Catholic Diocese of Spokane, Washington

The Bishop Writes

(From the May 20, 2004 edition of the Inland Register)

In this issue of the Inland Register, you will find the 2002-2003 financial report for the administrative offices of the diocese, along with a cover letter from the Bishop’s Finance Council. This council has been in operation for many years. Its members assist me in overseeing the financial operation of the diocese. Subcommittees of this group help draw up annual budgets, oversee insurance coverage, and assist in the administration of our deposit and loan fund. The latter work coordinates loans made to the various building projects in the diocese and assists parishes in their financial planning, for paying back loans from this fund.

There are almost 20 members of the finance council, in addition to Father Steve Dublinski, who is the diocese’s Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, and Michael Miller, Bishop’s Secretary for Diocesan Business Affairs. I also attend the monthly meetings as frequently as possible; I’m able to attend most of them. The members of the council serve terms, and the chair of the meeting is selected from the group. I have found the Finance Council to be of tremendous assistance in overseeing the financial operation of the diocese. This area is complex, and I am most grateful for their wisdom and generous service.

Their letter to the people of the diocese, found on page 15 of this issue, is sobering. Their comments, however, bring into focus some of the issues with which we are dealing in these complex and challenging times, when the collective wisdom of this council is especially valuable.

It is also important that we share this information with you, as parishioners of the diocese. For years now, we have published a summary of our annual audits. Just as every parish should publish a financial report annually for their parishioners, so should we do the same on the diocesan level. Incidentally, you may be interested in knowing that our annual audit report is acknowledged by the signatures of the council and sent to our metropolitan archbishop, Archbishop Alex Brunett of Seattle. This is a way of making sure that dioceses are responsible in overseeing their finances and that there is an audit for the administrative offices of the diocese. Every diocese in the country is to follow this procedure. In this same spirit, I have asked parishes to publish a summary report to parishioners. The economics of the Church’s life must be transparent.

On a very positive note, I want to call your attention to the building and plant activity in the diocese:

• St. Augustine Parish in Spokane just completed a new addition to its office complex. This has created some great office work space as well as expanded its meeting room capacity.
• Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Spokane is in the process of building its new church. This should be completed in November of this year.
• St. Charles Parish in Spokane has a very generous contract with Avista Utilities to renovate the parish’s boiler system. This project, too, should be completed this year.
• St. Mary’s Presentation Parish in Deer Park, Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Suncrest, St. Paul Parish in Eltopia and Holy Family Parish in Clarkston are all looking ahead toward capital expansion projects in the next couple of years.
• St. Peter Parish in Spokane has reduced its debt to less than $1 milllion and not missed a payment in two years. They are conducting a piggyback campaign as well to provide the funding for completing its parish hall.

These are all generous commitments to the mission of the Church.

As you observe the annual report in this issue of the IR, there have been some questions about where the costs of the current Seminary Campaign are coming from. The costs of this capital campaign are being fronted by the diocese. The expectation is that the Catholic Foundation will reimburse the diocese when the campaign is complete. Since these costs are not part of the $10 million indenture, they will have to come from foundation funds and/or monies raised in excess of the $10 million goal of the campaign. These are not issues of the current fiscal year and will be reflected in next year’s report.

Finally, as we look with hope toward settlements of the present litigation, all of us as part of the diocese will end up paying that cost, since the Diocese of Spokane is our faith community here in Eastern Washington. I join the Finance Council in clearly saying that all the parishioners and parishes will pay for these settlements in one way or another. When we shop, we ultimately pay for the losses of shoplifting; when we visit a doctor, we pay the cost of malpractice insurance. So also, we as a diocesan family will share in the impact of the settlements. What does all this mean for us? Certainly in part, there will be a reduction in programming and services to our diocesan family, and the broader community as well. Any settlement dollars beyond insurance coverage will have an impact on our charitable and educational mission. We are a small diocese with very limited resources. The resources of our diocese are the funds, buildings, and operations that are the visible life of the Catholic parishes, schools and institutions in Eastern Washington. There are no mysterious or hidden assets.

We move ahead in faith and in common journey. Now, more clearly than ever, we are all on a journey in faith. I am not afraid to admit or to face the failures and weaknesses of my life or the life of the Church, for the grace of God is abundantly manifest. I am grateful to all who have supported and will continue to support our mission as Church: to be disciples of Jesus and to proclaim the presence of the Risen Lord through loving and generous service.

May God’s peace and joy be with all of you.

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