Brothers and sisters,
allow me to introduce you to the current situation regarding property management in our parish. The economic council is aware that we need to provide you with regular information about what we are discussing and deciding, so that you not only have this information but are also involved in important decisions.
The economic council, which serves as an advisory body to the pastor, in our case Father Jan, meets once a month except during holidays. At the beginning of the year, we compiled a list of all activities related to technical or economic matters within the parish. These include activities that are already underway (i.e., have been planned and discussed in previous periods, or whose implementation has become necessary during the year), activities that are being prepared for implementation (in the short or longer term), and activities that we are considering from a long-term perspective related to ensuring the development or economic stability of the parish.
The task of the economic council is not only to maintain or repair the property of the parish. Given that state funding for the church will end in 2030, it is essential that each parish considers whether its assets can be used as a source of long-term income to partially cover its expenses. Parish forests and the associated sale of harvested wood or products made from it are ideal examples. We do not have this. However, we have spaces that can be used for suitable rentals – in this area, we are considering one or two floors in the extension building of the Salvator elementary school (the back of the school, where we meet for Sunday coffee). We also have land in the municipality of Krhová, which could theoretically be converted into building plots and subsequently sold. However, I would like to add that we are also considering the necessity of each property for the operation or activities of the parish.
The list we compiled at the beginning of the year includes so many activities that it is impossible to describe them all in one article. We will therefore present them gradually in "Life of the Parish." First, we would like to inform you about what has been completed recently, what is currently underway, or what is being prepared for implementation this year:
Statue of the Savior
The statue of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, which was prepared and created by Father Pavel Stefan.
At the time of this issue's publication, the “Život farnosti” (Parish Life) display case was installed in a niche within the extension building of the Salvator Elementary School. The completion and blessing ceremony took place on Saturday, September 19. The total cost is 1.66 million Czech crowns. This price is largely due to the materials used (the sculpture is cast in bronze) and the originality of the design. To date, 870 thousand Czech crowns have been paid, with 790 thousand Czech crowns remaining. We currently have 233 thousand Czech crowns allocated for this purpose, so we need to raise an additional 557 thousand Czech crowns. We still need to pay 300 thousand Czech crowns by the end of this year, and the remainder by the end of 2027.
The building and land on Stříbrná Street
This is a plot of land with a dilapidated building, located near our parish church. The property was purchased with the intention of constructing a new facility to expand the capacity of the “Rybičky” (Little Fish) daycare center. However, repeated tenders for construction companies to carry out the project resulted in a higher price than we expected – a bid of 21.7 million Czech crowns. We had been promised a subsidy of 12 million Czech crowns from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs to finance this project, but we would have to cover the remaining amount ourselves, which would be too much of a financial burden for the parish. Therefore, it was decided that we would not proceed with the project at this time and would consider our options.
There are several possibilities: a new tender with the same objective (i.e., for the “Rybičky” daycare center) or alternative uses for the land for the benefit of the parish (e.g., construction of a parish pastoral center, including an apartment for a priest). Both options have their merits. The “Rybičky” daycare center needs to increase its capacity, and in the future, it may even be necessary to free up space in the Salvator Elementary School if the aforementioned rental of floors in the extension building of the elementary school is realized, which would require the school to replace the spaces currently used in that area.
Building a pastoral center might seem unnecessary at first glance, given that we already have a parish building. However, the reality is that all activities taking place at the rectory (meetings of various parish groups, activities of the Family Center, religious education, preparation for baptism, first communion, and confirmation, deanery events, Alpha courses, and many other activities) simultaneously limit the space available for accommodation. Especially if we want to attract priests who are already retired but willing to serve, it will be necessary to offer them adequate facilities, including a quiet environment (more on this in the next section).
Currently, the finances look like this: the purchase of the land and building on Stříbrná Street cost 3.09 million Czech crowns, and the project documentation cost 1.401 million Czech crowns. We received a loan of 4.491 million Czech crowns from the archdiocese to cover these costs, which must be repaid by the end of 2034. Additional related costs amount to 863 thousand Czech crowns.
Kč was paid by the association "Children - Our Hope" (for a new electrical connection, project modifications, subsidy applications, etc.). We have so far repaid 1.6 million Kč from this loan, using donations and funds from the association "Children - Our Hope". Therefore, there remains 2.990 million Kč to be repaid, plus related interest (3%, of which 112 thousand Kč has already been paid). We thank everyone who contributed with their donations, especially Ladislav Denka for a contribution of 509 thousand Kč, which was collected during mass and through donations during the celebration of his 60th birthday.
The last theoretical option is to sell this property. If we were to decide to do so for financial reasons, we would most likely receive significantly more than its purchase price.
