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Parish/School Annual Report FY 2023 - 2024

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AnnualReport2023 - 2024Saint Elizabeth Ann SetonParish & School

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Entering the final yearof Eucharistic MissionEUCHARISTIC MISSIONOn June 2, 2024, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish helda Eucharistic Procession from the church, around thegrounds, and stopped at the entrance to our schoolwith a special blessing for our educators, staff,students, and building.The event concluded in the church with EucharisticAdoration and Benediction. It was a beautifulopportunity to focus on the source and summit of ourfaith, our Savior’s presence in the Holy Eucharist.The crowd of attendees process down Gander Street.“Revival is not something we do. It’s Godstirring up the hearts of his people.”-USCCB

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Dear Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parishioners,As I serve my last year as your pastor, I could not be more pleased with thespiritual vitality and vibrancy of our parish. An essential role of the parish inthe life of the Church is, as the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians, “to equip thesaints for works of ministry.” I stand in awe at the number of our laity whonot only desire a deeper relationship with Christ but who have gone on toassume leadership roles, equipping others for works of ministry. EverywhereI turn, I see our parishioners actively worshiping, praying, adoring, servingothers, and growing in their knowledge and love of Christ Jesus.On behalf of the entire parish, I want to thank each of you for the sacrificesof your time, talent, and treasure which you are making to support ourparish. You will find within the pages of this Annual Report a summary of ourparish finances. Your generous financial giving allows all of our ministries toflourish and pays for our gifted pastoral staff who are deeply committed toserving you and walking with you. You provide funds to keep the lights andheat on, cover facility maintenance, pay for property and health insurance,plow our parking lots, and replace our roofs. Archbishop Andrew and hisstaff, along with Archdiocesan missions across the vast geographic area ofour Archdiocese, are also supported by your ongoing generosity.Most importantly, I invite you to look behind the dollar signs and see howyour donations work to forward the mission and ministry of Christ: thosecontributions make it possible for us to celebrate the Eucharist together andfor your priests and deacons to administer the sacraments that draw us intodeeper communion with our Lord. Thank you for your financial sacrificeswhich make all of this possible. You are a generous parish!Our school is one of the most important ministries of our parish, and I ampleased to share that it is thriving. Our teachers and school staff, under theguidance of our cherished principal Kathy Gustafson, make great sacrificeson a daily basis out of love and commitment to our students. I am proud towork with such a dedicated community of servants.Our school’s finances are roughly half of our overall parish budget. Tuition isthe primary source of income for our school. I want to thank all of our schoolfamilies for your desire to raise your children in a school which is committedto offering your children an excellent Catholic education in a Christ-likeenvironment.May God continue to richly bless all of our ministries at Saint Elizabeth AnnSeton Parish.Grace and Peace,Fr. Scott MedlockA Letterfrom ourPastorFr. Scott Medlock

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Parish Mission StatementTo gather together to build up the Body of Christ andto be sent to love and serve God and each other.STAFFFr. Scott Medlock, PastorFr. Robert Whitney, Parochial VicarDeacon Kurt Adler, DeaconSarah Cross, Administrative AssistantCaroline Eddens, Business ManagerKellie Thomson, Pastoral Associate for Faith FormationKate Bazin, Pastoral Associate for EvangelizationTheresa Austin, Pastoral Associate for Youth and Young Adult MinistryAmy Locke, Pastoral Associate for Communications and StewardshipAudrie Williams, Faith Formation Coordinator Brogan Lane, Pastoral InternLauren Rannals, Pastoral Associate for DiscipleshipEd Haltness, Facilities ManagerPrince Hitchman, Assistant to Facilities Manager, CustodianSAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24

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PERPETUAL EUCHARISTIC ADORATIONA 24/7 blessing in our parish -come spend some time withJesus in the Blessed Sacrament.MORE THAN 50 ACTIVE MINISTRIESCOMMUNITY OUTREACH PROJECTSContinual and seasonal collectionsto benefit others in need are anongoing mission in our parish.PARISH SCHOOLThe largest ministry of our parishmolds the whole person with“Faith, Family, and Excellence” ingrades Pre-K through 6!FAITH FORMATION FOR ALLFamily-Centered Faith Formationnurtures and guides the wholefamily. We offer enrichment andformation for adults of all faith levels, aswell as for individuals with special needs.YOUR PATHWAYWe’re here to meet you where youare and walk with you as you seeka deeper relationship with Christ.YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTSVibrant and engaging year-roundprograms create lifelong friendshipsand help our young people grow inlove of the Lord. We even have ateen podcast!OUR PARISHAT A GLANCESAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON PARISH2901 E Huffman Rd. Anchorage, AK 99516907-345-4466 www.akseas.netFrom gardening to meal deliveries forthe homebound, we have somethingfor everyone - jump in and join us!SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24

