Our Bishop Farrell has accepted our offer to purchase the approximately 6.5 acres of land south of our parish property. This land has been owned by the Diocese of Dallas for over twenty-five years. The parish obtained from the Diocese [in two parcels] the twenty acres we now occupy. The purchase will increase our total are to approximately 27 acres. The purchase price of the land was $1,500,000 (which is probably a little below market value). Of course, this income to the Diocese will allow them to meet increasing financial obligations to further the work of the Catholic Church. We are truly all part of one family, working together to accomplish the mission that God has given us.

The land purchase will allow us to make more firm plans for the future. We have been struggling for some time to try to reasonably fit educational buildings, parking lots and other future expansions on the acreage we have. While we are still in the planning stages of our work, it is most likely that we will first build a religious education building on the newly acquired land. We will also investigate another connection from our facility to Greenville Avenue, perhaps through Trinity Drive.

We intend to pay for this property with a bank loan which we are now negotiating. Our current mortgage debt is $3,000,000 and we have cash assets of approximately $1,000,000. The future building needs for the foreseeable future include construction valued in excess of $8,000,000. It is important to consider how this will happen.

One significant factor is that Catholic parishes in the suburbs of the Diocese of Dallas are large, simply because of the shortage of priests. By the way, the priests to laity ratio although growing, is pretty similar throughout the world. Large parishes are not our preference. However, the only way we can adequately take care of our people today is in fewer, and therefore larger parishes. This means that numbers related to parish life and planning are bigger and may be somewhat daunting. The chief problem with this new circumstance is the perspective that we might adopt, that my individual participation in the parish is not significant. I have been in small parishes, with less than a few hundred people. The decisions that people are called to make is the

same as in a parish with tens of thousands. We all must see that the advancement of the mission of the church as our most solemn obligation and truly a joyful opportunity. We hand on the faith, even with the purchase of a piece of land.

We would like you to consider making a gift to our Building Fund. This is especially important for those in our parish family that may have recently become members. Many of our parish families continue to make a regular (even weekly) contribution to the Building Fund. This has been going on for five years and that kind of faithful support is truly advancing the mission of our parish.

In closing let me encourage all of you. Our efforts, working together as a family, truly make a difference in the lives of many. We can rejoice in the Lord that he has given us the resources to work for his glorification. We offer our humble thanks for his many gifts and pray that we may faithfully use the gifts he has given us.

St. Jude’s facility has grown in pieces. The original in the center of the tract was a gift of St. Mark’s (Plano) Men’s Club. The north piece was purchased from the Diocese approximately ten years ago. The south piece is our new addition.