Cemetery Trust Created for the Right Reasons

By Mark G. Doll
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
July 10, 2013

http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/cemetery-trust-created-for-the-right-reasons-b9949880z1-214990801.html

Journal Sentinel readers would benefit from some additional facts and perspective on the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Cemetery Trust. I served as chairman of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Finance Council when the cemetery trust was created in 2007, and by that time the archdiocese already held funds in trust that were put aside over the decades with the specific purpose of providing perpetual care for the more than 500,000 departed loved ones who are buried in the eight Catholic cemeteries and seven mausoleums in Milwaukee County. All but one of these are in the city.

For many decades, the archdiocese told buyers of grave sites that it would put money aside to ensure perpetual care, and buyers of grave sites were assured that funds had been set aside specifically for that purpose. Similar to the process required by Wisconsin law for non-church cemeteries, the archdiocese put a portion of the money from cemetery lots sales into a separate account from the archdiocese's general funds. There was a regular and separate audit of the trust fund each year by an independent auditor, and the money was invested by a different group of outside investment managers. Because these funds were held in trust, special attention was given to ensuring that they were independent of the general fund and that they would be there for their intended and pledged purpose — to care for the resting places of the departed.

In spring of 2007, the finance council as a group unanimously recommended that the archdiocese formalize the way it fulfills this church responsibility.

We recommended that the existing perpetual care funds, which already were held in trust in a separate account, be transferred to a new formal trust. Our committee made this recommendation to help ensure that the church honored the fundamental promise that all Catholic cemeteries make to our deceased loved ones and their families — that the church will preserve and maintain cemeteries as sacred places forever.

That then-Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan implemented our recommendation should be respected. Indeed, it should be recognized as a reflection of now New York Cardinal Dolan's ongoing devotion to the Catholic faith and its teachings on the resurrection of the body.

In the Catholic faith, the promise to provide perpetual care — literally, to take care of the cemeteries forever — has a special and sacred meaning. It is to protect the sanctity of the body so it can one day be reunited with the soul. Catholic cemeteries are not just places where our loved ones are buried; they are sacred places that are maintained in a way that helps to fulfill God's promise about death and resurrection. Much of that is lost in this discussion, and it needs to be highlighted along with the importance of canon law and ecclesiastical duties.

After many years of tumult and pain, the Milwaukee Catholic Archdiocese is working hard to continue to take care of the faithful and meet their spiritual needs. Archbishop Jerome Listecki took on a difficult challenge and has tried to move the Catholic Church forward in a positive way in our community. Nothing can undo the hurt and mistakes of the past, and Listecki deserves support for the extraordinary steps that have been taken. Other institutions should consider adopting the protections the archdiocese has implemented.

To be sure, many challenges are ahead, especially the development of a reorganization plan that will allow the archdiocese to emerge from bankruptcy stronger. While it works toward that goal, we should respect the fact that church leadership adheres to the teachings of the church.

It is impossible and wrong to not recognize the hurt and pain of abuse survivors and the evil done to them. It is understandable that there is a focus on the real suffering and legitimate hurt in cases such as this, but a fair and balanced look at the facts shows that for the cemeteries and the families of those buried there, the archdiocese did the right thing the right way for the right reasons. The families of those resting in the Catholic cemeteries should not become new victims in the cause of trying to fairly address abuse victims and help heal their pain.

Mark G. Doll is chairman of the finance council for the Milwaukee Catholic Archdiocese. He is the retired chief investment officer of Northwestern Mutual. The Editorial Board regularly publishes viewpoints in this space that either disagree with our view or express a fresh perspective. Email: jsedit@jrn.com