Dear Parishioners of St. Vincent de Paul,
God is good!
In business there are three ways to account for inventory, FIFO (First In, First out), LIFO (Last in, First out) and JIT (Just in Time). God seems to use the JIT method. Have you ever received a small windfall just as you needed it? I see that happen in my personal life all the time and I see it here too. The JIT inventory method is about bringing in inventory just as you are about to need, instead of storing product. God does that too! While we all wish that God might send us a big nest egg windfall so it’s there for times that we need it, God wants us to trust in him to provide JUST IN TIME.
In both my bookkeeping, and now my Pastoral Administrator Assistant, P.A.A., position, I have been responsible for budgeting and creating Financial Statements. As an accountant I have experience at looking at numbers and finding trends, both good and bad. I see a trend here at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, that trend is our needs are met, Just In Time. A few years ago, before COVID, we were beginning to see a decline in our Sunday Giving and we were worried about making our budget, then all of a sudden, we received a very generous bequest from a former parishioner, Praise God! Not only did we receive a financial lift but also a spiritual one, gifts like these bring us such joy in the office, not because of the dollar amount but because we see people being generous and living out the will of Jesus to give back.
When we were collecting for the 2021 Annual Catholic Appeal, we said that all dollars above our goal amount would go towards installing touch less dispensers. Today, 10 months later, our parish is back to filled pews, almost, programs and dare I say events with food! Well guess what my brothers and sisters in Christ, we have started putting in touch less paper towel and soap dispensers throughout the facilities and it’s happening now – Just In Time.
Diana Carasa
Pastoral Assistant for Administration
Financials - Payroll - Facilities
