The Holy Spirit fills the whole earth, everywhere and in all things… dwells substantially in the souls of the faithful, and is the light, life, soul of the Church.
Servant of God Father Isaac Hecker, 1858
Dear Parishioners,
These words from Fr. Isaac Hecker’s Diary, begun on his travels to Egypt in 1873, give voice to what this report of our parish’s activity reflects. It summarizes the many gifts that you, the faithful, have made, for indeed, you are the light, life, and soul of St. Austin. We are very grateful to share this summary of the many ways in which your generosity brought the Word and Love of God to our time and place in prayer, through learning and teaching, in service, and in play.
Fr. Charles Kullmann, CSP Josie L. BarrettMario Espinoza Pastor Chair Chair
St. Austin Catholic Parish Parish Pastoral Council Parish Finance Council
Your Parish Pastoral Council
Spirit enlightens. Love enlivens.
Fr. Hecker, 1844
The Parish Pastoral Council is an advisory body to the Pastor. Its ministry includes:
Encouraging and supporting the Pastor and offering the best advice possible on pastoral issues, plans, and activities
Supporting the mission of the Paulist Fathers regarding the general policies that guide the programs and services of the parish
Collaborating with the parish pastoral staff to accomplish St. Austin’s mission and implementing parish plans
Committing to the spiritual growth of the entire PPC and the wider parish community
In 2021-22, the PPC focused on advancing the parish mission and the Paulist charisms of evangelization, reconciliation, and ecumenism/interfaith relations. In this year of historic transitions resulting from the Campus Development Project transitions and the Covid-19 pandemic, the PPC promoted four themes highlighted below.
Your Voice in the Synod Listening Sessions
Let us not be daunted by comparing ourselves with others, or be puffed up in doing so. God has given us an individual life which he has not given to any other. This individuality let us live.
Fr. Hecker, 1844
St. Austin's participated actively in the diocesan Synod process through eight listening sessions in which we heard the voices of over 100 people participating in person and through our online survey. The responses were compiled into a 10-page report to the diocese which was also shared with our Parish Pastoral Council, Liturgy Committee, staff and is available on our parish website. The comments shared in our Synod sessions were also sent to those parish groups to inform future planning at St. Austin’s.
Key findings from the parish listening sessions acknowledged that ours is an “intentional” parish, where most live some distance from the parish which presents challenges for people who want to participate outside of Sundays. Our sessions also identified that, while many are involved in the parish, some perceived a lack of communication regarding the opportunities available within the parish. Nonetheless, in our Synod sessions it was clear that St. Austin’s is a parish committed to the future, to charity and justice, to nourishing community, and to worshiping together.
Your Generous Giving
It is a law of Divine Providence… that He gives His grace to fulfill the duties of the station to which He calls us.
Fr. Hecker, 1845
We rely entirely on Divine Providence, your generous financial contributions, and the service through which you share your valuable time with our parish. Over the last fiscal year, your offertory gifts of $1,641,453 supported our parish operations, including ~
Worship, liturgies, and celebration of the Sacraments not only in our Church but shared with many devoted viewers daily and on Sundays across the Austin metro area and beyond from the Finger Lakes of New York to the Pacific Northwest
Faith formation of young people and adults through studies creatively conducted online and at home
Help and hope to persons in need through our St. Vincent de Paul Society, Outreach Program, Gabriel Project, and Micah 6
Joy found in community gatherings – although cautiously – as we learned to use our buildings in ways that kept us safe.
Praying Together
The sum of the spiritual life consists in observing and yielding to the movements of the Spirit of God in the soul, employing for this purpose as exercises of prayer, spiritual reading, sacraments, the practice of virtues, and good works.
Fr. Hecker, 1886
At last, we returned to worship in community again. We learned to gather in our Church, exercising great care when in person and remaining available to our community online. Our Lenten Penance Service and weekly Stations of the Cross led by ministry teams welcomed the faithful to pray. Lent marked a milestone for our Church, and the pews without blue tape continue to grow fuller ever since. Our livestreaming of two Sunday Masses not only allows homebound parishioners to pray with us but also extends our mission far beyond our parish boundaries. Our daily Mass broadcasts are now an important spiritual practice for a dedicated online community as well as for those in the pews. While we’ve always been an “intentional" parish, now we receive thoughtful messages from worshipers in upstate New York, Ohio, Oregon, and more thanking us for bringing the Word and Paulist spirituality to them. Our Small Christian Communities and other groups meet routinely in prayer, some share Rosary prayer, others explore the Word through lectio divina, still others in contemplative prayer, and others focus on the Sunday readings.
Learning Together
The one who seeks truth loves truth, and the one who loves truth seeks to spread knowledge and the practice of truth.
Fr. Hecker, 1886
In Our Parish School
St. Austin Catholic School’s 104th year brought 200 students, 140 families, and 32 staff members together at our temporary home on the San José Catholic Parish campus. We worked cooperatively through another year of Covid to remain true to our core mission - educating students to be “Christ-centered, academically strong, moral community leaders.”
