St. Gregory the Great Church

Welcome to Saint Gregory the Great Parish of Bristol, Connecticut.  Thank you for visiting our website.

To My Dear Parishioners::

As we begin our Fall schedules and find ourselves in the midst of the Pandemic (corona-virus), we thank God for the many blessings that He has bestowed upon us and our parish.  It is that time of year again to begin the 2020 Parish Annual Collection. Last year, parish families generously contributed $103,856 to the Annual Collection last year.  I am grateful to those who sacrificed to make this happen.  Your financial support and participation make it possible for us to continue to do the many good things that are happening here at Saint Gregory’s.  Your continued participation is vital!

The Parish Annual Collection is an integral and imperative part of the financial structure of Saint Gregory Church. It is necessary to provide a needed addition to the weekly offertory, which does not cover the ongoing operating expenses.  Just as you have encountered in your own homes this past year, the parish has experienced higher heating costs, utilities, insurance premiums and operational expenses. The collection also provides funds for small capital and maintenance projects. This past Spring we were informed by our air conditioning company that one of the air conditioning units in the church and a unit in the rectory had to be replaced.  Both units were the original units when air conditioning was put in the church and the rectory. Both units were not functioning and could not be repaired since they were both leaking water.   Both units were replaced before the summer came in. Also this summer, the parish truck that takes care of all the plowing in the winter and other maintenance tasks, had to be replaced.  The old truck was purchased in 2006. I was informed that the truck would not be able to handle another winter of plowing and the like. As a result, a new parish truck had to be purchased at the end of the summer.  These were both unexpected expenses that we did not plan on.  Our goal for the Parish Annual Collection this year is $115,000.00.

Again, I express my sincere gratitude for your gift last year to the Parish Annual Collection.  I would deeply appreciate it if you could give prayerful consideration to renewing, or increasing, this generous, sacrificial gift to Saint Gregory Church.  While I do not know your individual circumstances, I must ask all parishioners to support this year’s very important appeal.  The future of our parish depends upon the support of our parishioners.  Please return your gift card in the enclosed envelope either by mail or drop it in the collection basket when you attend Mass as soon as possible.  If you would prefer to make your contributions electronically, please enroll in our Online Giving Program. Follow the Online Giving link on our website: http://stgregorybristol.org

Even if you are unable to attend Mass each weekend with us, please do your part in supporting our parish.  Your spiritual well-being is my first priority; however, it is also my responsibility to keep the bills paid, the budget balanced and the parish buildings in good repair.  I know that making this gift will involve sacrifice and I truly appreciate all that you do in providing for the financial stability of our parish.  More important than my gratitude, however, is that God will bless you for whatever you do to build up His Church.  I thank you in advance for your response.  I know you will do your best in support this year’s Parish Annual Collection.

 With all best wishes,

Sincerely in Our Lord,

Monsignor Gary F. Simeone

Pastor