CLEVELAND (OH)
Plain Dealer
Friday, January 21, 2005
David Briggs
Plain Dealer Religion Reporter
When Northeast Ohioans were hungry, the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland served them 3.5 million meals. When they were without homes, the diocese gave them 70,000 nights of shelter. And when people were sick, Catholic Charities provided services ranging from treating 4,350 people for chemical dependency to allowing 850 children with disabilities to attend day camp.
Thursday, Bishop Anthony Pilla described a church that is on a solid financial footing, serving hundreds of thousands of people in need, in the first of what the diocese says will be annual reports. The special report was mailed out to more than 280,000 households in the eight-county diocese.
For the diocese, still recovering from a clergy sexual abuse scandal, the report is a chance to inform the community about the positive things it is doing and is also part of a three-year effort to become more transparent and accountable in its reporting practices.
Other dioceses are facing bankruptcy, but Cleveland has adequate reserves to cover costs associated with the scandal, church officials said.
Posted by kshaw at January 21, 2005 06:31 AM