HNJ 2020
My dear Parishioners,
We are often reminded that Pentecost is a time of rebirth, not simply a joyful feast but a moment of
rededication of our lives as Christians strengthened and renewed by the Spirit. The Feast of the Assumption of
the Mother of God on the 15th of August shows us the hope to which our lives tend.
As it is for the individual Catholic, so it is true for his or her parish. And through a happy coincidence of events
Holy Name Parish is at the threshold of a new era even as we celebrate this season after Pentecost. With the
sale of the school building, the parish is debt-free for the first time in decades. There are many regrets, but for
the future of the parish we must look forward. So I ask you to take a moment and ponder the future of our
Parish with me… think, perhaps, about what you would like to see happening here over the next five years.
Consider these realities: although the parish is debt-free at this moment and even has some money in the
bank after the settlement with the Diocese, our weekly collections are barely enough to pay the expenses of the
parish –even though these have already been cut to the bone. But this is not a dying parish, far from it. Dying
parishes don’t have eighty children in C.C.D. classes or several young men entering the Seminary or in
Religious Orders. Dying parishes don’t have four Masses on Sunday, or confessions two or three times per
week. And dying parishes don’t attract Catholics from three other dioceses in their two neighboring states! But
we need to ask ourselves: Is this how we want to live – unable to pay our pastor his full salary, without a proper
maintenance man, without many other necessities of a living parish? Can we move forward – and grow - like
this?
Consider also that the Diocese is just thinking of beginning a process of “pastoral planning” necessitated
by the steady decrease in both vocations and Mass attendance over the past forty-five years. Well, Mass
attendance at HNJ has increased over the past few years… HNJ has given the church at least three vocations in
that time with more coming forward. If we want this parish to remain a parish, to retain a resident priest, to
grow and to prosper so as to spread the Faith to generations yet unborn, we need to do something about it. To
some, it looks like the Diocese is simply “managing the decline”. We have no reason to take this pessimistic
approach. The timing is fortuitous for our parish – nothing has been done or decided in any way. We are
starting with a clean slate, with a real chance to prove that we are not in “decline” and that we don’t need to be
“planned” or “managed”!
Toward that end we would like to put together a possible plan for the future of Holy Name Parish - call
it “HNJ 2020” – to identify and prioritize our needs and to find means and methods for fulfilling them. With
the formation of the Pastoral Council I hope to begin this effort in the Fall.
First and foremost, we need to increase our weekly collections so that we don’t slip “into the red” and be
forced to dip-into our capital. The Increased Giving Campaign and our renewing of our commitment to
Stewardship will help us address this concern. This will bring to the fore the strength and financial
sustainability of our parish. Remember: we are looking to the future – to growth, and to some important
projects that we need to consider. Think of those remaining funds from the sale of the school as our “nest egg”,
and if we are serious about wanting to keep Holy Name moving, we need to hold onto that money for
improvements that will help grow the parish and sustain its viability. Unlike the capital campaigns we have run
in the past, the Increased Giving Campaign is a process whereby everyone is be asked to examine their weekly
budget contribution to the parish, and to prayerfully discern whether they are able to give a bit more. It has
been a true sign of God’s Grace that whenever this parish has needed something, you – the People of God –
have been unstintingly generous when you’ve been asked. The response so far has been very positive.
Looking further ahead, we must give serious consideration to addressing a major need which has existed
since the closure of the school building: meeting and gathering space. We are fortunate to have a large enough
rectory that some of the most necessary parish activities have been able to continue, albeit under less-thanoptimal conditions. This can never be considered a permanent solution. If Holy Name is to survive and to
prosper, space is needed: for Religious Education, St. Vincent de Paul, and the Knights of Columbus; for
meetings and groups, for festivities and conferences. The funds realized from the sale of the school represent a
healthy portion of the estimated cost to construct an annex to the rectory to serve as a suitably-sized “parish
center”. Additional funds would need to be raised, and the approbation of the bishop would be needed (both to
engage in any large-scale fundraising and of course the construction itself.) But we cannot even consider this
project until we prove - to ourselves and to Bishop Tobin – that we can stand on our own two feet.
At this point – thank you for reading this far – I hope your thoughts and emotions are positive ones. We
have a great opportunity – for ourselves, for our children, for our brothers and sisters in the Faith, and for the
Mt. Hope Neighborhood. Physically, Holy Name is an outsized presence in the neighborhood, and it would be
a blessing for her to be able to manifest her presence – Christ’s presence – in the neighborhood in an outsized
way. So I hope you are as optimistic as I am about this opportunity. Even as you read this letter work is
proceeding for the installation of the new Fire Alarm system and the new air handler for the air conditioning
system in the Chapel. Going forward plans have been drawn up for the new parking area to the north and southeast of the Church. As our parish continues its slow growth I believe we will need those spaces in the months
and years to come.
This is not simply a matter of dollars and cents, or as a plan to sell off one building to build another –
this is about our parish: the local presence of the Church of Jesus Christ: the Catholic Church, amongst the
people of the Mt. Hope neighborhood, the city and the region. And as previously noted, many of our
parishioners drive a long way to come to Holy Name, a parish center would enhance our parish life
immeasurably. I am also certain that this would contribute to the growth of the parish in general and each of
our three congregations: the African Catholic Community, the Latin Mass Community and our Foundational
Community. This will create opportunities for all of these groups to grow and we need the infrastructures to
support them. One of the most Catholic hallmarks of Holy Name parish is the ‘Unity in Diversity’ whereby we
share the same Catholic Faith, different backgrounds and forms of worship. And this adherence to the true and
authentic Faith in our diversity is an immensely important ingredient in a living, vibrant Catholic parish. It is
this sort of parish that produces not only vocations, but strong Catholic families. This is our present and our
future. This is the New Evangelization.
There are many more plans and projects to discuss as part of HNJ 2020, but I wanted to take this
opportunity to introduce you to this concept and some of the principal initiatives I believe we need to pursue.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your
forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in
everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true,
whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of
praise, think about these things. (Philippians IV:4-8)
In Christo Domino nostro,
Rev. Joseph D. Santos, Jr.
Parochial Administrator
6th of July 2015