As a parish, one of our financial problems is cash flow, especially over the summer. Our fiscal year begins July 1 when we have less money coming in and large invoices such as insurance due. We've developed the Giving Forward program to address this issue. Please read more about it and give us a hand if you're able.
We have a Challenge Gift!
For every $2 donated to the “Giving Forward” program, a parishioner will donate another $1 up to $10,000.
Please consider enrolling in our Electronic Fund Transfer option. This will enable you to stay current on your Sunday offerings while you are away enjoying the summer. Many parishioners, knowing how easy it is, have mortgage or utility payments debited automatically from their checking accounts.
To help us even out the monthly parish income, we offer Electronic Transfer, where your gift can be taken electronically from your bank account by a monthly or bimonthly deduction. Also your offering can be given through a credit card. We accept Master Card, Visa and American Express.
If you are interested in using these services, please contact the parish office, or stop by to pick up or complete an application form.
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?...Seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Matthew 6:25-26, 33
Catholic Courier Journal
You may recall that the Diocese bills Holy Cross $19,300 for the Courier for the monthly edition you receive at home. Four times a year we have a collection to help defray this cost, but the collection usually only averages $1,000 each time. We would like to increase it to $2,500 so that the parish does not have to make up the huge deficit. Please consider using the pink Courier Journal envelope for the 2nd collection to help defray our costs.
Thank you in advance for your generosity.
If we truly believe that God gives us all that we have, trust is
our response. When we recognize that our real security lies in God,
we can then decide what we will return to the Lord. Our God, who has
given us all, will take care of our future.
We at Holy Cross believe in the theology of Stewardship through Sacrificial Giving or Tithing. Our Parish Offertory Program is the primary means of support for the parish and its programs. We
recommend that each parish family work toward the biblical standard of
returning the first fruits of our labor (10% of total income) to the
Lord. Consider giving 5% to the parish and the other half to the
world's poor-diocesan collections, the missions, private charities,
Catholic school tuition, local appeals for the needy, and other
organizations that do God's work on earth.
Time and Talent
God has equipped each of us with specific gifts, strengths, and talents. We must identify these and find ways to develop them. We must get comfortable with who God made us to be; it is our divine destiny.
The concept of Stewardship does not just refer to money but also to talent and time. So we ask each Parishioner to consider giving of their time and their talents as volunteers in the Parish. We have need for all types of talents in the Parish. We need people to take part in our Liturgies, Music Ministry, Religious Education Programs, Social Ministry, Parish Life, Spiritual Life, Fund Raising and Grounds and Maintenance Programs. There are many ways that you can help. If you wish to volunteer, click on any of the menu items above and take a few minutes to review the many ministries at work in our parish. Or go directly to our Volunteer Opportunities page. You can then contact the parish office and offer your help. If you are not sure how your talents can be used, a staff member can help you discern.
Renewal
Each year in the fall we send out a letter asking people to give a
projection of what financial support they will give in our Parish
Offertory Program for that year. We also give people an opportunity at
that time to select how they want to give their gift; whether they wish
to give weekly, monthly, or by some other arrangement. Envelopes are
then provided to assist you in making your Sacrificial Giving offering. If no selection is made, each parish family automatically
receives a packet of envelopes once a month.
We give from the blessings that God brings to us through your generosity.
Parish Tithing
As we ask our parishioners to tithe, we also
tithe as a Parish. In addition to the money we collect for the
missions, the money we
raise for the Diocese, and the money we give for Catholic Schools, we
give 2.5% of our weekly offertory to the poor and needy. Our tithe
supports the ministries of Corpus Christi Parish, fosters respect for
life through The Women's Care Center, and helps the homeless through
our contributions to Catholic Family Center. In our own Charlotte
neighborhood, we give food vouchers to the poor of our area. This tithe
amounts to over $7,500 each year.