A STATUS REPORT FROM THE BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR
Where are we?
For the past nine months, in preparation for the Lord Renew Your Church campaign beginning in January 2027, many people have selflessly contributed to what has become known as the “Thursday Night Dinner.”
These dinners have had a simple purpose: to listen. To hear what parishioners want to share, what they want to talk about, and what questions they are asking. The goal has been not just to listen, but to understand what is on people’s minds.
One theme continues to come up: communication.
It is clear that parishioners want more communication—not only about what is happening, but why. Questions such as:
“Why did the school shut down?”
“Where are we really at financially?”
“What is going to happen to St. Clement?”
“Where is all our money going?”
So, let’s begin.
I serve as the Business Administrator for all three campuses of Holy Cross, and I work with our financial data every day. With that in mind, I want to make a clear commitment: everything I share—whether in person or in writing—will reflect what I believe to be true, based on the numbers we are working with daily.
You may have noticed that we recently changed how financial information is reported in the bulletin. There are two important reasons for this:
Quarterly reporting provides a more accurate picture. Each quarter has the same number of days and weekends, making comparisons more meaningful when evaluating whether donations are increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable.
The previous weekly reporting method only showed part of the story. It compared actual donations received to what was estimated that parishioners would give. In other words, it measured performance against a goal—but it did not include expenses.
This led to an unintended result.
Week after week, the bulletin showed that we were meeting or approaching our goal—and we were. However, this understandably gave the impression that we were financially stable.
What it did not show was whether those donations were sufficient to cover our actual expenses. When you include expenses in the picture, the situation looks different. Before assumptions are made, let me be clear: nothing in the previous approach was done with ill intent or to mislead. It is a common method used in many Catholic parishes even today. In the coming weeks, I will provide a clearer and more complete picture of our financial position. This will include:
How we compare to other parishes in our Archdiocese
Where we are doing well
Where we need to improve:
To give you an initial point of reference:
According to a 2025 report from Emmaus Partners, an external firm engaged by the Archdiocese, average annual giving per household for a parish our size is:
Holy Cross: $729 Diocesan Average: $1,025
~John Gendreau, Business Administrator