Saint Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church
Summary of Parish Annual Meeting, May 7, 2017
Opening Prayer by Father Iura
Trustee report from Parish Trustees, Andrew Bamber, Natalie Chermak and Natalia Lyalka. Trustee Andy Bamber as spokesman. Reviewed 2016 Summary Financial Report, copies of report in everyone’s possession. Outlined plans for 2017 with emphasis on budgeting for future major expenses, and/or new capital projects, as well as the Roof Maintenance Account as a restricted account. Also mentioned the other restricted account being the Parish Preservation Fund and the need to grow this endowment for future. Specific financial questions from the audience were clarified as well as review of line items title clarification. Detailed breakdown specifics were made available by KofC member M. Myron.
Status Report by Father Iura. Presented number of births, Chrismation, marriages, funerals, parishioners who have gone to their eternal rest and families moving out of State as well as the general state of the Parish.
A summary of the maintenance projects for the 2016 calendar year were presented. The Large Kitchen in the Church Hall upgraded to meet current Health Codes as well as making the facility available for rental income, new white perimeter fence, parking lot repaving, repairs, sidewalk and parking lot entrance repaired. One furnace and water heater replaced in rental property. Misc. electrical repairs and upgrades in multiple buildings. Upgrade and repainting of Church Hall basement meeting room conducted by the Knights of Columbus.
A summary of planned projects for the 2017 calendar year were presented. Complete parking lot repaving and drainage cuts as well as parking lot lines to be painted. Repair, replacement of various problem roofs as well as recaulking, repointing and water proofing of the church steeples. Possible climate control for the Church Hall to make it more viable for rental income, Repair to all the fencing on the property damaged by snow plowing. Repairs to be performed by Yale Hospital Services as per parking contract. Repairs to broken sidewalk, handicap ramp door replacement, front door to church repair, Replace damaged carpet in church, Sacristy Hall, Choir loft (wall and ceiling), and Choir stairwell water damage repair. Misc. repairs / replacement to soffits, eaves, gables and water gutters on misc. buildings. Sandblasting and water proofing of Heritage Center basement.
Good and Gentle God, we pray in gratitude for our mothers and for all the women of theory who have joined with you in the wonder of bringing forth new life. You who became human through a woman, grant to all mothers the courage they need to face the uncertain future that life with children always brings.
The theme of baptism continues in this Sunday’s Gospel, re-affirming that Pascha is a feast of resurrection and of baptism, being born into eternal life. The center of Jesus’ conversation with this unnamed woman (the Church later gave her the name Photine, the “enlightened woman”) is about water. They met at Jacob’s well, a place of great tradition, a sign and a promise of God’s love and mercy for his people. Jacob’s well provided the riches of water to a desert place, the sign that God would always provide for and bless his people. However, the encounter with the woman reveals something more: Jesus is the Messiah to come, he is greater than the Patriarch Jacob. The water of Jacob’s well is only for this world, Jesus would give “the water that would become a spring of water welling up to eternal life. (John 4:14)” This clearly refers to our baptisms, as it comes immediately after the comparison of Jesus with John the Baptist, and the baptisms done by Jesus’ disciples.
A mystery might be defined as something hidden or veiled.