2024-25 Stewardship Report
January 29, 2026Stewardship Report
Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Francis Xavier Parish,
I am deeply grateful for the faith, generosity, and commitment of our parish family. It is a privilege to serve as your pastor, and I thank God for the many ways He continues to bless our community.
In keeping with our diocesan commitment to accountability and transparency, I am pleased to share a summary of our Annual Parish Report for the fiscal year July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. This report has been reviewed by our Parish Finance Council and submitted to the Diocese.
Your faithful support of the weekly offertory remains the foundation of our parish’s financial health, allowing us to meet operating expenses, maintain our facilities, support diocesan and Catholic school assessments, and plan responsibly for the future.
Upon arriving at St. Francis Xavier Parish on August 12th, I expanded the Parish Finance Council from three to seven members. The council meets bi-monthly and provides careful oversight of parish finances. Members include Andrea Campbell, Jim Lazan, Debbie Murnock, Kris Huber, Ray Seth, Dana Kubiak, and Lori Skladanowski, with support from Kathy Orlando, our parish bookkeeper.
In September, I also established a Buildings and Grounds Committee, whose members have been instrumental in addressing and preventing maintenance issues with prudence and foresight. The committee includes Marty Skladanowski, Kevin Campbell, Dean Morehouse, Paul Straub, Mike Stewart, Rich Moore, Larry Zemcik, and Elmer Lemock.
Our parish continues to show encouraging signs of spiritual vitality. Our October Count from the Diocese of Erie shows an 11.1% increase in Mass attendance compared with last year. Parish life is active, and our efforts in faith formation and evangelization continue to lead others into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
Please know of my sincere gratitude for your faithful witness. I am honored to walk alongside you on this journey of faith.
Members of the Parish Finance Council, the Buildings and Grounds Committee, and I would be happy to speak with you and answer any questions.
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Ben Daghir
Pastor, St. Francis Xavier Parish
The Financial Report to the Parishioners for the year ended June 30, 2025, reflects favorably on the financial activities of the parish. The income for July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, exceeded the operating expenses by approximately $165,000. We currently have funds in the parish operating cash account sufficient to cover operating expenses for several months.
Offertory collections for the fiscal year 2024–2025 exceeded FY 2023–2024 by $38,000. CSA receipts in excess of the diocesan assessment were $12,702, which remains in our parish.
Major Construction amounted to $35,102, and Extraordinary Repairs amounted to $16,947. The repairs included:
· Major Construction – New bathroom — $35,102
· Extraordinary Repairs – Carved Wooden Risen Christ — $7,132
· Extraordinary Repairs – Christmas Nativity — $9,815
St. Francis Xavier has a parish deposit and loan savings account and an investment account. The purpose of these accounts is to serve as a repository for long-term parish investment needs. These accounts increased in value over the prior year by $13,080.
All financial activities of the parish are reviewed by the Parish Finance Council six times per year in conjunction with the parish bookkeeper and the parish pastor. The Finance Council will review the parish accounting procedures and controls this coming fiscal year to ensure that the parish is following all relevant diocesan policies and procedures.
Every October, parishes across the Diocese of Erie are asked to record weekend Mass attendance. Fr. Ben is grateful for your presence each week and would like to share the numbers with you.
Over the four weekends in October, St. Francis Xavier Parish welcomed an average of 443 people per weekend across our three Masses. A closer look at each Mass during October:
· 10:30 AM Sunday Mass — our largest gathering, averaging 175 people
· 8:00 AM Sunday Mass — averaging 137 people
· 6:00 PM Saturday Vigil Mass — averaging 131 people
Non-Financial Information
Altar Servers — 26
Lectors — 28
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion — 24
Ushers — 11
Faith Formation Catechists — 18
Faith Formation Students — 105
OCIA Program — 7
Each of these individuals contributes to the life and vitality of our parish community. If you are interested in being more involved at our parish, please contact our parish office, and we’d be honored to work alongside you.
To view the 2024-25 Stewardshp Report, please click here.
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