St. Mary’s Annual Report

Notes on the Fiscal Year 2023 Financial Report

Fiscal year (FY) 2023 was the first “normal” year since Father Collins was assigned to the parish. The FY 2020 through 2022 financial statements were directly impacted by the pandemic through less in-person Mass attendance, limited ministry activity and government grants and reimbursement programs that were very unusual in nature.

The generosity of our parishioners made FY 2023 a great financial success! The financial report shows net receipts over expenditures in the amount of $344,508. Although total receipts decreased $83,155, the difference is due to a bequest of $489,539 received in FY 2022. A bequest is an uncommon event that cannot be counted on as a regular source of income. Regarding expenditures, most of the increase was in the plant and parish operations category which increased from $218,600 to $621,855. This increase was anticipated and planned as there were many capital projects and improvements made on the campus. The approximate cost of major projects and repair costs are identified in the below narrative.

We engaged Rothe Architecture and Planning to develop a master plan for the future vision of our campus at a cost of $20,000. This plan was available for review and discussion at a parish forum and will serve as the blueprint for our future growth.

At the church, the addition of restrooms, a kitchen and appliances, janitor’s closet and storage on the lower-level cost $312,000, mostly paid by Home Campaign funds from our savings account. The stage and projection screen received a facelift at a cost of $6,900. A new sound and projection system for use by all ministries was installed at a cost of $5,200, which was funded in part by the “I Give Catholic” campaign.

On the outside the church, the labyrinth was repaired at a cost of $13,100. A major repair was made to the church’s 30-ton air conditioning unit at a cost of $9,200. The entire Johnson City community enjoys the extraordinary Our Lady of Guadalupe display on the edge of our campus. The project is not yet complete and has a to date cost of $15,000.

At the school, the soffit was repaired at a cost of $73,000. Other improvements at the school include HVAC repairs of $15,400 and guttering replacement at a cost of $6,800.

Repairs for the rectory totaled $11,500.

It is significant to note that these projects and repairs have been completed using our savings and operational funds WITHOUT incurring debt. Please pray that we continue to be good stewards of our gifts and use them to bless our parish and those we help and serve.

Parish Statistics Church

Capital Improvement Challenges and Future Projects

What a difference a year makes! When you look around our campus, there were significant improvements made in FY 2023 that make our buildings and property more useful, productive and beautiful.

Our campus buildings are aging. The school and rectory were built in 1991 and the church in 2000. The buildings and their supporting systems are approaching or exceeding their average useful life and significant repairs or replacement is necessary.

Undertaking a capital project or major improvement on our property is no minor feat. Every endeavor is reviewed to determine if adequate financial resources are available. Many projects are required to follow city and state codes. For projects that exceed a certain dollar amount, we must comply with diocese regulations which entail extensive paperwork for upfront approval of a project.

Once approved, there are rigorous requirements potential contractors must meet before they can begin to work on diocese property. We have discovered that many area contractors are not used to these strict prerequisites and therefore choose not to submit bids for our contracts, resulting in a smaller number of contractors competing for our projects.

Some parishioners have expressed concern that certain projects could have been completed in a less expensive manner if we had used a cheaper contractor, ignored city regulations or used unpaid volunteers instead of paid workers. Although these statements may be true, we must comply with diocese and government regulations for safety reasons.

We are very fortunate to have volunteers who are ready and willing to assist whenever and wherever needed. Our parish greatly benefits from the Tuesday work crew and other dedicated volunteer groups who lend their time and talent to tend to the maintenance and repair of our assets. However, we recognize our larger projects could not be orchestrated and completed in a timely manner based solely on the work of volunteers.

Since the pandemic, there have been significant increases in the cost of materials and labor. These challenges, along with the difficulty in finding a qualified contractor who can meet the diocese requirements, cause our projects to cost more and take longer to complete.

In FY 2024, we have grand plans for more projects and capital improvements. The first undertaking was the concrete replacement around church entrances in July 2024 at a cost of approximately $71,000.

The architect has drawn up plans for phase II in lower-level of the church. The plans expand the food pantry, build flexible spaces that can be used as classrooms or conference rooms, create storage spaces for various ministries and improve the open space. The plans will be submitted to the city for review and then prepared to enter the bidding process.

