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Parish Pastoral Committe Communications
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October 2025
Dear Parishioners of Christ the King,
The recent listening sessions provided an opportunity for the Pastoral Planning Committee (PPC) to hear many thoughtful suggestions and supportive comments for our work. We are so grateful to all of you who participated in person, by email or by phone. It is clear that parishioners understand the significant challenges we face as a parish community and want to know more details in order to help. Transparency, urgency, a true commitment to our spiritual home and acknowledgement of difficult choices ahead resonated in each of the sessions. Shortly after we began our work together, the PPC divided into three work groups: Profit and Loss (P& L), Capital Expense (CapEx) and Vitality. Each work group is providing responses to some specific questions, themes and suggestions that were captured.
P & L Sub Committee: Our focus is examining all revenues and expenses associated with the daily operations of the Parish. There were multiple questions related to a time line for finishing P and L, capital assessments and costs for maintaining each building. We expect to have this completed by the end of November 2025. Another request we heard in multiple forums pertained to specific financial data. The annual report was distributed on October 10th, 2025 which gave a breakout of significant expenses, deficits and potential saving opportunities. All significant expenses are under review and being considered -” truly, everything is on the table”. Several questions in the sessions revolved around Mass attendance and the offertory. Both have declined significantly. We have not gotten back to pre-COVID attendance as a diocese (which was already in decline). Mass attendance today is roughly fifty percent of the pre-COVID attendance. Currently, the offertory does not cover our annual operating expenses so all capital improvement expenditures are impacting available parish savings. Offertory Campaigns, Grand Annual Collections, Capital Pledges are all under consideration.
CapEx Sub Committee: In general, many of the questions and input around capital and non-operating expenses focused on the buildings and properties, best future uses and required maintenance projects. Our sub committee is looking at each of the buildings and properties independently to determine the cost of needed improvements and the best future use for each one. Future uses include not only our parish uses, but also short-term rentals, leases, closing a building (s), or even sale of a building or piece of property. In short, in our effort to create a sustainable future for our parish, all options are on the table, including some out-of-the-box ideas.
Use of Screens: Several parishioners at each of the sessions inquired about the decision to discontinue use of the screens during Mass. Father Bobby responds: “Please see the August 31st Bulletin Letter on the parish website that gives my reasoning behind the decision to not use the screens during Mass. In addition, the policy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) states: '...permission is not granted to project readings and liturgical texts on screens during the liturgy.' The bishops believe that screens are a distraction from what is actually taking place in the liturgy." If this affects your ability to participate in the liturgy, please reach out to me, and I can offer some suggestions.
Vitality Sub Committee: One thing that is abundantly clear to all of us: Christ the King parish is alive and active. There is so much good happening — ministries serving those in need, volunteers giving generously of their time and talent, and people coming together in faith.
Amid all this activity, we must remember, both as a community and individually, that in Catholic life, receiving is just as essential as giving. The true vitality of a parish does not begin with outward busyness, but with the inward strength that comes from being rooted in Christ. As Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us, “Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.” In other words, the heart of renewal must be spiritual before it is practical — flowing from the grace of the liturgy and sacraments, nourished in our families, and sustained by a deep culture of prayer and intentional discipleship.
Our parish mission statement expresses who we are called to be: “Rooted in truth, prayer, and the sacraments, our parish is a spiritual home where we follow Christ, build community, and share the Gospel — bringing hope and healing to all.” In the months ahead, we will focus especially on that first part — being firmly rooted in truth, prayer, and the sacraments — because that is where authentic growth begins. Every current ministry, program and new initiative will be viewed through this lens, ensuring that all we do flows from and leads back to Christ. When we are grounded in Him, everything else — our community life, outreach, and service — will naturally bear lasting fruit.
