DEAR PARISHIONERS
OF ST. ALOYSIUS PARISH
It has been over a year since Archbishop Schnurr
appointed me as pastor of St. Aloysius on the Ohio
parish. At this time, I would like to provide an
overview of the pastoral and financial position of
the pariah including information on the structural
condition of the church and school building.
There are 263 registered members of St. Al’s parish
with a combined average number of 180 people
attending the Saturday evening and Sunday morning
Masses. The parish savings account amount is:
$133,549.18 and the checking account amount is:
$84,365.49. From July 1, 2022, to June 30th, 2023,
our parish income was $249,512.23 This is a negative
variance of $18,687.77, as compared to budget.
BACKGROUND
At the beginning of my assignment, I had the
opportunity to meet with the outgoing pastor
Fr. Bryan Reif, business manager Charlie DeZarn,
members of the parish finance committee, and staff
members. Fr. Bryan alerted me to the fact that while
parish finances were adequate for the immediate
needs of the parish there was a very large “historical
debt.” I’m using the term “historical debt” as the
monies owed pre-dated the pastorship of Fr. Bryan
and the management of Charlie DeZarn. The debt
was unpaid assessment owed to the Archdiocese and
it was not exactly clear, at that time, just what the
amount of that debt was. Each parish is assessed 9.5%
by the Archdiocese on parish income. Fr. Bryan
directed that this assessment be paid on all income
during his time as pastor and this has continued during
Fr. Ben’s time as pastor also.
Fr. Bryan also alerted me to the detreating condition
of the church building. As I began my term as pastor,
I asked Mr. DeZarn to arrange for a comprehensive
and professional assessment of the structural
condition of the church building. Mr. DeZarn
contracted with THP Limited to carry out that
assessment. We received the final report on 7/7/23
and I will refer to it later in this letter.
HISTORIC DEBT
The reason the October 2022 financial report did not
highlight the “historic debt” was because we were still
working with the archdiocese to have an accurate
accounting of what the amount of that debt actually
was and when it was accumulated. It took almost a
year to work through the different accounts, it was
that complex, and until recently it was not clear just
what the amount of the debt was. Over the last year
we have come to a clearer accounting of the
amount of the unpaid assessment which accrued
during the years 2014-2019. After discussions with
the finance office of the archdiocese, and after an
assessment of our own accounting document by
Mr. DeZarn, I can now present the parish with an
accurate financial history of the unpaid assessment
leading to our present debt.
Apart from the unpaid assessment, which is owed
exclusively to the archdiocese, there is no other debt.
As stated above, Fr. Reif and Fr. Ben have paid
assessments due for the years 2019 until the present.
UNPAID ASSESSMENT
Year 2014-2015
Year 2015-2016
Year 2016-2017
Year 2017-2018
TOTAL
$9,261.25
$35,803.95
$32,593.21
$38,105.12
$115,763.53
CHURCH BUILDING
Of more immediate and significant concern is the
condition of the church building.
Last year THP Limited were contracted to carry out a
Building Envelope Condition Assessment of St. Aloysius
on the Ohio Church. The assessment report was
delivered on 7/7/2023 has revealed considerable
issues. The executive summary states:
“St. Aloysius on the Ohio was originally built and
dedicated in 1888, with a bell tower added in 1923
when the original steeple was removed, and a second
addition to expand the sacristy in 1952. The façade is
multi-wythe brick masonry with sandstone accents
and trim. The steep sloped main roof is slate, believed
to be original to the church. Low-slope roofs are
painted flat-seam metal above the main entrance and
at the tower, and EPDM at the northeast addition and
small roof between the slate and the base of the
tower. Various deficiencies were noted at the brick,
mortar, and sandstone. Loose brick and sandstone
noted in various locations at the south elevation are
the highest priority and should be removed prior to
this winter to eliminate potential safety concerns.
Recommended repairs to masonry walls include
replacing spalled and eroded brick, repointing
deteriorated mortar joints, rebuilding the
deteriorating chimney, installing sealant at skyward
joints in coping, applying water repellent to the porous
brick to minimize moisture absorption, and applying
consolidation treatment to the sandstone to help
prevent exfoliation and deterioration at the surface
from freeze-thaw deterioration. Windows need to be
painted to prevent further deterioration of the wood
frames, sills, and trim. The slate and flat-seam metal
roofs have exceeded their expected service lives and
are recommended to be replaced. Application of
silicone roof coating is recommended at the EPDM
roofs to extend the lifespan of the membrane. Various
repairs are recommended to address miscellaneous
issues noted at gutters, downspouts, sheet metal
flashings, and trim.
THP’s Opinion of Probable Cost for the safety survey
and recommended building envelope repairs is
$1,185,000.”
It is estimated that the cost to restore the exterior
structure of the church will be $1,185,000. No study
has been undertaken on the condition of the interior
of the church building. However, you will notice on
the right side of the church interior there is now
significant water damage. This is due to the very
heavy rain we had in mid-July. The church building is
at the mercy of the rain and weather due to the fact
that it has been many years since any pointing and
sealing have been carried out. Our other buildings are
also in need of substantial maintenance. The full THP
report is available in Wolfer Hall and may be viewed
after Masses.
SCHOOL BUILDING
St. Aloysius School building has been closed for public
use for five years now and over Christmas 2022 there
was a flood in the building. The insurance company
estimates that repairs will cost $80,000 and work on
replacing the damaged areas has already begun. The
insurance company does not issue one check for the
estimation of the damage but reimburses the different
repair companies as the work is completed. During
the last week of July part of the ceiling of the school
gym collapsed. The area had already been damaged by
water some years ago and had never been repaired or
replaced. As far as we can tell there was no leaking
from the roof that caused this damage. It seems that
the weight of the soundproof acoustic tiles just
gradually became to much and the weight pulled down
a section of the drywall and tiles. At present there are
no plans to repair the ceiling.
I think it is only fair for me to apprise you of the
condition of the parish and I think this is a clear
statement of our financial and maintenance situation.
We will, hopefully, avoid any further debt, but it is
necessary for us to begin a discussion on the
substantial assessment debt, the status of properties
we no longer use nor can afford to maintain, and the
immediate necessity and cost of repair of the church
building.
Thank you for your commitment to St. Al’s parish over
the years and thank you for your continued support.
We have some very important decisions to make and
so we will first put our needs before God through the
intercession of the Blessed Virgin and St. Aloysius.
Fr. Benedict O'Cinnsealaigh
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