The Catholic Community of Northern Columbia County

Second Collection
November 19/20, 2022

For more than 50 years, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) has supported organizations that combat poverty and improve the lives of people in communities across the United States. From empowering immigrants in towns along the southern
border to advocating for improved housing and educational opportunities in northern and midwestern cities, CCHD-funded groups tackle a wide range of economic and social justice challenges that affect local communities in rural and urban areas. Please prayerfully consider how you can support this collection and work on the margins. More information about the Catholic Campaign for Human Development can be found at www.usccb.org/cchd/collection.

Dear Parishioners,

Giving and gratitude are two unshakeable pillars of faith. Chapter 3, verses 3:9 of the Book of Proverbs states “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.”

For many decades, St. James Church has been the hub of the community and its communicants relied on the church’s programs, outreach, and events to enrich their lives. Over the past several years, St. James has lost many individuals and families due primarily to the Covid lockdown resulting in people fearful to return to regular mass attendance, but also to changes in mass schedules, other changes that have occurred within the church, and the changing demographics of the area.

Attached please find a new Mission and Vision for the Colbert House (previously the rectory). This new mission and vision are an opportunity for the St. James community to revitalize the parish and parish life. The new mission and vision could help us continue making a difference in many people’s lives and can be a wonderful opportunity to build a stronger community within our church. The Committee continues to work on the evolving list of acceptable uses of the Colbert House.

As you may know (or be aware), St. James is pleased to be able to pursue this new mission and vision going forward. However, in order to support these endeavors of the Colbert House, we will be required to fund all expenses related to the Colbert House independently from regular Church funds. Thus, there is the need to develop a strong and varied fundraising program to ensure there are adequate funds to support all of the proposed activities at the Colbert House. These fundraising efforts will determine the future viability for the Colbert House over the longer term.

The Colbert House committee has determined that the primary fundraising activity will be an annual campaign. This campaign will be supplemented by other various fundraising events throughout the year. The annual fundraising goal will be determined by the committee and be based on historical expenses plus reserve requirements and required major repairs and/or renovations. The annual fiscal period will be the same as the Church fiscal year which is July thru June.

The fundraising goal for the first year is $25,000. This will fund normal operating expenses such as utility costs, insurance, repairs, property maintenance and begin to build a cash reserve that will be utilized for the future. The established goal is based on projected normal operating expenses of approximately $18,500 and a reserve account target of $6,500.

The initial annual campaign is scheduled to kick-off on Sunday November 6, 2022 following the morning mass. Refreshments will be served in the gathering space and Colbert House committee members will be available to accept your completed donor forms with a one-time donation, pledge or indication that you will be donating via the Church’s online giving application. Please consider pledging if this will allow you to contribute a larger amount that can be paid over time. In addition, committee members will be available in the Colbert House to provide a short tour of the building for anyone interested in doing so. Also, an envelope for mailing your donor form and donation will be made available for those who cannot attend the kick-off or prefer this method. Additional details and reminders for the kick-off event will be forthcoming in future weekly bulletins.

Available for download for your use is a Colbert House Donor/Supporter Form that we ask each donor to complete and submit with their donation. This will allow for easier tracking and recording of all donations. A listing of donors (names only, no dollar amounts) to this initial appeal will be published at a future date. If you wish to remain anonymous, please check the appropriate box on the Donor/Supporter Form.

Historically, the St. James community has been very responsive to becoming partners financially so that a vision and mission can be fulfilled. There are numerous examples of this generosity but the most significant was the Church renovation project that occurred in the mid-1990’s. The Colbert House committee is asking our community to be financial partners again to fulfill a new mission and vision for the Colbert House. Please consider making a donation, no matter the size, to help achieve our goal!

Sincerely in Christ,

The Colbert House Committee

Welcome Fr. Larry Jerge (pronounce YER gee).  As you may know, for the last 18 months or so, we have had two priests of the Holy Cross (who are bilingual) help at Saint Joseph’s Church in Stuyvesant Falls with the Spanish mass on Sundays.  They have now been joined by Fr. Larry (who does not speak Spanish).  Their community’s residence is in Valatie.  The three priests live with a handful of Brothers who are mainly retired from active duty.  Fr. Larry has graciously offered to assist us in our One Faith Community from time to time.  Please introduce yourself when you see him.  (I’m sure he has lots of stories to tell from his many years of ministry.)  Please note that Fr. Gary is still helping us most weeks. Thanks, Fr Gary and Welcome Fr. Larry! 

