Our Diocese is embarking upon a strategic planning process to come up with a vision which will lays the groundwork for sustainable growth for the Church in Brooklyn to fulfill its mission of proclaiming and teaching the Gospel in the 21st century. The Church cannot ignore how today, especially our young people, derive most of their information and impressions about Church not from pulpits and printed matter, but electronic visual media. The Church also needs to reach those who do not always go to Church. We, like all large organizations throughout the country are undergoing significant structural changes, often merging or down-sizing just to survive. It would be naïve and irresponsible for the Church in Brooklyn and Queens to ignore the implications which demographic, active clergy, financial and other projections portend.
Stewardship: The Giving of our Time, Talents and Treasures The Church bathroom was in serious need of renovation. Several members of our parish stepped forward and volunteered their time and construction talents to upgrade this area. The result is a dramatic improvement and a sincere THANK YOU is extended to Tony (Pop), Miles, and John. By volunteering their time and talents we were able to save a considerable sum on labor. Would you consider being a Steward of St Charles Borromeo Parish? We can always use an extra hand or a creative idea that helps us grow our faith community.
Parish Finance Committee We would like to provide the parish with an update on the Parish Finance Committee. As we reported in January, Frank Pond has agreed to serve as a Parish Trustee and will no longer be a member of the Finance Committee but, he will act as the Trustee liaison to the Finance Committee. Jeanne Kane Zaykowski and Michael Towers will join Henry Cateura on the committee and John Gallagher has agreed to serve as an ad hoc committee member. Jeanne has agreed to take on the newly created role of Parish Treasurer. The Finance Committee will meet at least once a quarter. The role of the committee is to work closely with Fr. Ed on the following tasks: – Preparation of the annual parish budget – Coordination with the parish’s external accountant – Oversight to insure an efficient reporting system – Review of all fundraising activities – Review and management of parish assets and investments – Strategize on future parish capital needs and potential programs to fund long-term projects
Community Outreach Committee The first meeting of the Outreach Committee gave us an opportunity to exchange ideas about activities and ways to make our parish more visible in the Brooklyn Heights community and to aid community organizations. Possible affiliations included Pierrepont House, Bishop Mugavero Nursing Home, Cobble Hill Nursing Home, Chaim Solomon Nursing Home, Bowery Mission and Mercy Homes were other organizations. A calendar of events will be created in the near future as well as the date for the next meeting. If you are interested, please call the rectory with your name, email or telephone number.