Recognized for its diversity in ethnicity, learning styles, socio-economic status, and faith, our students rate among the top in our area academically. Over 75% of our classes, Kinder through 8th grade, scored above the national, diocesan, and Texas private school average mean in reading and math. Our gifted and talented program, SOAAR, and the therapeutic approach we take to serving diverse learners makes our school unique within the Diocese of Austin. We also provided 26 students with scholarship and tuition assistance, making a Catholic education accessible. We modeled charity through a variety of fundraisers raising almost $20,000 for organizations like Casa Marianella, St. Louise House, the Paulist Fathers, and our parish Christmas Basket Project. We provided emergency medical supplies to the people of Ukraine that went directly from our school families to first responders on the ground. We proudly report these examples of how our Whole Child Approach, 21st century learning principles, and our Paulist charisms came together to make our St. Austin Catholic School one that’s well worth the ride.
In Our Faith Formation Program
For Adults
The journey to Catholicism for adults in our RCIA program was made possible through online Zoom classes for the 2021 - 22 year. Not only did we involve familiar faces in sharing the tenets of our faith, we also introduced our candidates to people from across the nation who witnessed to their faith. Twelve were received into the Church during the Easter Vigil, eight celebrated the sacrament of Eucharist and all were confirmed. It was a welcome filled with Easter joy.
For Children
220 children and youth were enrolled in our parish Faith Formation program in the 2021 – 22 school year. The home-based program provided unique opportunities to forge bonds by coordinating parish and school preparations for second graders’ First Reconciliation and First Communion. The parish found unexpected gifts as we witnessed Confirmations and First Holy Communions of our youth and children individually or in small groups. Regardless of their individual Mass preference, the shared joy of witnessing these milestones of faith was a blessing for all in our community.
Finding Joy in Sacramental Milestones
In addition to the adult sacramental celebrations described above, our parish celebrated ~
Our Learning Journey
Serving Together
The love of God and the love of humans are one. God promises His reward not to the ignorant, or to the indolent, or to the indifferent, but to those who visit the prisoner, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked – to the doing of good works as the evidence of the true faith.
Fr. Hecker
Our ministries of charity and service, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Outreach to Persons in Need, Gabriel Project, and Micah 6 ministries provided hope and help to many across our community. Here is an overview of the support your generosity enabled us to share.
* UPLift is a ministry of University Presbyterian Church. **Earn While You Learn allows Gabriel Project moms to earn baby gear, such as car seats and cribs, as they learn about how to have a healthy pregnancy, effective parenting, and self-sufficiency. ***Families graduate once their children turn 2 years old.
Cultivating Volunteerism, Collaboration, & Community
We formed ourselves to serve others…
Two retreats for volunteers to reconnect, reflect, and recharge
Dozens of charity and justice ministry meetings began in prayer and spiritual reflection
Four new volunteers were trained
Three visits to nonprofit organizations allowed us to learn more about who and how they serve
…and offered gratitude as we adapted our charity and justice ministries for the future.
We shared our appreciation for Carmen Adams, who retired after serving as our Gabriel Project Coordinator for nine years, and divided Gabriel Project leadership into three new roles.
After two years of exclusively serving families remotely, our Outreach ministry began by-appointment guest interviews at our Ministry Center in March 2022.
We are deeply grateful to the kind benefactor who underwrote the entire fiscal year cost of hiring a part-time Outreach Administrative Assistant to support the ministry.
We deepened partnerships with six service organizations* as well as local Gabriel Project ministries and St. Vincent de Paul conferences to better serve our neighbors in need.
*Austin Energy’s Plus 1 Partners Program; Casa Marianella; Catholic Charities' St. Gabriel Pregnancy & Parenting Program; the JPII Life Center; The Other Ones Foundation; and UPLift
Our Efforts in Advocacy
As a parish community, we began sponsoring a young Afghan man, whom we call Adam, to be reunited with his family in the U.S. We continue to pray that he can soon join his family.
Parishioners sent letters to City Council to let them know the impact that the Orange Line would have on our parish and school communities.
Parishioners and staff advocated for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, renewing the Child Tax Credit, prison sentencing reform, and more.
Celebrating in Community
The Holy Spirit is preparing the Church for an increased infusion of Himself in the hearts of the faithful. This increased action of the Holy Spirit will renew the whole face of the earth - Religion and Society.
Fr. Hecker, 1875
After our long time apart, we began to come together for many in-person meetings and events.
At the summer 2021 Farewell Celebration, we had the opportunity to say goodbye to our cherished campus by inviting all to add their memories, prayers, and hopes for the future in writing on the walls of the buildings before they were torn down.
