For those who attend the 4:00 PM Mass, you undoubtedly
know we had trouble with our air conditioning
system again. A new compressor was installed, which
should solve our cooling problems. Thanks for your
patience as we deal with an older air conditioning system
and very hot and humid weather.
New stop lights are going up at 52nd & Troost. The
new, larger light stanchions require greater set-back
than the current stands. The work is progressing
slowly, so that corner of our lawn has been torn up
for some time. The work is scheduled to be completed
by the end of September.
The universities are in session and there have been
several requests for parking on the parish lot. The
requests have been for parishioners, family members
and friends who attend UMKC, Rockhurst University,
or events in the area. Unfortunately, we are not
able to accommodate these requests due to insurance
and staffing issues. I am sorry for the inconvenience,
but we are not able to make any exceptions,
even for 1-day events. The only parking we
are able to allow in our lot is for those attending Mass
or on business in the parish office. Thank you for
your understanding.
Thank you to the students and staff of Rockhurst
University’s Finucane Project (2010 incoming freshmen
service project) for their help in cleaning up
the school property. The parish appreciates your
hard work!
As always, if you notice anything that needs attention,
or have any questions, please let me know.
Bruce Couch
816-523-5115, ext. 207
It's a hot summer
Aug 05, 2010 at 05:55 PM
Thank you to our 7:00 and 11:00 AM daily Mass attendees
for their patience as we dealt with some air
conditioning issues in the chapel. I know you endured
a stuffy chapel during Mass. We have the
problem fixed, and should be good from here on.
Also, thanks to all parishioners who attend our weekend
Masses, you too have had to deal with some uncomfortable
conditions in the church. We are working
with a new maintenance company on these issues
and it looks like we have come out on the other side.
Our air conditioning system (compressor, etc.) is getting
older and will need constant maintenance to keep
everyone cool. We may be looking at replacing parts
of the system soon. The system worked very hard during
the extremely hot June weather, as was evident in
our $2,100 electric bill.
Positive steps to solve our water problems—THE
END! (Keep Praying)
We will soon begin adding soil to the corner of our
property where the church and the parish office
building meet to make a steep grade. This will allow
(force) all the water that used to collect in the corner
to flow away from our building.
As always, if you notice anything that needs attention,
or have any questions, please let me know.
Bruce Couch 816-523-5115, ext. 207
What's going around SFX
Jul 31, 2010 at 10:49 PM
In recent weeks, flyers for a candidate for the Missouri
Senate were placed on cars in our parking lot
while parishioners attended Mass. Saint Francis Xavier
Parish does not support candidate Jim Lepper or
any other candidate for any elected position. As a
tax-exempt religious organization, and a part of the
Roman Catholic Church, we are not able to endorse
or actively seek support for any candidate. Electioneering
on our church properly jeopardizes the taxexempt
status not only for us, but for the entire
Church. If you are approached by anyone asking
support for a candidate or notice anyone leafleting
cars, etc., please let me know.
Positive steps to solve our water problems– Part 2!
1. A backflow prevention device was installed on July
21, and it appears it has been successful. (We had
water in the chapel area again after the storm on
Tuesday, July 20, but nothing after the storm on
Saturday, July 24.)
2. It appears that we may have had at least partial
blockage of the drain line from the parish to the
city’s sanitary sewer line. The line was flushed out
last week.
3. The first sump pump was installed July 23.
4. I am now working with our landscaping company
on the northeast corner of our property where the
church and the chapel meet. Over the years, this
has become a low spot, and has allowed rainwater
from the lawn, and water running down the side of
the building to collect in this corner. As the water
seeps into the ground, it finds its way into the basement
through our foundation. Our goal is to add
soil to make a steep grade so all water will flow
away from the building and out to the lawn.
As always, if you notice anything that needs attention,
or have any questions, please let me know.
Bruce Couch, 816-523-5115, ext. 207,
Capital Campaign and More
Jun 25, 2010 at 06:42 PM
As you know, our capital campaign officially wraps
up on June 30. It appears that we will close out the
campaign with a loan balance of around $170,000. I
will be working with our new pastor and the Finance
Committee to decide how we will continue to pay the
loan. I am asking all parishioners to consider continuing
your campaign donations beyond the June
30 date. If you were not able to make a pledge during
the campaign, please consider donating to reduce
the debt. If you have any questions, please let
me know.
Our basement water problems continue. The rainstorm
that occurred early in the morning on Monday,
June 14, again flooded the same areas. A waterproofing
company, recommend by the diocesan building
manager, can trench around the building and apply
waterproofing to the foundation, but due to OSHA
rules, the width of the trenches would cause us to
loose our landscaping, as well as the new concrete
pads and walkways outside the chapel entrance.
Their recommendation was to check with a landscaping
company about French drains. Our landscaping
company assessed the situation and it appears that
the drains most likely won’t solve our problem. We
will be doing some new grading in the northeast corner
where the parish offices and the church meet that
should help some. The next step is to bring in an engineer
to assess the drainage issues, etc.
As always, if you notice anything that needs attention,
or have any questions, please let me know
Bruce Couch, 816-523-5115, ext. 207,
Financial Update
Mar 29, 2010 at 10:48 AM
As you know, every quarter, our financial report is issued to the parish to continue the policy of transparency that our finance committee feels is vital. It is important to us that you know how your gifts to the parish are being used and that you have an opportunity to ask any questions you might have. One important item that has not been reflected in the report in the past is the total of funds held in reserve. These funds have been set aside to cover any large expenditure that may occur and are held separately from our general checking account. The parish currently has $90,481.63 on deposit with the diocese, which earn ???? annually. I will be working with the finance committee on a formula for regular deposits into the reserve account, and the balance will be included in future quarterly reports.
On a sad note, the harsh winter appears to have taken a toll on our tulips. It looks like our display will not be as beautiful as last year, and we will need to replant this fall. I’m sure we will all be glad to see SPRING.
As always, if you notice anything that needs attention or have any questions, please let me know. Bruce Couch, 816-523-5115, ext. 207;
