September 29, 2008
As we wait to hear the results of the Congressional votes on the economic bailout in the US, it’s not a bad idea to also look at the financial operations of our Catholic parishes.
Last year, the US bishops’ Accounting Practices Committee, developed a set of recommendations for managing the finances of parishes. In addition to common-sense principles for financial operations, the bishops also recommended a set of steps to solidify the accountability of parish financial management.
These recommendations state that every year, every parish should send a letter to the diocesan bishop containing the following information:
- The names and professional titles of the members of the parish finance council.
- The dates on which the parish finance council has met during the preceding fiscal year and since the end of the fiscal year.
- The date(s) on which the approved (i.e.-by the parish finance council) parish financial statements/budgets were made available to the parishioners during the preceding fiscal year and since the end of the fiscal year. A copy of said published financial statements/budgets should be provided to the bishop.
- A statement signed by the parish priest and the finance council members.
To people in the business world, these seem to be basic principles. Although many people think that the Catholic Church is very centralized in authority, the reality is that each bishop is fully responsible for his diocese and each pastor is fully responsible for his parish. Thus, it is difficult to build in an accountability structure for positions that have full authority to make financial decisions. Canon law does provide restrictions for large expenditures and for large loans. But otherwise, the pastor truly does have full financial authority in the parish.
The recommendations from the bishops, then, provide minimum standards to help ensure financial accountability within parishes. Canon law requires every parish to have a finance council and it is the pastor’s responsibility to institute this. The parish finance council then has specific responsibilities given by canon law. This system can fall apart, however, if the pastor does not form a finance council for whatever reason. Ideally, parishioners would point this out and would help the pastor in forming a fully functioning finance council. Catholic parishioners are not always this proactive, however. I would not be surprised to hear that many Catholics do not know if their parish has a finance council. The bishops’ recommendations add a level of checks and balances by informing each diocesan bishop if any parishes are missing this much needed structure. The bishop can then start a discussion with the pastor about improving the financial management of the parish.
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September 24, 2008
The following Catholic organizations will be hosting a conference in October or November:
9/27/2008 – 10/2/2008
NCDVD – National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors
NCDVD 2009 Convention – From East to West: A Perfect Sacrifice
Denver, CO
9/28/2008 – 10/1/2008
NCDC – National Catholic Development Conference
2008 NCDC Conference and Exposition
Orlando, FL
9/28/2008 – 10/1/2008
DFMC – Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference
DFMC Conference 2008 – Strengthening the Church through Collaboration
Miami, FL
10/5/2008 – 10/26/2008
The Vatican
World Synod of Bishops – The Word of God in the Life & Mission of the Church
Vatican City, Europe
10/9/2008 – 10/13/2008
NRVC – National Religious Vocation Conference
2008 NRVC Biennial Convocation – Called by One, Invited by Many
Louisville, KY
10/9/2008 – 10/11/2008
CMA – Catholic Medical Association
77th Annual CMA Educational Conference – Theology of the Body: Modern Challenges to Health, Conscience, and Human Dignity
Baltimore, MD
10/12/2008 – 10/15/2008
ICSC – International Catholic Stewardship Council
2008 ICSC Annual Conference – Evangelization and Stewardship in the Spirit of St. Paul
Chicago, IL
10/13/2008 – 10/17/2008
ANSH – Asociación Nacional de Sacerdotes Hispanos en Estados Unidos
ANSH 2008 Convention
Colorado Springs, CO
10/13/2008 – 10/16/2008
CLSA – Canon Law Society of America
2008 CLSA Convention
Kansas City, MO
10/14/2008 – 10/17/2008
FDLC – Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions
2008 FDLC National Meeting – To Worship in Spirit and Truth: Liturgy in the Shaping of Catholic Identity
Milwaukee, WI
10/16/2008 – 10/19/2008
CNVS – Catholic Network of Volunteer Service
CNVS National Conference – Sustained by the Spirit
Portland, OR
10/24/2008 – 10/25/2008
SCSS – Society of Catholic Social Scientists
16th Annual SCSS National Meeting-Conference
Center Valley, PA
10/24/2008 – 10/26/2008
Marcus Grodi & The Coming Home Network International
The Battle for the Faith: North America 1700 – 1900
Columbus, OH
10/26/2008 – 10/29/2008
CACE – Chief Administrators of Catholic Education
2008 CACE Annual Meeting – The Vocation of Leadership: Nurturing the Call
Oklahoma City, OK
10/30/2008 – 11/2/2008
La Red – National Catholic Network de Pastoral Juvenil Hispana
La Red 2008 Annual Membership Reunion
San Antonio, TX
11/18/2008 – 11/21/2008
NATRI – National Association for Treasurers of Religious Institutes
2008 NATRI National Conference
Denver, CO
Visit ActiveParishioner.com for more details and future events.
