A message from Teen Angel

 The Teen Angel Program needs help! We have 58 teens who do not have sponsors for this Christmas. If you would like to sponsor a teen, you will receive their first name, their age and the school they are attending, along with 5 items that they need and 1 or 2 items that they would like. All teens are from the Corning-Painted Post school district and have been referred by district representatives. The gifts provided through our program are the only gifts these teens will receive. If you are able to help, please contact the site administrator at admin@savingourparish.com and someone from the Teen Angel program will be in touch. 

The truth is out there...

The Neighborhood Flier is up at SavingOurParish.com.

One year ago...

I have been pondering the youth minister's article in the latest bulletin. He forgot to add that a year ago the Teen Angel program was running smoothly and many teens were provided with much-needed items to make their Christmas a little easier. This year, not so much...

Doesn't quite fit the narrative, though.

The Price is.....right?

What do you suppose was the cost to build St. Vincent and its rectory and furnish it fully back in 1955?

Published in the July 1, 1955 Catholic Courier, the price was $385,000. In 1955.

And in 2010, our parish leadership is willing to sell not only the church and rectory, but the parking lot, the convent, and the school for $350,000.

Gratitude...

The mantra

It was heard yet again at last week's parish meeting that it would've been better to give St. Patrick's away than to have kept up the insurance on it for the years it was mothballed. Parishioners have some questions regarding insurance premiums on our church properties. Read about it here.

Catholic Radio -- The Station of the Cross

Catholic radio is coming to our area! There's a fundraiser Dec. 7, 6:30 p.m. at the Elmira Country Club. Go here for information about The Station of the Cross, and here for their informational packet.

To RSVP for the fundraiser get in touch with Karen Kilpatrick at rkilpatrick@stny.rr.com or 607-562-8630.

Faith and Hope in the Church

Parish gerrymandering

So a fellow parishioner informs us that our parish councils are not as representative as we would like to believe.

Did you know that Zero of eight Finance Council members live on the north side of Corning. (Three from Painted Post and four from the south side of Corning, and one staff person.)

Two of 14 parish council members live on the north side of Corning. (Two from the north side, three from the South side and eight from Painted Post, with one staff person.)

The Facilities Council has four from the north side of Corning, four from the south side and one from Painted Post.

So, out of 31 people on our councils, six are from the north side of Corning.

The dictionary definition of representative is: of, based on, or constituting a government in which the many are represented by persons chosen from among them.

The dictionary definition of gerrymandering is: to divide (an area) into political units to give special advantages to one group.

Our councils are selected, not elected.

And, further, at the parish meeting on Thursday, it was quietly suggested that the leadership may "consider" keeping Immaculate Heart of Mary. What happened to the firm insistence on  'one worship site'?

Who or what can we trust? This is All Saints/All One?

'All the news that's fit to print'

We have been given permission to reprint Warren Blackwell's Nov. 18 letter to The Leader. You can access it here. Our gratitude to The Leader for permission to reprint.

Community theatre!

Go to the front page of SavingOurParish.com for some info on the play "Steel Magnolias" that's happenin' at the Elks Lodge this weekend. The cast includes some familiar faces from around our parish and community. We'll try to get a picture of the cast up later on today.

I am St. Vincent de Paul

 

CALL FOR PHOTOS!

For all of you who have been wondering how you can help save St. Vincent de Paul now is your chance. We are creating another video with a positive message in support of our church. Please make a simple sign of your choice, see example photo above. Your sign can say anything in support of St. Vincent's. Please include the name St. Vincent de Paul with any other message you'd like to add.
Examples include: member for 10 years, married here, my spiritual home, faith, hope, met my wife here at my best friend's wedding, graduated 1935 or anything else you like.

As you may know our leadership has claimed that only a small number of parishioners are not in favor of selling the church. This is our response to that misrepresentation. Our Bishop needs the truth.

So please get some paper, a marker and a digital camera. The more photos the better. Please email photos to: choward3@stny.rr.com before December 1st.
 

