet, as often
as not, which is why I have not been able to write.
Because it has not rained for so many years, people's roofs had deteriorated
causing serious leaking. Walls of poor adobe houses have collapsed. Many
people have respiratory illnesses because their houses are so damp. Bridges
have been closed for fear that they will collapse because of the raging
rivers which often nearly reach the pavement. That hinders travel and
isolates towns and villages. Roads in the hills have become almost
impassible and dangerous. Some have been washed away, again, leaving people
isolated and without access to necessary supplies. There have been many
accidents and deaths because of the poor conditions of the roads.
I am in Lima, and so have access to the Internet. I have a new job. I am now
director of our diocesan radio station, "Radio Emmanuel---La Voz de
Esperanza"....Radio Emmanuel---The Voice of Hope. I am in Lima to make
arrangements to connect with what is for all purposes the national Catholic
radio
station,
"Radio Maria" in order to retransmit some of their excellent programming;
material that we could never produce here with our limited resources. I have
to say that I am having a good time with the radio. I also have much to
learn.
This has been an e-mail in process. It has taken about 3 weeks to get it
together because of our light and Internet problems. I am going to try to
attach a picture of you know who in the middle of the river going on a sick
call in the boonies. Yes, the water got deeper. Also a picture of my godson
and his little brother and sister that he is raising thanks to your prayers
and generosity. They are tremendously grateful for this help and often tell
me to thanks those good people who are helping them
Hope to see at least some of you toward the end of May. I will be back there
from about May 23 until June 13. I am looking forward to participating on
the ordination as permanent deacon of Policarpo Jimenez from St. Monica's.
May God bless and keep you all.
In His love,
Fr. Bill
United in Faith Campaign Update
As of December 31, 2007
The United in Faith Campaign
is in its sixth year of pledge redemption. For most donors, this Campaign is
complete. If you have not completed your pledge we encourage you to continue to make regular payments.
Below are the results as of December 31, 2007:
$5,500,000 was allocated for Diocesan Stewardship
2001
$4,475,125 to Parishes in rebates
$6,934,050 to Catholic Schools Endowment
$6,985,722 to Seminarian Education Endowment
$3,467,025 to Religious Education and Youth Ministry
Endowment
$3,034,766 to Needy Parishes and Schools Endowment
$2,139,009 to Diocesan Priests Retirement Pension Endowment
(Campaign Expenses and Reimbursements to
3 Parishes which conducted approved capital campaigns as part of the United
in Faith Campaign complete the financial picture.)
The United in Faith President
Appointed Committee (PAC) made the following distribution of earnings decisions at
their August 28, 2007 Annual Meeting.
$2,309,973 has been distributed to the recipients of the United in Faith
Endowments during September 2007 as follows:
-
$709,546: to all Catholic
elementary and High Schools on a per student basis
-
$354,773: to all Parish
Religious Education & Youth Ministry Programs on a per student basis
-
$311,726: to 23 poor parishes
and schools for special projects
-
$715,047: to assist with
seminarian education program
-
$218,881: to assist the Diocesan
Priests Pension Program
$819,136 is being returned
to the Corpus as a hedge against inflation.
$2,244,933 is being held in
Retained Earnings for future contingencies.
$5,190,628 has been awarded to the case
recipients since distributions began in 2003!
Those who benefit from the UIF endowments are
deeply appreciative of your sacrifices and generosity. Thank you.
