March 14, 2021

A long time ago, back when I was a seminarian, a wise priest told me, “Don’t show me your mission statement, show me your parish financial report. That will tell me what your real goals are.” And since then I have seen that that is very true.

Here at St. Austin Parish we are in the final stages of an outside, independent audit. As far as I know, we are the only parish in the Diocese that pays to have an outside, independent audit. This is our second one, both conducted by Atchley & Associates LLP. Such an independent audit does not come cheap ($11,000 for the parish and $10,000 for the school) but it is the best and surest way to provide financial accountability to all of our parishioners and donors. And in this day and age, involved and committed parishioners both deserve, and demand, financial transparency.

We will make available the results of the audit, once it is completed, and accepted by our parish Finance Council.

Meanwhile, there has been a lot of talk on the national news about an effort to raise the Federal Minimum Wage to $15 an hour. Also, I see that one local business with ties to St. Austin Parish and School, P. Terry’s, has decided on their own to initiate a $15 per hour minimum wage.

Here at St. Austin Parish back in July of 2016, the parish Finance Council adopted a policy of a minimum wage of no less that $14 per hour for all of our parish hourly employees. Right now, due to natural pay increases over time, we have NO employees of the parish making less than $15 per hour. Also, St. Austin School has adopted a $15 minimum wage for all hourly employees. Perhaps the Parish should update its pay policy, since it is now almost five years old.

Jesus in the Gospels talks more about money than He does about sex. How we get money, how we use it, how it influences our lives, are all moral issues. And that goes for the Church just as it does for each of us as individuals. Here at St. Austin Parish and school we try to take that seriously, and use the funds you have given us both wisely and morally.

God bless!