The Steering Committee met with Fr. Bob Longobucco (Vicar General of the Diocese) earlier this week to discuss the proposed plan to retain possession of The Colbert House. 

As a result of this meeting, we are pleased to announce that St. James will not be required to sell the house at this time and may proceed with the implementation of the plan outlined in the report in conjunction with the listing of proposed uses that continues the Evangelization of the people of Northern Columbia County. 

Fr. Bob was impressed with the work of the Committee, raised several questions that were answered and made several suggestions for consideration.  The full Committee will be meeting in the near future to begin the implementation phase of the plan and will provide more information as it becomes available.

If you are interested in finding out more or getting involved in any way, the Committee can be reached by email.

Thanks to all who have been so helpful in collaborating on this project!

Next weekend, the diocese will be taking up the National Collection for The Catholic University of America. Catholic University is a national research university with over 5,700 undergraduate and graduate students in more than 250 academic programs in the heart of
Washington, D.C. By giving to the collection, you are supporting future Catholic leaders, both religious and lay, who are being formed by an exceptional, faith-rooted education and the University’s various research and training initiatives that support dioceses and parishes in responding to the most pressing needs of their faithful. Thank you!

The Recommended Plan for Retention of The Colbert House that was presented to Father Steve for his consideration in June is available to the parish community in the gathering space, via email, and or by clicking here  In addition, an update on the current status of discussions related to the proposed use of the building is also included. To contact the committee with questions or comments,
please send an email

The Recommended Plan for Retention of The Colbert House that was presented to Father Steve for his consideration in June is available to the parish community in the gathering space, via email, and or by clicking here  In addition, an update on the current status of discussions related to the proposed use of the building is also included. To contact the committee with questions or comments,
please send an email

Gosia Geiger and her daughter, parishioners from St. John the Baptist, are traveling to Poland in late July. While there, they will help at Gdanskie Szkoly Autonomiczne, a school that is aiding Ukrainian refugee families, and one to which they are personally connected. During the school year, supplies were collected and sent, but there is a great need for funds to purchase supplies in the country. We are asking for your help this week at all Masses in our CCNCC community. 

This weekend there will be a bowl at each Church for cash or checks made out to St. John the Baptist. All donations will be converted into funds that will be wired directly to the school. Once in Poland the Geigers will work with the school personnel to help distribute this aid. Many of you may have already contributed to other Ukrainian relief efforts, but this is an opportunity for a direct connection. The family will share photos and stories when they return. We continue to pray for peace.

Fr. Steve opened the gathering with a prayer and then read the following:

Background

I’d like to start with some background so that we’re all on the same page. This meeting is about the Colbert House and not about any other issue or concern. Any of those can be directed to the Pastoral Council representatives or an email to me at steve.matthews@rcda.org.

As you know, before I arrived last July, the diocese instructed the transition team that whoever the new pastor was to be, that priest would be living in the St. Joseph’s Stuyvesant Falls rectory. Therefore, they were told to investigate the possible sale of the St. James rectory since the real estate market was very hot.

Unfortunately, there was poor communication between the transition team and the diocesan Pastoral Planning office with the leaders of St. James parish. As you also know, there was lots of angst with the secretive process of Real Estate agents, appraising the rectory, etc.

As you also are aware, I was named pastor around the same time and felt I had entered a hornet’s nest. Ever since then, there has been a distrust of my leadership along with suspicion about the intentions of the diocese. While I have attempted on a number of occasions to assure St. James parishioners (as well as parishioners from the other parishes) that there was and is no hidden agenda, by me or by the diocese, including the bishop, there was and is still that lack of trust.

In the early fall 2021 I hosted a meeting here at St. James (along with separate meetings at the other 3 churches) to listen to parishioners’ concerns. While I’m not here to re-hash those meetings, I took your concerns seriously which is why I invited Fr. Bob Longobucco, Vicar General of the diocese to come to our One Faith Community of the Catholic Community of Northern Columbia County to discuss issues about how the transition went and the concerns about the possible sale of the St. James Rectory.

Colbert House Committee

From that meeting, it was agreed that a small group of St. James parishioners would meet and have met to discuss the possible uses for the St. James Rectory aka The Colbert House. Representatives of the other parishes were included. While I wasn’t included in the detailed meetings, I gave the committee my support to continue to determine finances and operations as well as potential uses of the St. James Rectory.

Thank you to the members and chairs of the various committees that make up the Colbert House Committee, including its advisors. Lots of time, thought and energy went into the proposal and all of it is very much appreciated.