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School Mission StatementTo provide an excellent Catholic education in aChrist-like environment.STAFFKathy Gustafson, PrincipalNicole Branch, Administrative AssistantMegan Gallagher, Director of AdvancementMelissa Meyers, Pre-KindergartenSarah Afoa, KindergartenLindsay Wackowski, First GradeTerry Ure, Second GradeTeisha Burke, Third GradeMarcea Tjaden, Fourth GradeSAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24Caroline Bradshaw, Fifth GradeEddie Ezell, Sixth GradeLisa Orizotti, Pre-Kindergarten AideJosie Davis, Kindergarten AideBeth Lottridge, First Grade Aide and LibraryStephanie Denman, MusicCasey Denman, ArtAggie Rivera, SpanishLiz Stadnicky, Physical Education

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We our school!School ClubsRoboticsSewingChessMiddle School Soccer w/ Lumen ChristiRunning ClubArtChoirBand Backpack Filling ProjectPotato Planting & Harvest for Bean’s CafeThanksgiving Food Drive for HeadstartChristmas Donations for Clare HouseFood Drive for St. Francis Food PantryProvidence Children’s Easter BasketsFaith-in-ActionService ProjectsAnnual Auction and GalaJog-a-ThonShining SEAS Annual FundAnnual Spaghetti DinnerHalloween CarnivalBook FairFundraisingSchool at a GlanceSurveys and forums held by Mission Driven Catholic reveal that both school staffand school parents highly value whole-child Catholic faith formation andacademic excellence as priorities for our parish school.SOMEHIGHLIGHTS:184 Students1:25Teacher/Studentratio14 Alumni Parentswith Children atSEASStaff and StudentsAttend Weekly Massand Holy DaysWeekly ClassroomVisits from ourPriests, Deacon andSistersStudent AltarServersfor Parish DailyMasses5th & 6th GradeStudents Keep aWeekly EucharisticAdoration Hour$192,713.81 NetRaised at 2024Annual AuctionAll Teachers Hold anAlaska TeachingCertificate220 CumulativeYears TeachingExperience AmongCurrent StaffNationallyAccredited throughCognia

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School Revenues$ AMOUNT SOURCES1,268,22572,658238,2301,12636,5161,616,755Tuition & FeesOrdinary RevenueFundraisingOtherRelease from RestrictionTotal RevenuesSchool Expenditures$ AMOUNT DISBURSEMENT1,385,25410,89357,729202,1062,5471,738,690PersonnelProfessional ServicesSuppliesFacility, Utilities, RepairsDuesTotal Expenditures1,684Education & DevelopmentTravel & Transportation**6,681Public Relations, Fundraising, & Other71,796$ AMOUNT SOURCES1,239,66637,250151,53111,4501,439,897CollectionsOther DonationsRebates & SubsidiesOtherTotal RevenuesParish Revenues$ AMOUNT DISBURSEMENT735,24749,43396,375368,5524,2231,495,490PersonnelProfessional ServicesSuppliesFacility, Utilities, RepairsDues, Assessments, & CharitableTotal Expenditures216,441Education & DevelopmentTravel & Transportation**1,145Licensing, Bank Fee, & Other24,074Parish ExpendituresFINANCIAL SUMMARIES***Includes continuing education, visiting priest travel, and conference travel costs*Money drawn from savings reserves not counted as income

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Through the incredible generosity of our parishioners, we were able to complete our 5-year planfor deferred maintenance ahead of schedule. Our Facilities Committee is busy working oncreating a schedule of future projects to ensure the beauty and stability of our facilities.$ AMOUNT PROJECT30,18830,39711,1907,2327,000149,059North/East Building SidingBoiler Replacement & GlycolLibrary FlooringSafety Film: School Windows & DoorsNew Fence (Covered by Grants)School Capital Expense MMR20,207Playground (Covered by Grants)School Roof Repairs & Maintenance42,845School Capital Expenditures /Major Maintenance Fiscal Year 2024Funded via Savings & Grants$ AMOUNT PROJECT142,313139,32663,19810,77342,720398,330North/East Building SidingBoiler Replacement & GlycolSanctuary Roof ReplacementMisc. Other ProjectsParish Capital Expense MMRRectory RepairsParish Capital Expenditures /Major Maintenance Fiscal Year 2024Funded via SavingsCAPITAL EXPENDITURES

