ANTHONY S. FOTI
NOREEN W. FOTI
770 Lantern Hill Road
Shavertown, Pennsylvania18708
(570) 696-3169
September 16, 2007
Mr. James Quinn
Diocesan Secretary for Financial Services and Chief Financial Officer
Diocese of Scranton
300 Wyoming Avenue
Scranton, Pennsylvania18503
Subject: 2007 – 2008 Parish Assessments for Schools
Dear Mr. Quinn,
Confirming our phone conversations of August 28th and September 14th regarding our letter dated July 30, 2007, your letter dated August 20, 2007, and our e-mail dated August 28, 2007, we wish to express our disappointment regarding the diocesan decision not to make the requested equitable adjustments to the subject 2007 – 2008 Parish Assessments for Schools.
At the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Wilkes-Barre, parishioners eager to learn about the status of the church constantly ask us if there are any new developments or news, as our Pastor refuses to hold parish meetings. We will not mislead our fellow parishioners, and just want to be sure we accurately relate the diocesan position on this issue. The following is a summary of our notes and our understanding of these discussions:
· You have acknowledged repeatedly that the current assessments are not equitable or fair. However, it was the best that you could do. In the Catholic Light, you implore families who owe past due tuition to pay as a matter of fairness to all the families who have paid their tuition bills. It seems “fairness” applies only to the parishioners, as when it comes to the school assessments, this fairness doctrine has no place in the process.
· You are not in a position to change the assessments, your hands are tied, and you need to discuss any changes with your committee. We would like to know who are the members of this committee.
· When presented with an alternate assessment schedule for consideration, your committee was unwilling to implement any changes. This alternate assessment schedule would distribute the approximately $760,000 unfairly charged to 18 parishes due to the arbitrary $50,000 cap by increasing the assessment on all 215 parishes by a mere 1.32% or less; no parish in the diocese would be assessed more than 26.32% of the base year income. To state it is too much work or too late to go back to the parishes now is a lame excuse for failing to correct such an enormous inequity in the current assessments. It is a common business practice to issue adjusted billings to correct errors. If making the adjustment is a manpower problem, Noreen will gladly volunteer her time pro bono to issue the adjusted assessments to each parish. Justice is never late. At the parish level, to paraphrase our pastor, we “ strive for an environment where justice can be taught and lived”. Once again it seems this “justice” doctrine has no place at the diocesan level.
· Although Sacred Heart is unfairly being assessed an additional $102,813 over and above the standard 25% rate, this is something that the parish will have to live with for this transition year. However, there is no guarantee that there will not be other unforeseen circumstances and expenses which would extend the transitional cap into the future. As we recall, the diocesan appeal was initially a one year solicitation.
· It has been noted that the $517,323 income collected at Sacred Heart – St. John Parish places it in the top 15% of all parishes in the diocese. However when our parishioners want to raise money to repair our church, the parishioners are told by our Pastor, Episcopal Vicar, and Bishop that they are aging, declining, and unable to financially support the parish, and that spending any money on the church would be irresponsible. Yet when the diocese needs money to support catholic education and subsidize the 14 parishes that pay less than their fair share of the cost (assessed at less than 25% rate due to $50,000 cap), the diocese has no problem confiscating an additional $102,813 from this parish. In a Diocesan letter regarding financial challenges, Episcopal Vicar Msgr. Bambara states that “a parish’s savings and property are held by the Diocesan Bishop in trust for the parish”, and that “the Bishop cannot take the savings or property of one parish and dispose of it in order to pay debts owed by another parish, school or institution”. Yet that is exactly what happens when Sacred Heart – St. John Parish and 17 other parishes are assessed above the 25% rate in order to pay the amounts not paid by the 14 parishes assessed below the 25% rate, all due to the imposition of the $50,000 cap.
· It is no secret that Sacred Heart of Jesus Church is struggling for its survival. Parishioners are constantly reminded of parish debt to the diocese (incurred from support of SacredHeartElementary School in addition to the catholic high school assessment), and the difficulty in meeting our expenses. The imposition of this additional $102,813 assessment only exacerbates the financial difficulties of our parish, supporting the argument of those who believe our church should be closed. To paraphrase our pastor, given the price of fuel alone these days, and the fact that many parishioners are on fixed income, how can our parish pay such an assessment? Although there may be no formal agenda to target Sacred Heart of Jesus Church for closure, the fact that Sacred Heart – St John Parish pays the highest assessment rate in the diocese and has the highest additional assessment in the diocese seems more than just coincidental.
· Finally, considering that $0.45 of every $1.00 collected by the our parish will go directly to the diocese for school subsidies, leaving only $0.55 for church expenses, as compared to other churches in the diocese which are allowed to keep $0.75 up to $0.90 (out of every $1.00 collected) for their church expenses, you could not provide any justification or rational for continuing to contribute our hard earned money to the church.
Please advise us immediately if we have in any way misconstrued or misinterpreted any of our discussions or your comments.
Also, we would like to review with you some questions and issues that we had raised in our prior letter dated July 30, 2007, which have still not been answered.
· There is a discrepancy between our school subsidies as published in our parish bulletin for 2005 – 2006, as compared to the 2005 – 2006 school subsidy amount reported in The Catholic Light and used as a basis for the 2007 – 2008 parish assessment (Bulletin: $270,580 versus The Catholic Light: $282,144, a difference of $11,564). We request that you investigate this and reconcile the difference, and advise us of your findings and any resulting adjustment to our school assessment. If the error is in our favor, this would save our parish $11,564.
· The Catholic Light and a Diocesan letter regarding financial challenges have reported the balance of outstanding loans due from the parishes and schools to the diocese as of December 31, 2006 was $28,584,866. Of this total, $12,936,290 is owed by financially troubled parishes and schools. Considering the entire diocese is aware of the financial position of Sacred Heart/St.John Parish, we request an allocation by parish for the total outstanding loans as well as the allocation by parish of the $12,936,290 owed by the financially troubled parishes and schools. The Sacred Heart/St. John percentage due the diocese is a mere 5% of this substantial sum.
· Please advise of the appointees to the Board of Directors (term and effective date) and the Chief Administrators of the regional school systems.
· Finally, we were advised that all parishes are assessed an equal percentage rate for the support of diocesan operations. This assessment is in addition to the school assessment. Please advise of the current assessment rate.
These are difficult days for all Catholics and our Church at every level. Through mutual respect and cooperation much can be accomplished. We remain grateful for our belief that “Nothing is impossible with God”.
Thank you for your prompt attention and response to these requests.
Sincerely,
Anthony S. Foti and Noreen W. Foti
CC: Most Rev. Joseph F. Martino, D.D., Hist. E.D., Bishop of Scranton
Msgr. Joseph C. Bambera, V.E., Canonical Consultant for Pastoral Planning
Father Michael F. Quinnan, E.V. for the Southern Pastoral Region
Father Philip A. Altavilla, E.V. for the Northern Pastoral Region
Msgr. John J. Sempa, Pastor of Catholic Community of North Wilkes-Barre
Father James J. Alco, Asst. Pastor
Joseph Casciano, Diocesan Secretary for Catholic Education and Superintendent of Schools |
