MANCHESTER (NH)
The Union Leader
By GARRY RAYNO
Union Leader Staff
After paying millions of dollars to settle more than 200 cases of alleged child sexual abuse by clergy, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester's fiscal health is improving.
The diocese's second annual Stewardship and Financial Report was recently published on its Web site along with an independent auditor's report by the Manchester certified public accounting firm of Howe, Riley & Howe.
The first report was done in part to indicate no parish or school money was used to pay the sexual abuse settlements and to explain how the diocese used the money people donated.
According to the report, both parish revenue and donations have increased for the 2004 fiscal year over the 2003 figures, although more restrictions on how the money could be used were placed on the donations and bequests.