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SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton ParishDisciple Maker IndexIn the Spring of 2024, our parish participated in a survey to gaininsight into the needs of our parishioners, our strengths and areas ofopportunity, as well as information to help us formulate goals thatcan be incorporated into our Parish Strategic Plan.DMI SURVEY RESULTSSaint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish was nominated by our friends at Evangelical Catholic and chosen by CatholicLeadership Institute for a sponsorship to participate in the Disciple Maker Index (DMI) survey due to our recentgrowth in evangelization mission.The purpose of the survey was to obtain deeper perspective on four main areas of the lives of parishioners: WHY THE RESULTS MATTER:Parish leadership is working closely with the Pastoral Council, Finance Council, and Facilities Committee (schoolincluded) to develop a Strategic Plan that not only expresses a vision for the next 5, 10, 25 years, but identifiesand outlines specific steps that need to be taken to achieve established goals. Carefully analyzed data from theDMI survey is crucial to ensure the goals set by leadership are aligned with parishioner needs.Survey Results-Personal Beliefs (doctrine)-Personal Prayer and Spiritual Life (habits)-Missionary Discipleship (outreach)-Catholic Journey (growth)250RESPONDENTS250 people took the survey, which is measured inproportion to the number of regular Mass attendees.CLI considers anything over 10% of average SundayMass attendance as statistically significant,and we reached 45% here at Saint Elizabeth!

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32%7%10%19%32%36%27%9%9%17%2%69%4%3%2%1%21%65%5%3%5%3%19%DAILYWEEKLYMONTHLYQUARTERLYONCE OR TWICE PER YEARNEVERCelebrating Our WinsSAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24DMI SURVEY RESULTSKeep it up:At Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, our parishioners’ prayer lifeand time in Adoration are worth recognizing! Let’s keepthat trending in such a positive direction!ADORATIONThese numbers tell usthat our parish is fourpoints above thenational average fordaily prayer. Inresponse to this surveyquestion, “How oftendid you spendindividual prayer timewith God?” 90% atSaint Elizabethanswered they do thisweekly or more often.PERSONAL PRAYERWhat this shows us isthat Saint ElizabethAnn Seton has over32% of respondentscommitted to spendingtime in EucharisticAdoration at leastweekly or more! Thenational average forthe same is 19%. Those are numbers tocelebrate!All Parishes Saint ElizabethAnn SetonAll Parishes Saint ElizabethAnn SetonHow often did you participate in Individual prayer time withGod over the past year?How often did you participate in Eucharistic adoration - time inprayer before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament - over the past year?

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Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton ParishionersNational Average of Those SurveyedStrength in NumbersYou strongly agree:By measuring the percentage of “Strongly Agree”answers from our parishioners, CLI determines thestrength of our responses to each question. Seebelow how we compare to the national average ofthose who have taken the DMI Survey.SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24DMI SURVEY RESULTS0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%I Pray with Another At Least WeeklyI Attend Mass At Least WeeklyI Believe Scripture is the Word of GodI Believe that the Eucharist is the True PresenceParish Offers Growth Via Forming Me as a DiscipleParish Helps My Spiritual GrowthI Would Recommend My Parish to Others PERCENTAGE OF THOSE WHO “STRONGLY AGREE”-Access to Sacraments and Worship--Family Focus--Prayerfulness-Community values appreciated by our parishionersand highlighted in our survey results are...OUR PARISH CULTURE:

