From the Buffalo News: Catholic Charities sets goal of $11 million: Campaign facing added challenges
Amid growing anxiety about the future of Catholic schools and parishes, Bishop Edward U. Kmiec announced Wednesday that the Diocese of Buffalo will try to raise $11 million for Catholic Charities services and various diocesan programs.
No problem there. Catholic Charities does lots of great work in the Buffalo area.
Kmiec and campaign organizers acknowledged that they face an additional challenge in this year’s fundraising.
…
School closings are expected to be announced later this month, and an initial round of parish mergers, consolidations and closings is slated to be made public in February.
The plans are part of a restructuring process, known as “Journey in Faith and Grace,” that began in 2005. In some parts of the diocese, the process has heightened emotions and anxiety among many Catholics.
A problem for sure, but not something people have been unaware of. But wait, the process of self-destruction begins now.
David Uba, chairman of the 2007 appeal, said the campaign and the diocese’s restructuring efforts are “two separate issues.”
People continue to need Catholic Charities, regardless of whether there are fewer parishes and schools in the future, Uba said.
…
“What we really want to emphasize is, “We’re service-oriented and the need is there,’ ” said the Rev. Joseph J. Sicari, diocesan director of Catholic Charities.
Actually no. That’s the problem with Catholic social services, they separate Catholic from charity. They are ‘Catholic Charities’ in name only (it’s a fundraising trick). The underlying message, at least as conveyed by Mr. Uba, is that people need charity, not Jesus. People will pick up on this.
The Church, at a minimum, should understand that you can’t compartmentalize your efforts. These are not separate ‘goods.’ Good is a totality, starting with Jesus Christ, through His salvation, to service flowing from Him.
Now for the other shoe:
The diocese, which has a $2.1 million budget deficit this year, will set aside a greater percentage of the 2007 appeal funds for its own operations than it had in previous years.
About $6.4 million of the $11 million goal – down from $6.6 million in 2006 – will go toward the operating budget of Catholic Charities, which serves about 180,000 people per year at 56 sites in eight counties.
The rest – $4.6 million, up from $4.3 million in 2006 – is earmarked for the Bishop’s Fund for the Faith, which helps pay for diocesan programs, such as seminary training, the diocesan retreat house and subsidies for central city parishes and schools.
Again with the business model. Budget deficits, closings, restructuring, fancy titles of journeying in faith… I take it that some of these folks were sick on the day they studied logic in seminary.
“We’re service-oriented and the need is there” so were re-balancing and focusing more on deficit reduction over direct aid. We’ll reduce Catholic Charities programs by $200,000, up the ante by $100,000 and put the combined total of $300,000 into Diocesan operations – instead of ‘Catholic Charities.’
We’re going to put the money into seminary training (for the – how many men studying for the priesthood?), a retreat house (vacations not vocations), and subsidies for city parishes and schools which will be — CLOSING.
Try to sell that one to the pockets in the pews.