This is my final week of writing about parishes annual financial reports and current needs for our parishes. Please look to the previous two bulletins my article for St. Joseph in Gnesen, St. Benedict, and St. John (October 19), and St. Mary Star of the Sea and St. Michael (October 26). This week I will be writing about the Cathedral.

I want to thank everyone for continuing to step up in your financial giving and stewardship with what you have been blessed with by God. We have continued to have another year moving the needle financially for the Cathedral parish in the right direction. Remember where we came from: When I arrived, the Cathedral had just ended the fiscal year with a deficit of $270,000. This was due primarily to two things: The cost of the air conditioning which we took out of savings and which we did not raise any money for, and a downturn in ordinary giving.

After I brought this to your attention, we as a parish really moved things in the right direction and were able to end the next year with a comparatively smaller deficit of $16,000. Ordinary giving went up in a big way that year, and we were able to be careful with spending on projects.

This last year, the end of my second year, June 30, 2025 we made it to a positive year end of a surplus of almost $92,000. $70,000 of that was an easement agreement with the bell tower – which we no longer receive regular payments for. The ordinary giving did go up, but just by $4,000. The remainder of the surplus was due to not moving forward with more needed projects for the parish.

Of our current money in the bank/investments which is about $440,000, $184,000 is in liabilities, trust accounts and deferred income accounts – in other words money that is not liquid or could be used for anything. Certainly, a much better position than we have been in for the last few years, and that is due to your generous stewardship and stepping up for the needs of the Cathedral Parish.

Looking to our current year and needs, we are slightly behind on our ordinary giving by about $10,000. This isn’t a huge number comparative to the yearlong budget, but if that gap continues it will be much larger by the end of the fiscal year in June. I encourage all of us to look at our ordinary giving, and to consider an increase, and if you have not yet given to the Cathedral to begin doing so. We have about $27,000 more to raise for the Diocesan Ministries Appeal by December 31st. If you have not yet given your gift to the Ministries Appeal for the Cathedral, please consider a gift before the end of the year.

We have begun a study on our boilers for the church and the school which will give us a plan to execute after this year’s heating season for new boilers. These boilers were being looked to be replaced over 10 years ago when Bishop Peter Muhich was the rector, but we have been limping them along, and praise God that they have continued functioning for us. School families remember the boiler at the school failing at the end of the heating season last spring. We have done necessary repairs on both boilers to have them ready for this winter, but we have been on borrowed time for a long time with them. We will know more precise costs for replacement when the study comes back to us which I will share at that time, but each boiler could cost between $200,000-$300,000 each. (This includes removal, installation, parts, everything).

To help with heat efficiency, we have looked into replacing the windows in the rectory, office, social hall – everywhere but the church itself – and bids are between $200,000-$250,000. We certainly don’t need to do the windows at the same time as the boiler, but you can see the needs we have to be efficient in the use of our utilities.

Security is another big one and we have been applying for grants as well. Just for security cameras that cover outside the building, entrances, and parking lots would be over $50,000.

Lighting of course is a huge desire. We are working slowly on this without funds to move faster on getting enhanced lighting for the church. It is very dark when we do not get enough natural light due to it being night time or overcast skies. We are looking at costs of over $200,000 to get adequate lighting in the church, which includes plans to use the original chandeliers in the nave.

You can see that even though our finances are in a much healthier place than they have been, there is simply no way we can do the needed replacements/repairs/safety enhancements without your generosity. These costs are well over $1 million. They don’t all need to be done at once, but all are needed for the care of our Cathedral parish.

Thank you again for all of your great kindness and generosity in your stewardship for our Cathedral parish. Please prayerfully consider beginning to give if you have not yet done so, look to your current giving to see if you can increase to help in the needs of building up the Church, and lastly if any of the particular needs mentioned this weekend are items you feel particularly called to give to, you can write a check with the memo line for that particular item, or you can call the parish office to set up a particular gift.

Please continue to help me in the needs of all our parishes so they can be places for generations to come to worship the living God, Jesus Christ. 

God bless. – Fr Seth

St. Mary Star of the Sea: First Pancake Breakfast of the season at St. Mary Star of the Sea Sunday, November 2 9-11:30.  Adults $10, Under 10 $6. Gluten free & takeout available. The parish nurse will be available during the pancake breakfast for blood pressure screening and free covid test kits will be available. 

