By Mark Guydish
Times-Leader
November 11, 2007
http://www.timesleader.com/news/20071112_12guydish_col.html
So, $3 million.
The Diocese of Scranton settles the lawsuit regarding sexual abuse by Father Albert Liberatore for that whopping sum and issues the statement: "It is certain that absolutely no parish funds of any kind will be used to satisfy the settlement."
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Sounds like a tired semantic trick, and the faithful deserve a more honest accounting. I'm sure that, technically, the claim is true, but let's toss a few numbers around. The diocese, after all, is funded through parish income.
According to diocese financial documents, churchgoers forked over $3.5 million in "parish assessments" to the diocese in the fiscal year that ran June 2005 to June 2006. Imagine how much healthier local parishes could be if, for just one year, that assessment was cut by $3 million.
Or consider the Diocesan Annual Appeal. That $3 million is nearly half of what the appeal raised last year, and it's more than half of this year's $5.3 million goal. With $3 million, the diocese could give every penny raised for the appeal in Luzerne County back to the churches where the money came from and still keep $500,000.
Let's look at the newly structured Catholic school system, now funded partly by contributions from every parish. Luzerne County churches have been asked to chip $6.5 million into that pot this year. It sounds like a lot, but the diocese was reasonable, asking either 10 or 25 percent of total parish income go toward schools. Spreading the cost among all parishes actually meant most Luzerne County churches saw their subsidies decrease. Still, $3 million could reduce parish education subsidies by almost half.
Or look at it another way. The tuition and "fundraising fee" for a single, Catholic student in most Luzerne County's elementary diocese schools totals $2,700, so that $3 million could send 1,100 kids to school. At Holy Redeemer High, where tuition and fund-raiser fee hit $5,000 for a first child, the settlement would pay for 600 students.
Money could be put to good use
Remember the roughly $1 million the diocese said parents owed in back tuition? Remember the combined $2 million in operating deficits run up by the former Bishop O'Reilly and Bishop Hoban schools? Kindergarten math: that's $3 million.
Think how far $3 million would go in funding the many worthy programs run by Catholic Social Services. I have no numbers to prove it, but I'm betting the diocese could sock away $3 million in an endowment fund and use the interest earned to keep one program – St. Vincent de Paul Kitchen, say – afloat and robust without needing further monetary donations, ever.
The diocese likely will continue to insist that no parish money will be used for this staggering settlement.
It may argue insurance covers much of it. But insurance is paid by someone, and the diocese relies on contributions from local parishes to create and sustain its self-insurance program.
It may sell assets, but two notes: Legally, parish assets are ultimately controlled by the diocese, and even when it comes to items strictly under diocesan management – like the Chancery – where did the money for those holdings come from?
Public relation semantics don't work here. No matter how the diocese pays this settlement and spins the explanation, a church is its parishioners. One way or another, that's where this $3 million will come from.
Insisting "it is certain that absolutely no parish funds of any kind will be used to satisfy the settlement" may not be a lie.
But it is dishonest.
Call Mark Guydish at 829-7161 or e-mail mguydish@timesleader.com
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