08/02/2026

Dear Friends,

We are at an “inflection point” in the year- a quiet moment where our parish summer activities have closed up (except for our capital improvement projects). This won’t last long, though. Registration for Religious Education is underway and our school administrations are preparing to welcome back our students- the first day of class is just over two weeks away!

Most know that Saint Jerome Catholic School was forced to close after the last academic year. With less than 100 students, the large budget deficits (over $400k) associated with enrollment that low were simply not sustainable. There was an effort by some parents and supporters to re-group and form an independent Catholic school on that site, but the complexity and cost was simply too much to pull together in such a tight time frame. We hope to be able to welcome many former St. Jerome students into our schools, and a number of those families have already toured and registered. Their presence will strengthen our school communities, adding new life and energy. Increased enrollment will also strengthen our financial position, something all Catholic schools need to keep a close eye on.

Work on the Saint Gabriel school roof is underway, and we will begin the interior repairs once we’re certain the vulnerable spots for rainwater entry have been sealed. There are actually a lot of project “pots on the stove” right now, so we are putting together a comprehensive summary of all the work we’ve been doing to repair and enhance our buildings (as well as projects that are being planned). We’ll have that in the bulletin later this month.
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May your week reflect the encounter with Christ we experienced at Mass today!

​-Rev. James F. Hurlbert