Finance Council

The mission of St. Bernadette Church's Finance Council is to work in communion with the Pastor of the parish to accomplish the mission of the Church as articulated in the St. Bernadette Pastoral Plan. 

The Finance Council serves as an advisory body to the Pastor, enabling the parish to live its mission by prudent and lawful stewardship of all parish resources. 

The Finance Council has as its responsibility the obligation of planning and supervising the financial affairs and the physical properties of the parish. It is concerned with the budget, stewardship, church support, and the effective utilization and maintenance of the parish plant. Council members provide the necessary administrative and financial skills needed to sustain the mission and ongoing development of the parish community. 

The Finance Council is responsible for ensuring the appropriate use of parishioner donated resources and communicating those uses to the parish.  To do so, council members participate in one or more of the following subcommittees:

• Stewardship & Fundraising

• Plant Management & Capital Improvements

• Communication

• Budget

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston's Fiscal Year is July 1st - June 30th.  The Finance Council is responsible for sharing the financial results with parishioners through the Annual End of the Year Report.  The Council will post its annual report on this page in addition to including the report in the bulletin.  Please click the link below for the complete report.  

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston assesses a tax on every parish based on annual collections.  This is a mandatory tax paid to the Archdiocese to support the ministries and offices of the Archdiocese.  This assessment is in addition to the DSF - Diocesan Services Fund.  

• Fiscal Year 2021 Cathedraticum Tax         $ 143,704.40

• Fiscal Year 2020 Cathedraticum Tax         $ 155,851.46

• Fiscal Year 2019  Cathedraticum Tax        $ 152,738.79

The Diocesan Services Fund (DSF) is the annual appeal that provides funding for essential ministries and programs that serve the religious, spiritual and human needs of thousands of people from every parish. Catechetical programs, hospital and prison ministries, programs for the aging and youth and many more are made possible by the annual DSF.  Each parish is assessed an annual amount by the Archdiocese which is to be paid by parishioners during the calendar year (January - December).  Any shortfall must be covered by the parish.   The annual campaign ends December 31st.  Our assessed amount for 2021 is $180,000.00. Click here for our DSF page.  

Please contact Melissa Teets at financecouncil@stbchurch.org.