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September 22, 2008
If your travels ever lead you to Washington DC and you have a couple of hours to spare, visit the John Paul II Cultural Center. The museum sits close to the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and Catholic University. Known locally as the JP2 Center, this museum is a hidden gem.
The modern architecture of the building is beautiful in its simplicity and creativity. It brings a sense of peace and calm to all who walk through its glass atrium. The museum boasts many interactive exhibits, as well as special galleries on the Catholic Church, the history of the Popes, faith, wonder, community and imagination. There is a movie at the beginning to help orient visitors. A special room displays artifacts that belonged to Pope John Paul II. These include his snow skis.
For school groups or religious education groups, special programs are available including a full day Confirmation retreat that utilizes the many resources of the museum. A peaceful and welcoming cafeteria offers lunch and sodas.
The museum is open from 10 to 5 on Tue, Thurs, Fri and Sat, and open from 12 to 5 on Sundays.
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September 18, 2008
The Vatican has announced a conference on evolution to be held next year. The international conference will be titled, “Biological Evolution: Facts and Theories. A Critical Appraisal 150 years after ‘The Origin of the Species’“. It will be held on March 3-7, 2009 in Rome and will be co-sponsored by the Pontifical Gregorian University, the University of Notre Dame, and the Pontifical Council for Culture.
Personally, I have never understood why some people of faith see evolution as a problem. Of course God has the right to create us in any manner that God chooses. It can be instantaneous or it can be through a long evolutionary process.
A reading of the Book Genesis reveals two creation stories in the first two chapters. I love the second one, where God first created man out of the clay of the ground and then later “blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being.” Many years ago, my scientific mind wondered what this human person was like during the inbetween time. In other words, what was this person like after being created out of clay, but not yet having received God’s breath of life. My young adult mind decided that this must be the phase of evolution, when we rose from the “earth”, from the molecules, from the waters and from our animal ancestors. And then we became fully human when God breathed life into us.
Granted, this was a very literal reading of the Bible. But it reinforced that we don’t need to be afraid of evolution or any type of science. After all, God created the laws of this universe. Why should we feel threatened to recognize that God decided to follow those very same laws in creating us?
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September 16, 2008
In late July, 2008, over 800 people attended the National Migration Conference cosponsored by the US Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), in partnership with Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services. Cardinal Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, gave a thought-provoking presentation titled, Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice. He accurately observed that we are “in a dark moment in our nation’s history with regard to immigrants, refugees, and newcomers to our land.” We are no longer a land that welcomes the stranger and the person in need. Rather, our current policies have turned us into a land where enforcement raids are common, where states and local governments are increasingly aggressive about their policies, and where much of the energy of the federal government has been focused on building physical barriers, especially a border wall along our southern border.
Cardinal Mahony asked the key questions for Catholics in the US, “How can the Church reframe the debate on immigration in this country? What steps must we take as a faith community to ensure that the rights of immigrants, refugees, and other newcomers continue to be protected in the US?
In his speech, Cardinal Mahony proposed focusing on “renewing hope.” Hope is clearly a Christian theme, as well as an attitude that is reflected in the eyes of immigrants as they come to this new land filled with hope for a new and better life. Tied to this hope must be action. “Hope is not wishing for something without working for it. “ Hope requires action. And hope also requires faith.
Cardinal Mahony suggested five actions for Catholics:
1) Continue to remind migrants and refugees that the Catholic Church will help them on their journey to legal status in the US.
2) Hold our politicians, especially both presidential candidates, accountable for outlining “a humane plan for reform of our immigration laws.”
3) Educate ourselves and others as to the realities of immigrants, so as to change our hearts and not perpetuate prejudice against immigrants.
4) Continue to “provide pastoral care and social services, including legal assistance, to migrants and their families.”
