Preparing for the Next Season
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October 9, 2026Last week, I reflected on the changing seasons and the need to ask what God is doing in this particular season of the life of St. Michael Parish. Autumn gives us another lesson: once we recognize that the season is changing, we have to prepare for what comes next.
Here in Maine, that means winter. We have already had a few cold mornings, and people have begun asking when we are turning on the heat in our churches. Usually, that happens around the beginning of October. So furnaces are being turned on, boilers are being serviced, and we are preparing our buildings for the months ahead.
You may be surprised to learn that St. Michael Parish has about fifteen boilers. Most are serviced annually, but many are showing their age. We are currently replacing a hot-water system at St. Augustine that serves both the kitchen and radiators in the hall. At St. Joseph, the situation is more serious. The boiler is operating at less than 60 percent efficiency and may need to be replaced at an estimated cost of approximately $40,000.
Last winter, it cost approximately as much to heat St. Joseph, which has two daily Masses and one Sunday Mass each week, as it did to heat St. Augustine, which is used every day. Part of the problem is the aging boiler. Part is the building itself. Recently, an engineering assessment of the church identified significant concerns such as the roof, masonry, and heating system. It estimates substantial capital needs over the coming years. And St. Joseph is only one of our buildings.
This becomes especially important as we watch the cost of fuel. Last year, the parish spent approximately $90,000 on heating fuel. We have already seen significant increases in the price of heating oil, on top of utility costs that have risen considerably over the past several years.
These numbers can easily make us anxious. But this Sunday, St. Paul offers a different way of looking at changing circumstances. He writes to the Philippians: “I know how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance.” He had experienced both having plenty and going without. Yet his confidence didn’t rest upon his circumstances: “I can do all things in him who strengthens me.”
That seems especially appropriate for us. There have been seasons when our parish had more parishioners, more clergy, newer buildings, and perhaps more resources available for maintaining them. We cannot simply recreate those circumstances. But neither should we become discouraged because our circumstances have changed. Our mission remains the same: to worship God, proclaim the Gospel, form disciples, celebrate the sacraments, care for those in need, and invite others into communion with Christ. The question is how we use the resources God has given us to accomplish that mission faithfully today.
That is why, over the summer, I began assembling a Property Task Force. We have engaged professional engineers to assess our churches, halls, rectories, and other facilities. Rather than waiting for the next boiler to fail or roof to leak, we want to understand the actual condition of our buildings and develop a long-term plan that moves us from responding to crises toward responsible, preventative maintenance.
I am very grateful for the parishioners serving on this group. They bring considerable knowledge, professional experience, and love for our parish. We are still at the beginning of the process, and no comprehensive plan has been developed. As the assessments are completed and the information becomes clearer, we hope to share more with the parish and begin a broader conversation about our priorities.
This Sunday’s first reading gives us the horizon against which all these practical questions should be considered. Isaiah describes the day when God will gather His people on His holy mountain, wipe away every tear, and prepare a feast for all peoples. Jesus takes up that same image in the Gospel: the Kingdom of Heaven is like a wedding feast to which people are invited. That is ultimately what all our buildings, budgets, boilers, and plans are supposed to serve: the invitation to the feast.
Our task is not simply to keep buildings warm. It is to build a parish alive with faith, where people encounter Jesus Christ and discover that there is a place for them at His table.
Winter is coming. We should prepare wisely for it. But whatever season lies ahead for St. Michael Parish, we can face it with the confidence of St. Paul: Christ will give us the strength to be faithful with whatever He entrusts to us.