Our quest to further develop our buildings to fit the needs of our parish is ongoing and will need continued generous financial donations from our parishioners, steadfast work of our employees and the dedicated commitment of our volunteers. Please pray for our continued success.

St. Mary’s Catholic School : Anchored in Love since 1911

The past year has been a time of great growth and success for St. Mary’s Catholic School. We are proud to have accomplished many new things, including launching our first volleyball team for grades 4 through 8. The team had a successful season, winning several games and making it to the playoffs. We also hosted our first cross country meet on our beautiful campus. The meet was a great success, with over 100 students from our school and neighboring schools participating.

We incorporated a Spanish class for Kindergarten through 8th grade. The Spanish class has been a popular addition to our curriculum, and students are enjoying learning about the Spanish language and culture.

Having our 8th graders research Tennessee veterans who fought in the Vietnam War and then find their veteran on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. was a memorable eveny! This was a meaningful project for the students, and they learned a lot about the Vietnam War and the sacrifices that veterans made.

Mrs. Michelle Morgan added an English Language Learners (ELL) endorsement to her licensure after studying at Notre Dame University. Mrs. Morgan is a valuable asset to our school, and she is helping our ELL students succeed.

We started a visiting program with our neighbors at The Courtyards assisted living facility. Our middle school students have been visiting The Courtyards during the holidays to sing and bring gifts to the residents. This has been a rewarding experience for both the students and the residents.

These accomplishments have had a positive impact on our students in a number of ways. The volleyball team has given students the opportunity to learn a new sport and develop their teamwork skills. The cross country meet has helped students stay active and healthy. The Spanish class has given students the opportunity to learn about another language and culture. The project on the Vietnam War helps students learn about history and the sacrifices that veterans made. Mrs. Morgan is a great teacher who is helping our ELL students succeed. The visiting program with The Courtyards has given students the opportunity to give back to their community and connect with older adults.

These accomplishments have also had a positive impact on our community. The volleyball team has brought our school together and given us a sense of pride. The cross country meet has brought our community together and given us a chance to celebrate our students’ accomplishments. The Spanish class has helped to promote diversity and understanding in our community. The project on the Vietnam War has helped to honor our veterans and teach our students about history. The visiting program with The Courtyards has helped to connect our school with the community and make a difference in the lives of older adults.

We are proud of all that we have accomplished this year. We are grateful to our students, staff, and community for their support. We look forward to continuing to grow and succeed in the years to come.

Our Ministries and Outreach Programs

St. Mary’s has a cadre of individuals who are dedicated and supportive of our many ministries. The school, children’s faith formation and youth ministry are headed by devout and enthusiastic leaders who teach our youth how to lead a Christ-centered life. There are numerous opportunities for adults to grow and increase their knowledge of the Catholic faith through group prayer, book and Bible studies (both in person and on-line) and other church centered activities that promote community.

In addition to sustaining our parish, we have ministries which assist our neighbors in need in the larger community.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) is a worldwide ministry that has been active at our parish for more than 30 years. In FY 2023, our SVDP was awarded a $5,000 grant from the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund, a $2,000 Good Shepherd grant as well as $64,327 in donations from parishioners. The SVDP volunteers exercise care and compassion as they listen to the needs of the parishioners and non-parishioners and provide direct financial assistance for daily living expenses such as rent, utilities, medicine and gasoline.

Our food pantry serves the needy in our community through financial support and food donations from our parishioners. The pantry also partners with outside entities including Second Harvest, Food Lion and Eden Vista Farms to receive meat, fresh produce, bakery and non-perishable food. The food is distributed to 150 families who utilize our drive through service on the first and third Saturday of each month; a low-income senior citizen housing community; ETSU international students and a local homeless shelter. In FY 2023, Food Lion donated nearly 16,000 pounds of produce, $6,000 in supplies and equipment to the pantry and more than $3,500 in gift cards for use by our clients.

For the past 18 years, the Twinning Program has provided financial support to purchase equipment and supplies for the Visitation Clinic located in Petite Riviere de Nippes, Haiti. The funds are raised through second collection envelopes and JPIC coffee sales. The clinic is in a very rural area and provides health care to area residents who could otherwise not afford treatment.

The generosity of our parishioners is felt in our local area and throughout the world!