Good morning, everyone.
As a member of the Parish Management and Finance Committee, I'd like to take a few moments to talk about something that affects us all — the future of our parish.
As many of you
know, our church is facing some serious financial challenges, and
unfortunately, the list of repairs and expenses continues to grow. Our biggest concern at present is the
subsidence affecting the sacristy and boiler room. Unfortunately, the loss
adjusters are refusing to cover the repairs, leaving our parish facing a bill
of over £50,000. And that's just the
beginning.
We have cracks
appearing in the church walls, doors that need repainting, a boiler requiring
attention, and the Mazenod building needing decorating and new carpets. Then there are the everyday running costs —
PAT testing, gutter clearing, emergency lighting, boiler checks, electricity,
gas, church candles, cloths, Communion wine and hosts
On top of all
this, we've had to pay for safety fencing and pedestrian barriers during the
subsidence investigation, costing approximately £432 every month. As you can imagine, it all adds up very
quickly.
The reality is
that our weekly collections are simply not bringing in enough money to cover
the costs of running and maintaining our parish, let alone these major repairs.
Our Social
Committee works extremely hard organising coffee mornings, raffles, plant sales
and other fundraising activities. But these events take time and effort, and
without the support of our parishioners, they cannot raise the money we
desperately need.
And this is where we're asking for your help. We fully understand that times are difficult financially, and nobody is being asked to give more than they can afford.
But perhaps you
could consider increasing your weekly offering, even by a small amount, signing
up for Gift Aid, attending a coffee morning, buying a raffle ticket or simply
supporting one of our fundraising events.
Because if
everyone leaves it to somebody else, who will be left to support our church?
Our church is more
than just a building. It's where we've celebrated baptisms, weddings and other
special occasions, where we've said goodbye to loved ones, and where we come
together each week as a community of faith.
We all want it to
remain here for future generations, but that won't happen without the care and
support it needs today.
We cannot expect a
small group of volunteers and committee members to carry this responsibility
alone. This is our parish, and we all have a part to play.
If you have any
questions, would like to offer your support or want to know more about the
financial challenges we're facing, please speak to our parish secretary,
Maria. (Parish Office Tel: 0117 9498743
Email: bristol.ourladyoflourdes@cliftondiocese.com)
Finally, thank you
to everyone who already contributes, volunteers and supports our fundraising
efforts. Your generosity really does make a difference.
I'd like to leave
you with one thought:
Our church has
been here for us through so many important moments in our lives. Now it's our
turn to be there for our church.