Renovation of the rectory
For many years, very little investment has been made in our rectory. Its condition could be summarized as follows: an outdated and inadequate kitchen, unsuitable heating, a lack of equipment, no accessibility for people with disabilities, and inadequate facilities for the priests, etc. Some improvements were achieved thanks to the initiative of Father Jan after his arrival at our parish: spaces for the Family Center and the parish office were renovated and equipped, and some rooms were repurposed to better meet the needs of the parish. However, the main problem remained the heating system using gas space heaters, which was already in violation of current regulations. Therefore, we decided to install a new heating system with classic radiators and a gas boiler. This was all completed during the summer. We thank Eugen Hlavica for arranging the property assessment and Miloš Skýpal for preparing the project documentation. The upcoming heating season will therefore be ensured according to current regulations and with the necessary quality. At the same time, the floor in the classroom on the ground floor was also renovated. The new heating system cost 1.447 million Kč; a collection was organized to cover this cost, raising 130 thousand Kč, so there remains 1.217 million Kč to be paid. The flooring for the classroom cost 70 thousand Kč.
However, this does not solve all the problems related to the renovation of the rectory. It is necessary to carefully consider the overall concept of how the rooms in each floor, including the basement and attic, will be used, the capacity and location of apartments for priests and potential visitors, and to propose related renovations, including the installation of an elevator on the north side. We will return to this topic in more detail in one of the future issues of "Parish Life".
Windows for the "Rybička" Children's Group
In the spring, the windows of the "Rybička" Children's Group (ground floor of the Salvator Elementary School) were replaced. The existing windows were completely inadequate and had a large heat loss. The total cost was 248 thousand Kč.
Kč, which was paid from the rents that Rybičky pays to the parish. Rybičky also independently arranged for the final finishing of the window frames and repairs to the plaster around the sills, for which we thank them.
Sound system installation in the choir and under the pulpit
. The goal of this project is to eliminate problems with the sound quality of musical performances in the choir (e.g., schola) and musical or vocal performances in the area under the pulpit (e.g., children's masses, adoration, praise evenings, etc.). An expert consultation and a trial run of the recommended technology have already been conducted. The actual implementation is likely to be completed by the time this issue of the parish newsletter is published. This involves installing speakers, 2 mixing consoles, and related equipment so that it is not necessary to move the existing equipment from the choir, ensuring that the church is sufficiently and evenly amplified, and also that the organ sounds are well captured for online broadcasts of masses and other events. We would like to thank the preparation team led by organist Petr Zavičák, who took care of the preparation and execution of this project.
. Total cost: 160 thousand CZK. 130 thousand CZK have already been paid, so there remains 30 thousand CZK to be paid.
Screens
. Two screens will be installed in the church to display texts during services or other events with singing (adoration, praise evenings, etc.), as we see in many other churches (e.g., in the parish of Zlín, where we visited before the holidays). One screen will be located on the right side of the wall between the main nave and the sanctuary, and the second will be above the entrance to the sacristy. The budget is estimated at 80 thousand CZK.
Restoration of church pews
. Our church pews are among the oldest of their kind in the Zlín region. Their restoration, i.e., their repair and maintenance under the supervision of conservationists, is nearing completion. Currently, the last block of pews, from the back of the church, is being restored. Completion is expected during November. The cost of restoring this block is approximately 498 thousand CZK, of which almost 90% is covered by a grant from the Ministry of Culture. The parish contributes 59 thousand CZK.
Heating for church pews
. Due to their historical significance, we were required by the conservation authorities not to reinstall the original electric heating in the church pews. Therefore, the only viable option now appears to be purchasing electric heated seat cushions. This matter is currently being addressed.
Total estimated cost: 200,000 CZK.
On behalf of the pastoral council, I would like to thank you all, dear parishioners, who have contributed in any way to the successful execution of these events – whether through your financial donations, or by helping with the preparation or implementation. And of course, we also thank you for your prayers.
Na závěr, I would like to ask for your involvement in the Donator project. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, in 2030, funding for churches will end from the state budget, and we will have to cover all expenses from our own resources. Currently, each parish in the archdiocese contributes to the salaries of priests. Our parish is required to contribute a total of 446,000 Czech crowns for last year and this year. Starting next year, this will be an annual payment. Therefore, our archbishopric came up with the idea of creating a group of donors who will regularly (monthly) contribute their chosen amount (50 CZK, 100 CZK, 500 CZK or 1,000 CZK, or any amount the donor chooses) to help cover the salaries of priests. In practice, the more money parishioners donate through the Donator project, the less will need to be paid from parish funds, and the more money will remain for other necessary parish activities. Therefore, on behalf of our economic council, I would like to ask you to participate in this project. You can find more information at this link: https://olomouc.donator.cz/.
I wish you all a blessed autumn season.
For the economic council: Bohdan Mikušek