5) Work to reform the “laws impacting migrants, immigrants, and refugees.” As he explained, “While we are bound to respect our laws and not violate them, we also are bound to correct unjust laws. . . We must advocate for an enforcement regime which respects basic human dignity and human rights.”
By working together to reform the immigration policies and unwelcoming attitudes prevalent today, we can hopefully become worthy again of the special quote etched into our Statue of Liberty, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Leave a Comment » | Catholic, Catholic Conferences, Catholic Social Teaching, Immigration, Voting, bishops | Tagged: cardinal mahony's speech, catholic perspective, clinic, crs ccusa, immigration policy reform, migrants, mrs, national migration conference, renewing hope, seeking justice, US conference of Catholic bishops, USCCB | Permalink
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September 8, 2008
As Catholics we no doubt have heard the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” However, is that all there is to Catholic Social Teaching? A relatively new organization, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good (CACG), seeks to educate Catholics about the breadth of Catholic Social Teaching and especially how it applies in today’s world. This is timely, indeed, during a year which includes a presidential election as well as many other hot topic issues in the political arena.
As the CACG website explains, “Catholic Social Teaching refers to a set of Church doctrines and official documents that articulate the social message of the Gospel and lay a framework for how Catholics should conduct their lives in politics, economics and culture. Catholic Social Teaching is central to the Christian vision of a society in which all human beings – and especially the poor – have equal opportunity to reach their full potential.”
The website includes quotes from Church teaching highlighting our rich tradition and beliefs. There are also issue papers on important topics today, including economics, the environment, immigration, and war and peace/just war.
If we take our faith seriously, it is easy to understand how far-reaching the results of our actions could be. As the organization explains in its pledge, “Building a culture of the common good requires us to balance our own self-interest with a commitment to greater common interest as well. It is the understanding that we are a community together, and that when one person suffers, we all suffer.” Imagine what our world would be like if we all took this to heart.
Leave a Comment » | Catholic Associations, Catholic Identity, Catholic Social Teaching, Death Penalty, Financial Investments, Immigration, Peace, environment | Tagged: cacg catholic social teaching, catholic social tradition, catholics in alliance for the common good, faith and politics, social justice | Permalink
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September 4, 2008
Let’s say you like sharing videos on You-Tube. Or you enjoy blogs. Or maybe you are new to this whole Web 2.0 scene. Yet, you would like to explore these venues within a Catholic environment. Then visit MyCatholicVoice to start this journey.
This new website, less than a year old, offers a platform for Catholics to share thoughts, comments, and media online. You can post audio, video, documents, and photos. And you can view or listen to those posted by others. You can also form an interest group. For example, if you are Catholic and enjoy the writings of St. Teresa of Avila, you can form a St. Teresa of Avila group. Or if your parish youth group wants to set up an online platform, you can set-up a group on this site. Or if you are parenting teenagers and want to share ideas with other Catholic parents, you can set up a Catholic Parents of Teenagers group. The possibilities are endless. It’s easy to browse through existing groups and any individual can join an existing group.
Whether you are a pro at Web 2.0 or just beginning to explore the internet, this website offers many opportunties for Catholics to share and explore.
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September 2, 2008
One standard complaint about most Catholic parishes is that it’s easy to come to Mass every Sunday and not really know the people sitting around you. Attending coffee hours and volunteering for different activities and ministries are the traditional ways to meet fellow parishioners. But why not also add the internet as a possible venue?
That’s exactly what the site Parish Networkis seeking to do. They have set up an online area for every parish in the US. When you first visit the site, you can click on your state, then your city, and then your parish. You are invited to sign in with your email and a password. From then on, you can be notified any time another parishioner also “joins” your parish group online. Members can post a comment or question to fellow parishioners. And they can respond and discuss topics back-and-forth.
When you join your parish online group, you automatically become a member of your diocesan group. This enables you to also tap into diocesan-wide discussions.
The site is neatly organized and simple to use. It hasn’t really taken off in my parish yet, since only two of us have signed up so far. There are parishes across the country, however, that are using the site frequently. It’s a free resource for the parish and staff. And it helps us to continue building community within our parish. Next time you wonder who are all the people sitting around you at Mass, go to your parish coffee hour and give this website a try.
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