Like every business and, for that matter, every family, our parish needs to create and manage a budget. Budgeting is the meeting place between our limited resources and our dreams and aspirations. Each year, our parish budget is shared in the Stewardship of Treasure booklet. This in-depth booklet reviews our budgetary process, which helps parishioners develop a more comprehensive view of our parish budget. You can access last year’s Stewardship of Treasure booklet on our website at saintbenedict.ca/give.

A parish budget is most interesting when it comes to our dreams and aspirations. It is there that the mission, vision, and many movements of discipleship are revealed. Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting Maria Pacurar, the chairperson for the Saint Benedict Parish Finance Council. In her professional life, Maria is a professor of Finance at Dalhousie University.

There are eight members of the Finance Council, along with Fr. Simon and the Finance Manager, Chris Yetman. They each serve a three-year term which may be renewed once. Members are appointed by Fr. Simon. In asking members to serve, it is important to have diverse skills and perspectives. Our council has engineers, accountants, developers, builders, financial planners, and entrepreneurs. The council meets for an hour or more every month, except in July and August. Beyond the professional diversity, there is also missionary diversity, as members serve in a variety of ministries in the parish. 

Maria noted that referencing the parish mission and vision is a constant thread of their discussions. Their counterpart in this work is the Parish Pastoral Council, which acts as a vision carrier for the parish. They maintain an overview of the mission and Game Plan, and they do their best to reflect our aspirations as we grow. The aspirations and intentions find momentum at the Parish Pastoral Council, and then they find the means for implementation with the Finance Council. Significant decisions like purchasing the new organ, paying off the mortgage, or tithing 10 percent of the parish’s ordinary income to support those in need require extensive discussions by both councils.

Both the Finance Council and Parish Pastoral Council are mandated by the Archdiocese. Council approval is needed for all non-budgeted expenses over $5,000. The annual budget is presented to the Archdiocese for approval. The Finance Council carefully reviews and approves the annual budget prepared by the Finance Manager and Parish Leadership Team in consultation with the staff. 

A challenging factor in the process is accurately estimating the income side of the ledger. All available funds come from the generous donations of parishioners. Maria credits Chris Yetman, our Finance Manager, with giving accurate guidance to the council on sound estimates of revenues and expenses. However, she admits estimating revenue based on the generosity of parishioners is a challenge. It requires a balance of financial acumen and faith-based trust. 

“As a finance professional, I am accustomed to relying heavily on data for forecasting and budgeting,” Maria explained. “However, in parish finance, we sometimes have to lean on faith, trusting that the Lord will provide, especially when the task is developing a balanced budget. Thankfully, many of our parishioners are donating via Automatic Giving, which provides more predictable and stable revenues. It gives us the confidence that we can consistently fund vital initiatives that support our mission and make a real difference in people’s lives. Each gift is much more than just money; it's an act of faith and a support of our shared mission.” 

Maria shared that, as in all aspects of parish life, a prayerful presence within the council contributes to all their deliberations. She mentioned that she loves attending parish Leadership Summits because it allows her to experience the pulse of our faith community. She and her council colleagues truly appreciate the bold mission of our parish and the great generosity of parishioners supporting it. Thank you to Maria and our council members for their continued commitment to this essential work!