Our Lady of Hope Beacons of Light Town Hall Meeting

June 9, 2025, St. Philip the Apostle 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

 Meeting Minutes 

1. The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Fr. Craig, who opened with prayer.
2. Craig reminded everyone why Beacons of Light is happening — that there are fewer priests and fewer practicing Catholics than there were compared to past generations. He then broke Beacons into two broad categories. The first category involves changing the mindset of staff and parishioners from “maintenance” (i.e. doing what we’ve “always” done\being reactive) to “mission” (i.e. Proactive Evangelization). This is Jesus’s divine commission, and it is the expectation in the archdiocese. Evangelization matters because souls are at stake. The second of the two broad categories for Beacons is operational, with the significant change being a “merger” of our two parishes to form a new parish (presumably under the title of “Our Lady of Hope.”) This will involve getting a new tax ID to be shared by both our churches and a joint checking account for operational expenses. Fr. Craig stressed that his intention was to make note of how much money each parish had in reserves at the time of the merger and that parish leadership would do its best to honor those balances. Moving forward from the time of the merger, collections would be combined and used for combined operational expenses, such as staff salaries, utilities, etcetera. Fr. Craig has set a goal of merging by July 1, 2026, but noted we will have to work with the archdiocese to determine if that is realistic.
3. Those in attendance were then given the opportunity to start writing questions on index cards, which would be looked at and addressed toward the end of the meeting and\or subsequently in writing.
4. Philip parishioner Brian Boon gave an update of facilities upgrades that were in the works at St. Philip. These include the installation of an elevator going from the undercroft to the gathering space outside the church on the second level; the renovation of part of the undercroft to create two conference rooms; the renovation\creation of two new bathrooms in the undercroft; and renovations to the St. Philip rectory basement to accommodate an overnight or summer guest, such as a seminarian on break from classes. Finally, Brian reviewed attendance trends at St. Philip, noting that the parish has rebounded from the COVID decline, but attendance was not what it was twenty years ago. Whether a new church could be built at St. Philip depends on several factors, the two primary ones being increased attendance and whether enough money could be pledged in a capital campaign. It was noted that the upgrades that have already been made to the St. Philip worship space, along with the planned renovations, which we hope to have completed this summer, were taken from reserves without asking parishioners for money.
5. Before the review of questions, Fr. Craig briefly reviewed discussion topics as suggested by the archdiocese, which would be addressed at future town hall meetings. Hard copies of those questions were made available to those in attendance and will be published so that all parishioners have an opportunity to weigh in.
6. Before Fr. Brice closed the meeting in prayer, 20 minutes were set aside for Q & A. Below is a summary of the questions we received, some of which were addressed verbally:
   1. Q: What is the current debt of each parish? A: We are extremely blessed that neither parish has a debt. St. Philip has reserves of approximately 2.5 million dollars; St. Francis has reserves of approximately 1.2 million dollars.
   2. Q: Upon the merger will we need a new TIN\EIN? A: In short, yes. This will likely be the most complicated part of the merger process.
   3. Q: Since we have two priests who alternate parishes, why do we need to merge? A: We cannot guarantee that we will have two full-time priests in the future. The creation of “Families of Parishes” was something the Archdiocese of Cincinnati gave much thought and planning to, and we need to trust that this is the best course. Many other dioceses across the country have already or are currently moving in a similar direction.
   4. Q: What will happen to the 3 million dollars that belongs only to us? A: This was addressed in Fr. Craig’s opening remarks. (See number 2 at the top.)
   5. Q: Why is Luis’s position not being filled? We need staffing for YFF.  A: Luis was hired last summer to assist both adult and youth catechesis. He left after 6 weeks, and we had trouble finding someone when we hired him. The decision was made to try to go through last year and reassess the need. We do have money budgeted for a replacement for that position and are currently discussing posting for it.
   6. Q: “Merger agreement? How much $? To Prepare.” A: The question is hard to make out. If this person is asking if there is a cost for getting new tax ID’s, we’ll have to explore that, but I don’t imagine it will be anything substantial. We’re learning as we go. Bottom line is that we “have to” do this. There is no stopping this train.
   7. Q: What helps attract potential parishioners? A: Jerry Robinson spoke to this. Beauty of the worship space is certainly one factor. We could also add that a sense of a welcoming community. Attracting new parishioners is something our staff continues to discern and discuss on a regular basis.
   8. Q: As a catechist, what improvements are being made to improve St. Philip’s YFF program? We are short staffed and the noise level is unbearable. A: Fr. Craig noted that the reason Sunday Mass times were adjusted last Fall was to add time and enhance the student’s experience, moving toward a relational model. We prioritize the formation of our youth. We also recognize that the facilities at St. Philip leave much to be desired. We continue to explore what options are worth exploring, the cost involved and the potential tradeoffs. It should be stressed, however, that what we are doing in YFF is meant to supplement what the parents should already be doing, as parents are the first and primary educators of the Faith to their children.
   9. Q: Once the merger goes through, can we make contributions specifically to a building\facilities account at a specific location? A: Yes, this is called “restricted funds.” An example would be a parishioner that donates several thousand dollars to be used toward repaving the parking lot at one location. General collection money, which is used to pay operational expenses, should not be allocated to one specific church.
   10. Q: Will we continue to have a Pastor and a Parochial Vicar? A: God willing. This is impossible to know for sure, as many factors will determine this, such as the number of active priests and the attendance at each parish.