There is more information in the status of The Colbert House in the bulletin dated June 5, 2022. While the original goal was to come up with a rough plan within 60 to 90 days, the process took a bit longer than anticipated. 

One of the concerns expressed at the Fall meeting with Fr. Longobucco was the poor communications and transparency between the diocese and parish of St. James.

To be 100% clear and transparent, part of the task that the Colbert House committee agreed to is that there is a non-negotiable condition that has been placed on the retention of the Colbert House. It is that St. James Church (or other parishes) funds are not to be used to pay for any associated costs for the Colbert House. (Thus, significant fundraising efforts will be required.) (See status report of June 5 linked here)

Shared Expenses

As you may know, there is information in this week’s bulletin about tri-parish shared expenses. Examples include administration, faith formation, clergy expenses and my living expenses. These expenses are divided among the three parishes. There will be no change to that structure (other than the possible change in the % each parish is to be responsible for, but that is a discussion for the Parish Finance Councils of each of our three parishes).

Request for Meeting with Fr. Longobucco (Vicar General of the Diocese)

The Colbert House committee wanted to meet with Fr. Longobucco to determine if they were on the correct path with the ideas that they were developing. The leaders of the Colbert House committee presented me with an email requesting a meeting with Fr. Longobucco. I made a few suggested edits, and the email was sent to him in the later part of April. I contacted Fr. Longobucco and suggested he and I speak to discuss the email before he was to respond to it. Unfortunately, between his schedule and mine, (including my case of COVID) it took a lot longer for Fr. Longobucco and I to meet.  So please do not blame him for the lack of response. We saw each other a few times in May and early June, but the timing wasn’t right.

We finally had a phone call in the latter part of June and here we are.

Proposal

The Colbert House committee has proposed the financial budget for the Colbert House for this FY, which runs from July 1 – June 30. They also proposed a list of 15 or so uses that could be held at the Colbert House. Some of those uses were activities that I had reservations about, but they were still listed in the proposal (Appendix A of the Proposal).

It is also proposed and agreed that all related operating expense will be fully financed by the independent resources (not any parish funds). If not, we may need to sell the Colbert House.

When Fr. Longobucco and I spoke, I mentioned some of my concerns to him. I did also express to Fr. Longobucco that there may be some uses that the diocese should consider. He was open to discuss them, and I suggested that maybe it could come down to one or two uses. 

He was open to discuss them and mentioned that he had one in mind that we discussed. Perhaps it might even be a win/win for the parish and the diocese. I stated that I think the parish and the committee would be open to his idea and that I also had one in mind, that wasn’t on the list. We discussed it and agreed that these should be explored and implemented if the parish and the committee agree.

Reminder about Financing (from the Proposal)

“…, it needs to be made clear to the community that over the longer term, if inadequate funding is not available to meet the expenses and establish a reserve (for major repairs) the Colbert House may be sold.”

Agreement between Fr. Steve and Diocese

While there were a number of suggestions put forth, Fr. Longobucco and I have come up with an agreement with a simpler plan to avoid the sale of this property.

The usage of the Colbert House is as follows – it will be for a period of two years, with a decision at the end of two years (or sooner, if financing is not sufficient), whether or not the agreement is working.

Three potential uses:

1. Fr. Steve will stay at the St. James Rectory occasionally (probably on average once a week), and
2. The Colbert House aka the St. James rectory will be opened to priests of the RCDA as a day’s respite for those who may not have a place to go on their day off. 
3. It will also be made available as an overnight location for priests who may want to use it as a quiet place of prayer or mini retreat.

Details can be worked out, but no other uses will be permitted for the first two years, unless first approved by the pastor and Fr. Longobucco in advance.

Thank you

While both Fr. Longobucco and I appreciate all the time and effort of the committee to brainstorm and work through a number of other suggestions, the Colbert House will have these limited uses for the next 2 years. At which time a formal review will determine if any changes need to be made for the Colbert House / St. James rectory.

Lastly, to reiterate, that the budget for shared services for each of the 3 parishes (at a TBD - to be determined percentage) will continue to pay for Fr. Steve’s living expenses at the St. Joseph’s Stuyvesant Falls rectory. Any expenses of the Colbert House will not be offset by the other parishes or to offset the shared expenses of the pastor’s living quarters.

Thank you for listening and your concern for the St. James Rectory/Colbert House

Questions

While the in-person meeting had an opportunity to ask questions, if you are reading this and have questions you may direct them to the Colbert House Committee at:

ColbertHouse284@gmail.com

or to me at:

Steve.Matthews@RCDA.org