Faith built St. Vincent's Church, have faith that we can save it!

Parish life at St. Vincent's

A heartwarming story of how faith, centered around St. Vincent's church, survives the worst of calamities.

St. Vincent's and the Flood

From the story:  I do not even know who the artist was for this simple depiction of St. Vincent's, but it was sketched and placed on make shift bulletins following the flood and it also became a symbol of our parish strength and survival. We all knew and know the value of St. Vincent's and I pray for her survival, just as we all joined together during the flood and prayed for our individual and collective survival.

Worship sites...

...or churches?

There's a difference.

Presentation Slides Online

The slides of the Oct. 31 presentation are online at SavingOurParish.com.

Realize that the presenters did a lot of talking in between slides, which means that those who view only the slides are getting a small snapshot of what was presented.

Also, we are in the process of getting some additional information to share from those professionals who looked at the financials. We will post that as it comes in. Basically, after looking at the financial statements, they agree that better stewardship would solve the financial problems. They also agreed that the financials as presented were convoluted and confusing, which could be a whole presentation in and of itself.

Financially speaking, the parish is not bankrupt. We are getting by, even with an inflated payroll (most parish's have around 11 or 12 employees, not 16 like we have). Also, there are other ways the budget could be cut that would strengthen our financial status without having to destroy any more churches.

To the agitators

There's a few individuals who insist upon agitating. That is why comment moderation continues for now. Jesus tells the parable of the tares and the wheat, which were to grow together until the harvest. Tares are a weed that when first growing look so similar to wheat that telling the difference is difficult.

Experiencing some of that here. Clever.

Regarding the presentation being put online, it is coming. Within the next day or so. To the agitator who keeps harping on it, though, I can tell you that in a nutshell what we presented was to:

A) Balance the budget based on collections (which according to parish admin is approx. $800K a year)
B) Include in that budget a realistic figure for maintenance and repairs
C) Form a fund raising committee and begin a capital campaign to make capital improvements
D) Look at raising funds and saving costs through alternative plans to sell or rent other parish properties

It is not rocket science. All of the above is eminently doable without destroying yet another Catholic Church that is active and viable. Why the rush to destroy St. Vincent's?

Hallelujah! He shall reign forever and ever....

Some evening inspiration. Enjoy!

Building for the future

Have you heard that when St. Vincent Catholic Church was built, it was constructed in such a way as to allow for future expansion? Apparently it can be bumped out 20-30 feet, allowing for many more pews.

Makes you wonder if, during the three years of secret planning, our Facilities Council had that information. There are blueprints around...

May the Lord bless you and keep you...

To all those who frequent this blog. Each and every one.

Good Night...

Sound familiar?

St. Thomas the Apostle and St. Salome churches--our brethren in the struggle.

News video about St. Thomas and St. Salome.

And here's more.

Terribly familiar.

Come Let Us Adore Him

Our parish will be having Adoration, beginning Sunday, Nov. 14 at 3 p.m. through Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 7 a.m., at St. Mary's chapel, 155 State St., Corning.

Women's Rosary Group on Saturday

Ladies, don't forget that this Saturday, the 6th, is the monthly parish Women's Rosary and Coffee Group. Here's the info:

Meeting at 8:15 a.m. to pray the Rosary before the Blessed Sacrament, followed by a few minutes of private prayer time before heading over for coffee and fellowship at a local cafe (optional). No experience necessary (rosaries and prayer guides provided).

Where: Side chapel of St. Mary's (155 State St., Corning - enter left side of church / Soul Full Cup, 81 West Market St .)

Who's Invited: Women inside or outside the parish, particularly in their 20s-50s. Newcomers welcome. Nursing babies welcome too!

In honor of this day: All Souls

Comment moderation

We're turning on comment moderation for the next few hours, hoping cooler heads will prevail.

What can we do?

Here's a start. These ideas were shared at the meeting yesterday afternoon. Scroll down for addresses.