In the fall, the Blessing of the Animals was the last event to take place on our parish blacktop. Over 40 beloved pets were brought by their owners to celebrate and be blessed by Fr. Rich (our wonderful St. Francis) as he visited with all.
Our Holiday Fair was held online starting the week before Thanksgiving. Several of our ministries participated with items for sale ranging from pecans to quilted bowl cozies. The four week online event was successful and will be repeated this year.
During Lent, the Knights of Columbus held a Fish Fry that served as our first real opportunity for the parish to gather as a community once again. A week later, our Journey and Hospitality teams collaborated to hold a soup supper. Both events brought our community together, allowing us to see how we could bring a joyful noise to our temporary Ministry Center.
Working creatively to adapt our revered traditions to our current environment, we celebrated Agape in the Church. Those in attendance felt great Easter joy in our most sacred space.
Fr. Rich Andre received lots of love as we gathered in the Church to bid him Godspeed as he left Austin for Boston. Our Church proved perfect to host large events as approximately 350 gathered to wish him well.
These gatherings served to nourish a deep need within our parish to come together in fellowship.
Parish Operations
The common road to heaven for Christians is in fulfilling the common duties of daily life.
Fr. Hecker
Staffing
We welcomed Diane Zbasnik in the revised role of parish administrator. She’s jumped in with both feet.
As we said goodbye to Stanley Sifuentes who left for a position that fit his degree and career goal, we also welcomed two Communication Associates, both students from UT. Faizaan Ali was with us to work on our Social Media in the spring term, and Cristela Jones continues to make a difference to our program.
Fr. Chuck and Fr. Paolo with support from Fr. Bruce - when he’s not on the mission trail – have made the transition to serving the needs of our parish after Fr. Rich moved to be director of the Paulist Center in Boston.
Facilities
In November, we had our parking garage pressure washed and restriped. We took the opportunity to rethink the location of the handicap parking spaces. To delineate parish, school, and contract parking, we posted signs directing the public to park on levels five and six.
With the receipt of our Certificate of Occupancy for the Ministry Center on December 16, 2021, we began using the versatile space in the new year. Another Covid variant delayed our ability to fully open for ministry and community activities.
In March, the boiler condensation tank in the Church required repair when we discovered it was rusted and leaking when water was restored.
In April, we replaced the old parking gates with a new system. It provides free parking for parishioners through ticket validation while paid public parking continues 24/7. This new system has also given us the opportunity to work with local businesses like The Otis Hotel to provide discounted parking for major events through parking vouchers. Although we’ve experienced startup glitches, the benefits of the system are starting to emerge.
Commercial Properties
In January, Möge Tee signed a five-year lease for what was once the Taco Bell space. A multinational chain, they sell a variety of flavored and bubble teas and plan to expand their menu to offer hibachi meals.
K-Bop (next door to Möge Tee), under new management, renewed their lease for another five years.
Parish Finances
True devotion consists of turning all to God that comes whether we work with our minds or hands.
Fr. Hecker, 1860
Annual Revenue
Annual Expenses
Our Development Project
Our affairs are in the hands of God… Let us not be impatient; God is with us, and will lead us if we confide in Him. Fr. Isaac Hecker, 1857
Fiscal year 2022 saw enormous progress on our development pilgrimage. After five years of hard work by St. Austin’s Development Committee, the Diocese of Austin (on behalf of the parish) executed the contracts with our development partner, Greystar, in September 2021. Completion of the many legal agreements allowed construction to begin.
In November, we said a grateful, though sad farewell to our old buildings and watched them fall bit by bit. The first to go was the school building, followed by the gym, Paulist and Newman Halls, and the Rectory. We met some surprises along the way, but nothing too serious. With the buildings down, we saw retaining walls built, soil moved, and foundations poured.
When contracts were signed, St. Austin received its initial lump sum payment from Greystar of $5 million. We immediately placed that money into an escrow account to fund construction. With serious prayers to assure low interest rates, the Parish secured its loans in March 2022 at rates more favorable than originally forecast. Coupled with our debt, we launched the Beacon of Hope Capital Campaign to provide the final funds needed to ensure a successful completion to this project.
It is with continued hope and great anticipation that we look forward to the completion of Parish East (the main portion of our new space) in late summer 2023. Between now and then, many parishioners are engaged in work to ensure our new space feels like home, from the moment we move in.
Generations before us repeatedly answered the call to create a welcoming Catholic home at St. Austin’s. We continue that commitment as we look to the future. Please follow our efforts at Our Property Development Journey. We invite your questions – reach us at Develop.
In Gratitude
Thank you for your continued trust and confidence in our parish. Your generosity funds our parish mission to bring God’s Word, His Love, to our time and place. In the Prayer for Our Pilgrimage, we continue to pray that we are building “to be hope in the life of our world and a touchstone of faith and mercy for generations to come.” We close this report with these words from Fr. Isaac Hecker in 1858 -
Keep close to God, and His blessing will always be with us, and He will strengthen us to do His work.