If you read the Catholic Standard for the last two weeks, it featured major stories on the financial state of the Archdiocese. In both articles (and I do not have the articles in front of me, so this is from memory), the financial situation is not good. Over $2,000,000 in cuts will need to be made.
This past weekend, the homilies (in at least two parishes that I know of), focused on giving not of simply from your excess but as much as you can -- even when it hurts a bit.
Based on the past communication/marketing campaigns of the Archdiocese, this probably is a lead-in not only the various cuts that will come (including the closing of schools, as I see it) but an even bigger push to increase giving.
Did your parish priest talk about finances this weekend -- either directly or indirectly?
What do you think about this?
Have you thought about the amount you will give next year? Will it increase, decrease or stay the same?
3 comments:
The Archdiocese can save money by eliminating unnecessary positions in central administration. We can think of two positions which need to go, the CEO and the Secretary for Education. Enough of the duff, the offensive Thomas Duffy has got to go. The other Thomas, Burnford that is, needs to go out the door right with Duffy. By the way Mr. Burnford, did Susan Gibbs ask you where all of that rent money is?
The financial report in the CS was very telling: the diocese is an incompetent at financial management. It's that simple. The tone of the article(s) seemed to be about economic 'hard times' that we are experiencing. BUT, they ran deficits in all but 2 years, including the years during which the economy was growing at record pace and unemployment was low - in short, they couldn't balance the books in the best of times. Of course they're in trouble now.
There are no checks and balances in place to insure the Archdiocese will not spend money willy nilly in the future just the way they did in the past. Then too, some of the revenue streams promised by the leadership have not quite been what they thought they would be.Please check with Susan Gibbs about the stunted revenue streams. Start with rental funds.
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