St. Michael: Join the Knights of Columbus for a delicious pancake breakfast Sunday, November 9, in the Fellowship Hall at St. Michael.  Breakfast will be served starting at 9:30 a.m. and continue after the 11 a.m. Mass.  Cost is $9 per person with a maximum of $20 per family.  All are welcome to come and enjoy good food and fellowship! 

Please come to St. Ann's (across the street from St. Mary Star of the Sea) at 1:30 on November 2 to visit with our elderly neighbors. Caribou coffee and donuts provided. The residents are very much looking forward to this! Thank you for your continued prayers for the residents of St Ann's and for all our neighbors. 

The Holy Rosary Society will be meeting Saturday, November 1, 2025 at 10:00 am in the Social Hall at St. Mary Star of the Sea Church. The meeting starts with prayer and then continues with the official meeting.  All women are invited to attend, either for prayer or for the full meeting.  The meeting should conclude by 11:30 am. 

Thank you to Sr. Clare Marie Trettel, Sr. Claudia Cherro, Sr. Josine Krausnick, Sr. Joan Marie Stelman, and Sr. Gretchen Johnson from St. Scholastica Monastery who are prayer advocates for the clergy and parishioners of the Catholic Parishes of East Duluth this coming year.  Please keep the sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery in your prayers.    

Cathedral of Our Lady will be hosting open grief support meetings for anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one and would like to have some added support during the Holiday Season. The meetings will be in the Cathedral Multi-purpose Room from 5:30 to 7 P.M. on Tuesdays, November 18^th, December 16^th and January 20^th. If you have any questions, please call Bridget Leighton at 218-348-8593. 

The Knights of Columbus at St. Michael are kicking off their annual Fall Coats for Kids Drive. Their goal this year is to raise enough funds to provide 60–70 warm coats for families in need. Members of the Knights will be taking up a collection in the gathering space at St. Michael's following the 11 a.m. Mass the next three Sundays. Thank you for your generosity and support! 

Our annual Christmas Tree and Wreath Sale begins Friday, November 28, and will continue until everything is sold!  All proceeds support St. Michael’s, so be sure to stop by, pick out your perfect tree or beautiful 26” wreath, and share the news with family and friends. We are looking for volunteers to help make this event a success!  Sales begin November 28, and shifts are as follows:

Volunteering is a fun, easy way to give your time and support this important parish fundraiser.  Volunteers help keep the tree area tidy, assist customers in choosing their perfect tree, and handle payments—no sales experience needed! We also need 1–2 volunteers on Tuesday, November 25 to help pick up trees from the farm near Grand Rapids (depart 9 a.m., load 268 trees, and unload back at St. Michael’s). To volunteer or learn more, please contact Mark Wilhelmson at 218-355-0706, George Schaenzer at 218-343-1587, or Sharene Anstett at 218-525-1902. Thank you for your support!

Beginning Thursday Nov 6, a Men's weekly scripture group will meet in St. Ben's library at 6:45 AM to reflect and pray over the coming Sunday's Gospel concluding at 7:30. We begin with prayer followed with a slow reading of the Gospel. After a pause the Gospel will be read again slowly. Participants are encouraged to first ask questions to clarify what is written and second to express what has struck them. We conclude with prayers and petitions and a blessing. Questions? Contact Jim Reinke (218-830-2231). 

Stella Maris Academy has received funds to support tuition assistance needs for Sentinel families.  This fund- the Catholic Religious Education Endowment Fund provides for the financial support of educational opportunities for the enrichment of faith and the spreading of the gospel by the laity, deacons, priests, and Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Duluth. Support and more information of this fund can be found at: https://dioceseduluth.org/creed.  We are grateful for the continued support of CREED at Stella Maris Academy.  

All parishioners can unlock free Creighton Model FertilityCare™ instruction through this special opportunity! Charting is beneficial for family planning and for monitoring and supporting reproductive health at all stages of life. Sign up for a free Creighton Model Introductory Session by visiting www.northlandfertilitycare.com.  The upcoming schedule for Introductory Classes is 

Sanctus Series: The Gospel According to Bach being performed by David Packa and friends at Cathedral of Christ the King, 1111 Belknap St., Superior, on Nov. 15 at 7PM. Featuring instrumental and vocal works from the cantatas and passions of Johann Sebastian Bach, experience the story of Scripture in a unique and beautiful way. From the Creation to the Fall, from Redemption to Restoration, "The Gospel According to Bach: is an opportunity to reflect on God's glory, grace and the great hope we have in Christ.  Freewill offering.