The most recent Parish-by-Parish Catholic Ministries Appeal results posted on dor.org are dated March 30. As of that point the diocese had received pledges totaling $4,795,791 against a total assessment of $5,294,734. In other words, total pledges are now at 90.6 % of total parish assessment.
New donors tapering off
The number of new donors has been running at about 7 per day over the last 3 weeks (it had been 18 per day one month ago) and new pledges have averaged $260 during the same period (thanks, in large part, to 9 pledges totaling $14,905). If the trend over the last 3 weeks continues through the end of the drive in May, the 2008-09 CMA will wind up about $386,100 (or 7.3%) short of its goal.
Total number of donors still down significantly
The total number of CMA donors is now 33,433, over 3,500 short of last year's "more than 37,000." The difference in unemployment rates can account for roughly 1,000 of the missing donors but that still leaves 2,500 or more of last year's contributors inexplicably absent from this year's campaign.
Monroe County parishes that kept their schools continue to outperform those that lost schools
The Monroe County parishes that lost their schools last June continue to lag significantly behind those that kept theirs. Overall, the "Kept Schools" group has pledges running at 99.3% of CMA assessment while the "Lost Schools" group's pledges are at 84.0%. Were the latter group pledging at the same rate as the former their overall pledges would be about $117,600 higher than they actually are.
Individual MCCS parishes
Data for 10 of the 11 Monroe County parishes that kept their schools are being reported by DOR. (Peace of Christ Parish is conducting a combined CMA and parish fund drive and is not included.) Half of these parishes have reached their CMA assessments and pledges at all but 2 are at or above the diocesan average. In addition, only 1 of these parishes is currently $10,000 or more short of its assessment: Christ the King ($11,583 short).
12 of the 13 Monroe County parishes that lost their schools are still in existence. Of this group only 1 parish has reached its CMA assessment and all but 2 are below the diocesan average. Furthermore, 7 of these parishes are $10,000 or more short of their assessments. These parishes (and their shortages) are St. Margaret Mary ($10,185), St. Andrew ($10,782), Good Shepherd ($11,303), St. Theodore ($11,530), St. John the Evangelist ($12,142), Holy Trinity ($19,393) and St. John of Rochester ($24,883).
4 comments:
A bishop who has become incompetent can destroy a diocese in a short period of time. This is why I support proposed Connecticut Bill #1098.
I believe that the financial control of the parish, school, rectory and convent should be taken away from the bishop and handled at the parish level. Parishioners would serve on a board of directors.
Connecticut Bill #1098 would protect the parishioners.
"Orthodoxy" would return to our parishes.
Anon. 7:28,
Putting aside the issues with canon law - which I believe Rich Leonardi has already pointed out - there a other problems with this proposal.
The first one that pops into my mind is how does one insure that orthodox Catholics get a majority on a parish BOD? Assuming a parish-wide election is held, wouldn't it be more of a popularity contest than anything else, as most Catholics today don't know the difference between a precept and a doctrine or a cardinal virtue and a St. Louis Cardinal?
Beware of the law of unintended consequences.
As of today, the Diocese of Rochester is dying right before our eyes. Over 75 school and parish communities have been closed and more will be closed in the next 3 years.
Why do we need a New York State Religious Corporation Law, that protects the Bishop instead of the Parishioners?
Did you notice how fast the bishops came out fighting against Connecticut Bill #1098, since it would eliminate their power over the money, church and school buildings? All of a sudden, it was an attack on the Catholic Church. Yes, if I was a bishop, I would have said the same thing. I wouldn't want to give up a multi-million dollar empire.
30 years ago, before these 75 closings started in the Diocese of Rochester, the individual parish councils did a beautiful job of operating the schools and parish buildings.
We never heard of a New York State Religious Corporation Law, until a group of parishioners wanted to sue Bishop Clark to stop their parish from being closed.
Anon. 11:05 said, "We never heard of a New York State Religious Corporation Law, until a group of parishioners wanted to sue Bishop Clark to stop their parish from being closed."
According to a reference here this law has been on the books since 1909 - IOW, 100 years.
While many may never have heard of it until recently, it certainly is not new piece of legislation.
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