The Finance Committee at Our Lady & St Christopher’s has been set up in accordance with Church Law – Canon 537, which states that every parish should have a finance committee.
The committee is made up of the parish priest and at least three lay Catholics appointed by him. At the moment the Parish Finance committee constitutes seven parishioners all appointed by the Parish Priest for their various and varied experience and expertise in finance and property. Initially the members are appointed for three years but are eligible for re-appointment. One of the members is nominated as secretary who records and keeps minutes of meetings. A quorum for meetings is the parish priest and at least two members.
The parish priest is responsible for all the temporal goods of the parish according to Church Law (Canon 532) and in civil law he is the agent for the Diocese of Shrewsbury Trustees. The Parish finance committee is a consultative body which helps and advises the parish priest in the sound administration of the temporal goods of the parish. To this end there are at least three meetings during the year.
At these meetings, the committee will set a budget for the current financial year, consider the accounts and measure progress of actual spending against the agreed budget. The accounts are published annually to the parish.
The committee also has the obligation to ensure that the parish property is well maintained. At Our Lady & St Christopher’s we are currently undergoing a programme of extensive renovation and development of property belonging to the parish. The committee has been crucially involved in the decision making process that has resulted in a considerable renovation of the Church, and the demolition of the defunct Parish Centre. The latter will make way for a new parish centre. The parish house will also be extensively modernised, improved and renovated. This very busy and exciting period in the life of the parish has required considered and detailed work by the finance committee over several years. The committee has also had to work closely with the Diocesan Financial Board and was successful in obtaining the release of loans to carry out the work on the Church and the parish house. The committee also liaises with the Parish Fundraising Committee which is working hard to achieve the goal of sufficient funds to build the new Parish Centre.
In an effort to achieve that goal the finance committee scrutinise the parish accounts and make suggestions where economies may be made and how the parish property can be put to best use in order to maximise its usefulness and minimise its costs. The committee genuinely share the responsibility for the parish finances and do so for the benefit of the entire parish.
Get In Touch
Further information can be requested from the Finance Committee Secratary, Martin Coyle.