Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ 

“Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.” Jesus is calling each of us to be a disciple for our brothers and sisters. When Bartimaeus in our Gospel today is called, there is a true conversion and change. Our change should be that we let other know that we are Christian and show our Christianity to the world. Through our gospel this week, we are witnesses to Bartimaeus being restored and being brought back to society. Now it is our turn to go out and bring others back to be restored to the Church and be reconciled to God. 

On July 1, 2021 we began a new fiscal year at STHY as did all of the parishes in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Copies of the FY 2020 - 2021 financial reports are in the Guyot Hall Lobby and or online at Sthyacinth.org.

I can report that STHY financial health is stable. However, going forward due to the ongoing COVID – 19 health crisis and the decrease in Church attendance, we will be challenged in the parish finances. The Church bills are being paid; we are in good standing with all our Archdiocesan obligations and we have no debt.  However, STHY’s finances going forward in 2022 will be challenged by the increase in the cost of ministry obligations and the increase in the cost of the maintaining the aging infrastructures of the main Church and parish facilities.

I thank each of you for your continued sacrifice, week in and week out, to support the ministries and operations of our parish. Only with your support are we able to do the work of the Gospel. 

The projected FY 2022 budget has been discerned to be drastically conservative in nature, with forecasted collections and revenue to be flat. Due to the challenges we face here at St. Hyacinth in the coming year, the budget cannot account for all of the major increase in the costs and expenses for ministry and to take care of our 52 year old Church building and 37 year old Guyot Hall building. All the Church infrastructures are aging and need major attention and repairs in the very near future. 

However, I do want to address the approximately the over 1000 registered families here at STHY that we have no record of your giving to the Church. We do acknowledge that many are giving to the Church through the weekend collection; however, STHY needs you start using your envelopes or move toward electronic giving. In this way we can account for all those who are a part of the parish that are truly giving, and it is an expense of the church for envelopes to be mailed to registered families. We currently spend close to $10K a year on offertory envelopes and if we could use our electronic giving, this would reduce the expense of mailed offertory envelopes dramatically.

We are living in constantly changing times, but two things that are not changing are our devotion to our parish and it's needs. We know many of our lives have been turned upside down in the last year and a half. The STHY has been too. We need, same as you, to know what's coming in so we can budget what goes out. I'm asking you to give DIFFERENTLY. By going to the website and signing up for RECURRING online giving, you let the parish know we can count on your support weekly. 

November is right around the corner. First this year, The Feast of All Saints in not a Holy day of obligation, however we will celebrate a special mass on November 1^st , Monday evening at 7:00 pm. 

There will be a special Luminaria Mass for All Souls Day Tuesday November 2^nd at the 7:00 pm Mass. If you want to purchase a special luminaria candle for the Luminaria Mass, go online to https://sthyacinth.org/special-events 

God Bless,

Fr. Reginald Samuels

Parishioner and Acolyte Chris Hoehn  has been  using his woodworking skills to create new and  wonderful Church furniture pieces  for  the Church and renovation project. Thank you Chris for all of your hard work.