Piety Hill Musings

The ramblings of the Rector of St. John's Episcopal Church of Detroit. Piety Hill refers to the old name for our neighborhood. The neighborhood has changed a great deal in the over 160 years we have been on this corner (but not our traditional biblical theology) and it is now known for the neighboring theatres, the professional baseball and football stadiums and new hockey/basketball arena.

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Location: Detroit, Michigan, United States

Monday, February 03, 2014

Annual Parish Meeting Good News, Presentation, and St. Blase - Rector's Rambling 2/2/2014

Today we resume our Annual Parish Meeting, having called it to order last Sunday and immediately recessed it to today after the 10:00 AM service.  This has given us a chance to get to you last Sunday the published reports and financial statements so that you could review them before today’s meeting.  Unfortunately, with all that careful pre-meeting preparation, it snowed last week and many of you were unable to attend worship and pick up the booklet.
The financial reports will be gone over more closely at the meeting, but there are several glaring highlights.  Pledge income for 2013 was $40,000 higher than in 2012, and total income over $28,600 higher as well.  Expenses were reduced by $21,135 in 2013 from 2012.  For the first time in over 40 years, no money was used from endowment funds for the operating of the parish.  The financial situation for the coming year looks positive as well, God willing.  Pledges for 2014 are almost $37,000 higher than last year’s pledges and once again we are expecting to not use the endowment funds.  The value of the three funds is $1,163,755 which is up from $1,049,210 last year.
Be sure to join us downstairs for the Annual Parish Meeting after the 10:00 AM service.
Today we also celebrate a major and a minor feast.  The Holy Communion service commemorates The Feast of the Purification, a prayer book holy day that always occurs on February 2, and takes precedence over the celebration of the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany.  It is a quick deviation into the white vestments before returning to the green for one more week of Epiphany, and before breaking out the purple for Pre-lent ( gesima Sundays) and Lent itself.  (Ash Wednesday is March 5).
Immediately following today’s services we will anticipate tomorrow’s Feast of St. Blase.  All are welcome to come back to the chapel for a blessing to be “freed and protected from all ailments of the throat and all other infirmity” through the mighty intercession of St. Blase.


posted by StJohnsPriest | 11:07 AM