   11. Q: How will combing parishes affect our young adults? Can we keep them faithful? A: Sadly, according to statistics each generation is “less religious” than the one that preceded it. As far as mergers of parishes, it “seems” those most concerned at various parishes across the archdiocese are not the young adults. I believe the advantages of merging, such as the opportunity to feel part of a wider community and meet more people, far outweigh any downside. Most parishioners are likely to notice little if any difference after the merger, as it pertains primarily to operational efficiency.
   12. Q: Has anyone researched new home starts in our area and how that might factor into future projections? A: Brian Boon touched on this in his presentation. It is true that our parish boundaries are seeing some of the most significant growth for new homes\residents. Unfortunately, this often does not translate into new parishioners. Evangelization is a priority among the parish staff, but a large part of the answer involves parishioners evangelizing.
   13. Q: Weekly collections are published in the bulletins. Will weekly expenses also be published? A: This information is published annually when with the upcoming budget has been approved by parish council. It includes the previous fiscal year’s budget and expenses, as well as expense projections for the coming year.
   14. Q: Where does it state in Beacons of Light that we must have one tax identification number by 2026? A: July 1 of 2026 is our target date. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati does not stipulate this, recognizing that every parish family is different. Some families of parishes have already merged or amalgamated. Others will probably take considerable time to reach this point. Because we are already relatively far along in the process and so much of our operations entail employees working for both parishes, July of 2026 seems like a reasonable goal. Whether we hit this or not will depend on several factors, and ultimately rests with the approval of Archbishop Casey and Presbyteral Council. Yes, we could stretch this out longer, but why? One analogy is waiting until Christmas Eve to do your shopping or waiting until the day before the term paper is due to beginning writing it.
   15. Q: Why are there no parishioners from St. Philip working at St. Philip? Doesn’t it cost more if staff travel from SFDS than are hired locally? A: We try to hire the best candidates for the position. PJ Ehling is a St. Philip parishioner. We do have a couple of parishioners from St. Francis who applied and were hired to work at St. Francis. No, it does not cost more for the parish for a Lebanon resident to commute to their primary work location.
   16. Q: Could we obligate a parish’s cash balance be spent on a new church rather than just spending on day-to-day expenses. A: The amount of money in savings is not “restricted funds.“ Before the merger, the bills still need to be paid. As mentioned above, we plan to do our best to note the balance each parish had and use that money for that specific parish. It remains to be seen whether building a new church is feasible.
   17. Q: With all the building going on near both parishes, has there been any discussion of enlarging SFDS school or building one for SPTA? A: There have been some discussions of what expansion at SFDS school might look like. There are no plans to build a school at St. Philip.
   18. Q: What can we do to get St. Philip to use the SFDS Parish Center more, because it has so much to offer. A: We have already hosted combined events, and we advertise existing groups, which all Our Lady of Hope parishioners are welcome to join.
   19. Q: How can members of the various parish ministries help to keep parishioners informed of progress toward the merger? A: Communication probably needs to come from a central source, but parishioners (including those involved in various ministries) should certainly encourage other parishioners to look for updates in the bulletin, on our website, and\or attend the town hall meetings.
   20. Q: Will the new meeting rooms in the basement of St. Philip be sound proof so we can have Mass and meetings at the same time? A: The new rooms will be better insulated. Whether meetings should be happening while Mass is taking place is another matter.
   21. Q: Does St. Francis’s tuition completely cover expenses of principal, teachers, and utilities of the school? What expenses will be paid from the joint bank account once we merge? A: As student enrollment increases, the amount St. Francis de Sales parish contributes to subsidize the school decreases. With enrollment for next year, the school is almost self-sustaining. This may fluctuate from year-to-year, but for the past 4 years enrollment has gone up. St. Philip parishioners are encouraged to try to not to think of the school in terms of “us and them,” but rather our Members of St. Philip attend the school at St. Francis. Catholic education is about forming the next generation of Catholics. We’re all part of Our Lady of Hope.
   22. Q: What is the estimated cost of renovations of St. Philip church and rectory? A: The rectory enhancements are very modest — approximately $10k — and will add much more of that to the value of the house. We are still waiting for final bid for the elevator and conference rooms, but altogether is in the neighborhood of $200k.
   23. Q: What changes are we making to the facilities at SFDS? A: We are blessed to have much newer facilities at St. Francis, largely because the previous church and office space were inadequate. This summer the school kitchen is receiving some upgrades. We are also looking to make some much needed security upgrades in the school, which involves more and better cameras. Other than the possibility of building a gym for the school, most upgrades at St. Francis would be upkeep to existing facilities.
   24. Q: Thinking to the future, if we are one of the fastest growing townships in Ohio, shouldn’t we be planning for that? A: Brian Boon addressed the attendance trends we are tracking and what would go into the decision to build a new church. We cannot assume that new houses or self-identifying Catholics residing in the area will translate into consistently higher Mass attendance. We need to see the Masses near capacity week after week to begin a feasibility study on whether the appetite exists among parishioners to invest in building a new church. This, however, remains a goal.
   25. Q: What about having a police person at the entrance following Mass? Traffic is much greater now! A: This is something we could bring up at parish council.
   26. Q: If we have one tax ID, don’t we become liable for other church actions on lawsuits. A: Probably. Let’s hope we don’t have any lawsuits, period.
   27. Q: When will we have our own janitor and larger space for music director. (Probably from a St. Philip parishioner) A: We continue to evaluate staffing needs and whether to contract janitorial services or hire someone and make them part of parish staff. Expanding office space obviously costs money, though we have looked at some plans.

Next town hall meeting will be announced soon. Stay tuned.