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45%24%24%7%PRIORITIZING A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST:Only 33% of our parishioners who took the survey report that their relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in their life. As a parish, wemust assess how to communicate and increase understanding that putting Christ first in our lives ensures all else is properly ordered.BELIEF IN THE EUCHARIST AS THE TRUE PRESENCE OF CHRIST:76% of Saint Elizabeth parishioners surveyed believe Christ is truly present in the Eucharist, which is higher than the average of all parishes surveyed(72%). Yet, this is an area where our goal is to reach 100%. We, as Catholics, must embrace this essential teaching of Christ and his Church. BELIEF IN SCRIPTURE AS THE WORD OF GOD:It is a positive that, at 79%, we are above the national survey average (70%), yet this is another opportunity for our parish to grow to a resounding100%. Jesus tells us He IS the Word.CONFIDENCE IN THE CHURCH'S TEACHINGS SO I CAN ANSWER THE QUESTIONS OF OTHERS:Only 17% of parishioners strongly agree that they are "growing in their confidence of the Church's teachings so I can answer others’ questions."While this is on par with the national average (17%), we want to help our parishioners grow in this important area. -Prioritizing a Relationship with Christ-Belief of Eucharist as the True Presence-Belief in Scripture as the Word of God-Confidence in the Church’s Teachings so I CanAnswer the Questions of OthersLots of beauty! Recently renovated and/or really well-maintainedLots of character! Lots of work! Lots of memories! Really nice structure and “bones” but needs some normal cosmeticrenovation or improvementReally nice structure and “bones” but has significant deferredmaintenance and needs a lot of cosmetic and structural improvementsThe church has a lot of deferred maintenance and isn’t the mostwelcoming or attractive of spaces24%45%24%7%76% of respondents feel our church building needs some degree of attention and cosmetic upgrades. SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24We hear you!DMI SURVEY RESULTSWe have work to do:Essential areas of focus that need improvement are...Which would best describe your assessment of the physical shape of your Church building?We hear you and will beworking as a parish toaddress the concerns anddesires you shared!You expressed a needfor the sacrament ofReconciliation in the DMISurvey. We are respondingthrough our upcoming Lententheme - our parish will havenumerous opportunities to goto Confession and to beformed in the faith.ARE YOU INTERESTED IN HELPING OUR CHURCH DEVELOP ITS STRATEGIC GOALS FOR THENEXT FIVE YEARS? CONTACT FR. SCOTT AT frscott@seas.net TO DISCERN HOW GOD ISCALLING YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EVANGELICAL MISSION OF THE CHURCH.

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Celebrating our communityParish and school staff atour school’s Annual Auctionfundraiser.SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON ANNUAL REPORT 2023-24School Band performing at theparish Children’s ChristmasParty.Good company at our parishVolunteer Appreciation Dinner.Fr. Perry participating in theschool Jog-a-thon withstudents and families.vibrantOur fabulous young adultsenliven our community.The Knights of Columbus,generous in service and senseof duty.We currently have 17 families withsecond-generation SEAS students! A ringing endorsement of the qualityeducation offered here at our school!

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DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING26 leaders completed Reach More training this past year led by3 trained volunteer leaders.SPIRITUAL RETREATSWe had 60 women attend our Women's Retreat (led by a team of 20)and 30 men attend our Men's Retreat (led by a team of 8).SPIRITUALLY FEEDING OUR LAY LEADERSWe had 37 individuals attend at least 1 quarterly Leader Huddleled by parish staff.Growing inFAITHSMALL GROUP STUDIESWe had 174 people participate in various Bible Study or Small-Groupactivities (including Magnify 90, Financial Peace University, CatholicsReturning Home, Bible Studies, and Alpha) led by about 35 individuals.USING OUR CHARISMSWe have 5 Called and Gifted leaders trained and certified by Catherine of SienaInstitute. 41 individuals completed the Called and Gifted Charism DiscernmentWorkshop.(AN EVANGELICAL SNAPSHOT)CULTIVATING DIRECTIONWe had 11 individuals complete the University of Mary'sSpiritual Direction Certification Program.

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Deacon Kurt, Father Whitney, and Father Perry withSchool Altar Servers at Wednesday’s weekly SchoolMass.Graduates from our sister school, Lumen Christi HighSchool (many of whom attended Saint Elizabeth AnnSeton School), high-five the elementary studentsduring Graduation Week.Grateful for God’s BlessingsWith another year behind us, we are looking forward to the good our Lord has in store for our future. Many thanks toour entire Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton community for your great and ongoing generosity!2901 Huffman Road Anchorage, Alaska 99516Father Scott working with 6th Grade Retreatantsin the Spring of 2024.Sisters of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus renew their vowsat Daily Mass.“And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus”.-Philippians 4:19