St. Mary Our Lady of the Rosary

Dear Parishioners,
As you could see from last week’s parish bulletin, our parish is presently facing a $45,000 deficit.  The Finance  Council has made its recommendation, which is to cut full-time staff positions and replace them with part-time positions.  At this point, I am not willing to act on their recommendation without  trying something else first, and that “something else” is fundraising.

This past Monday evening, our parish Pastoral Council heard of the situation and is backing the proposal that we pursue fundraising before we even consider cutting people’s jobs.  In order to be successful, we need your help and participation to establish a Fundraising Committee.

Usually when we think of fundraising, we do not think of the fun opportunities that can come about from such activities.  In the past when helping with fundraising, I have volunteered to sit in a dunking booth – although I did not stay seated for very long.  Three out of the first four shots dunked me;  and as I climbed back up onto my “perch,”  I thought, “If this keeps up, this is going to a looong half hour shift.”  Thankfully it wasn’t, …until Gladys came along.

Gladys used to tease me each week after the Saturday Vigil Mass.  When it was announced that we would have a dunking booth, Gladys loved the idea.  In the weeks that followed, though, she began asking all kinds of questions, like how many shots she could take at me or how she didn’t think she could throw all that way to hit the lever on the dunking booth.  Finally, on a dare, I said, “Gladys, if you pay $100, I will let you just go up and push the lever without taking a shot.”  Well, Gladys showed up on Festival Day, $100 in hand.  I offered her $110 not to dunk me, to which the crowd immediately shouted, “Deeeaaalll or no deal?!”  Gladys said “No deal.”  So I offered $120.  By that time, the crowd had started chanting not “Move that bus” but “Dunk that priest;” and with that, Gladys dunked me. … Thank God for wetsuits.

So when it comes to fundraising it can be a lot of fun and can build relationships.  I have seen that when parishioners join together in various activities to achieve common goals parishes grow stronger by building relationships and community among one another.

If you are willing to help with a fund raising committee, please contact Trish or Sheila at the rectory at 860-376-2044.  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Fr. Ted Tumicki