July 17, 2009
The first half of 2009: Budget cuts, staff reduction, strategic planning
By PAUL R. LEINGANG (Message editor)
The first half of calendar year 2009 saw staff reductions at the Catholic Center. The beginning of the next fiscal year in Sep-tember will see a budget re-duced from earlier planning.
Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger announced Feb. 6 that steps had to be taken to deal with “tough times” — to reduce the goal of the Catholic Parishes Campaign and to minimize diocesan exposure to the volatile fluctuations of the financial markets.
The steps announced included the following:
- The CPC goal was cut to $5,162,869, an amount 1.77 percent lower than the previous year.
- Cost of living increases for the 2009-2010 fiscal year were dropped, affecting the bishop, all priests, diocesan directors and diocesan staff.
- Justin Clements, diocesan director of the Office of Stew-ardship and Development, re-tired April 30. He had held his office, responsible for the annual Catholic Parishes Campaign, since the mid-1980s.
- George-Anne Ryder, diocesan director of the Activities and Facilities Department since Jan-uary 1991, also retired April 30.
- The search for a new Direc-tor of Schools was deferred. Interim Director Donna Halver-son agreed to serve as director for 2009-2010.
- Catholic Charities will continue to operate at current staff and service levels, using a “rainy day fund” to replace the $100,000 cut from the diocesan subsidy.
- The Catholic Center Print-shop was closed, and one position was eliminated.
- Work hours were reduced for three positions in the Catholic Center.
- All department heads were instructed to reduce their budgets by 10 percent for the fiscal year, 2009-2010.
- Although not a planned event, the departure of the last priest-residents of Villa Maria Retirement Apartments led to the shuttering of the facility located next to Memorial High School in Evansville, and the reduction of a part time position there.
The results of the staff reductions and budget trimming in-clude lower expenses, a smaller CPC goal, and a diocese less reliant on investment income, according to Tim McGuire, chief operating officer.
What is ahead
Looking to the next fiscal year, Bishop Gettelfinger elevated the ministry to the Spanish speaking to diocesan departmental level. Benedictine Sister Karen Durliat is the director. Benedictine Sister Joan Scheller is associate director.
In a letter published in this issue, Bishop Gettelfinger noted that he had hosted four “Town Hall Style” sessions throughout the diocese, and that he had announced the apppointment of “a task force to assist me in developing a strategic plan for our diocese to ‘re-energize our parishes.’”
The bishop reported that, in June, “with the unanimous recommendation of the Strategic Planning Task Force, I have engaged a consulting firm to guide us in the planning pro-cess. By this time next Summer, all of us will have some clear direction in meeting that challenge.
A significant factor for diocesan leadership is the reality that Bishop Gettelfinger will reach the age of 75 on Oct. 20, 2010. He will be required to submit his resignation; when it is accepted, and when a new bishop will be appointed, are at the discretion of the pope.