If you left the listening sessions asking yourself, “What can I do for my parish?”, perhaps the answer begins with your own spiritual life. Am I being intentional in growing in a deeper relationship with the Lord — by spending time with Him in Eucharistic Adoration, by attending daily Mass, by frequenting the sacrament of confession, or by taking part in a faith-sharing group? Renewal begins when each of us recommits ourselves to Christ and allows His grace to transform us from within. From that personal conversion comes the strength, unity, and joy that make a parish truly alive in the Holy Spirit.
With gratitude and hope,
Fr. Bobby LeBlanc Amy Staffier Tom O’Rourke Steve Goldner
Ron Fotino Rosemarie DeLacy Bert AlmeidaAugust 2025
Dear Parishioners of Christ the King,
Whether you are with us at Mass each week, attending occasionally, or simply connected to our parish in spirit and memory — please know this letter is for you. We are writing to share important realities about our parish’s current financial situation, as well as to invite your prayers and partnership as we discern our next steps forward.
We begin with gratitude. Christ the King Parish is home to vibrant ministries, active outreach, and a deep commitment to worship and service. Across our two churches, faith formation programs, liturgical ministries, service to the poor, and community gatherings, the vitality of parish life is strong. We are deeply thankful for the many parishioners who give of their time, talent, and treasure to make Christ’s presence known here in Reading.
Earlier this year, in consultation with the Archdiocese of Boston, Fr. Bobby formed the Christ the King Pastoral Planning Team to help guide our parish through a time of financial challenge and discernment. Our mission is to work alongside Fr. Bobby to prayerfully assess our parish’s needs, explore sustainable paths forward, and ensure that Christ the King Parish remains strong for future generations.
Over the past few months, at the start of each Pastoral Planning meeting, we have prayed the Litany of the Holy Spirit together — grounding ourselves for the work ahead by invoking the Holy Spirit’s guidance, presence, and gifts. That simple prayer has become a powerful and necessary starting point, reminding us that this work is not just administrative or financial — it is spiritual.
As part of our efforts, we have been taking a close and honest look at the financial health of Christ the King Parish. For the fiscal year just concluded, our parish incurred a net loss of approximately $223,000. The budget for the current fiscal year (2026) is projecting a net loss of approximately $340,000. These are not easy numbers to absorb, but they are the reality we must confront with transparency, unity, and faith.
A significant driver of these challenges is the cost of maintaining our six parish buildings — including two churches, two parish centers, the rectory at St. Agnes, and the former rectory at St. Athanasius. In addition to ongoing upkeep, we are addressing urgent facility needs. At St. Athanasius, work is underway to replace the oil tank and remove asbestos in the lower church. Another pressing concern is St. Athanasius church's aging HVAC system - replacement would require substantial investment. Several other major projects are being reviewed to ensure that we have a complete picture of our facilities needs before decisions are made.
At the same time, mass attendance and participation have not yet returned to pre-COVID levels. While we are blessed by the generosity of so many, the reality is that the financial burden is being carried by a smaller number of parishioners than in years past. This makes it all the more important for us to work together to sustain our parish for the future.
Our Pastoral Planning Team is working to develop a clear plan for what changes may be needed to ensure that Christ the King remains a viable, sustainable, and vibrant community for the future. This may include difficult decisions. But we enter this process with hope, because we know that we are not alone: we are guided by the Spirit, strengthened by our shared faith, and supported by one another.
We will be holding listening sessions in the first week of September — Thursday, September 4 at 7:00 pm (St. Athanasius Parish Activities Center, and Sunday, September 7th at 2:30 (St. Agnes Parish Center). Our team asks for your prayers, your presence, and your openness to being part of this important work — no matter your current level of engagement. The future of our parish belongs to all of us.
We close by sharing the mission statement that has emerged from our work together — a reminder of who we are, and what we are striving to become:
“Rooted in truth, prayer, and the sacraments, our parish is a spiritual home where we follow Christ, build community, and share the Gospel — bringing hope and healing to all.”
May we continue to follow Christ boldly and faithfully, trusting that He is with us through every challenge and every grace.
With gratitude and hope,
Christ the King Pastoral Planning Team
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