St. James the Less & St John the Baptist Catholic Churches

Talk presented by Fr. Dan Dorau at Masses on May 10-11, 2025

             Bishop Walsh is putting together a revised plan for how churches in the diocese support their Catholic schools, which directly impacts 3 of the churches that share this pastor. In his years of experience and studying the data, our Bishop realized that the current level and mode of support for our schools is not sustainable. He loves our Catholic schools, as do I, and is getting ready to promote a plan that will keep our schools going and growing by enhancing financial stability, fostering leadership, and improving communication within our community. More on that in a minute, but first, we need to understand the relationship between our church and the school.

             About 100 years ago, there was a nationwide push for all Catholic churches to have their own parish school to provide the faith and moral education needed to grow the church. St. Mary, St. John, and St. James each had their own grade school and high school. This was a ministry of each church, supported by the sacrifice of many of our grandparents and great-grandparents to grow the faith and keep our churches vibrant.

             As education costs rose and attendance waned, the three churches came together and formed Marquette School, still a ministry of, and belonging to, the 3 churches. Without the churches there would be no school. As with all ministries of the church they are supported as resources allow. Moving into this century, church attendance was shrinking, resources were shrinking, class enrollment was shrinking, and education costs continued rising, so many of you lived through another consolidation of our Catholic school ministry, bringing Marquette and Aquinas schools together 20 years ago into what we know as Holy Trinity Catholic School.

             When HTC was incorporated in 2005, its success was uncertain. So, a formula was put in place whereby the 4 participating churches gave 60% of their income to the school, a rate sufficient enough to fortify the fledgling school and help ensure its growth. Over the years, as the school found its footing, began to grow and thrive, and found other revenue streams (grants, parent organizations, fundraisers, state assistance, etc.) to support its success, the parishes continued to give 60%, regardless of the school’s actual need.

             Bishop Walsh believes we need to be supporting students rather than the institution, so that any Catholic child who wishes to go to HTC is able to do so. He believes that all Catholic schools should be financially responsible in their planning and transparent in keeping the cost of education as low as possible. For the upcoming school year, it will cost HTC about $12,500 to educate each child, which is believed to be lower than other local schools, but after state aid the shortfall is still about $4700. The question is—who should pay that? Parents? The churches? And should it matter whether they are parishioners or not? The Bishop promotes schools finding support from more sources instead of relying so heavily on the parishes.

             I had said earlier that the Bishop is working on a plan. He is collaborating with various experts, including Craig Huebner, HTC’s principal and chief administrator. The plan is still in draft form and I am sure it will be widely published when finished. However, realizing that schools were working on budgets for the fall, he couldn’t wait on one piece of it, and so this Spring, he did say that he wanted the support from parishes to be reduced this fall so they could have more resources for their other ministries. We could build a good Youth and Family ministry if we had more resources; have more robust RE, faith formation and adult catechism; add ministries for evangelization and social justice; and maybe add staff to relieve some of the pressure on your burned out pastor. I also know that important maintenance and improvements needed at our 3 churches could be done when needed without having to wait years for bequests from generous church members when they pass away, which has been the case.

             For this fall, our 3 churches are committing 30% of our income to support the school, or $406,362 of your donations. If we add in support from Holy Family in Ft. Madison, Holy Trinity will receive about $587,000 for the next school year. The churches continue to support the school and its no small amount. The school Board has approved a budget for that amount and also approved tuitions rates. For an Iowa student, after applying their guaranteed state aid, they can go to HTC for $823, or, if they are a parish member, for $223.

             In all the following years, the churches commit to 25% of our income to support the school, by subsidizing the students rather than the institution.

             When some among us heard that church support was going to be reduced or that the mode of support was changing, the rumor mills and gossip trees went into overdrive without ever having seen the Bishop’s plan. I realize change is difficult, but rest assured the Bishop wants sustained growth and success for our school as much as you do. I hope everyone can see from the numbers that the churches will always be committed to the school as their number one ministry and those spreading the word that the churches are no longer supporting the school, are spreading a myth.

             Some have declared they will no longer support the church but only the school. Some have decided to boycott the fall church auctions at our 3 churches, and are encouraging other to follow suit. To me, supporting a ministry of the church but not the church itself is like the tail trying to wag the dog. It doesn’t work. But we are exploring options with our auctions to make them attractive to as many as possible.

             We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. It is difficult be one when members are deliberately sowing seeds of conflict and disunity. It is difficult for me to see the holiness in what I have heard. Very few of the discontented members talk about the spiritual or Catholic aspects of the ministry we call HTC. And if we are an apostolic church, why is there disdain for the guidance of our bishop, given to us from Mother Church as a successor to the apostles, whose authority was given to them from Christ himself.

             I would encourage all concerned parties to take a deep breath and then look at the mission statements for our parishes that are published each week in the bulletin. Our mission is why we exist. Everything we do should be to further that mission in addition to our universal call to be holy. Let us pray that this may be so.