This column needed to be submitted in advance due to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday this week so it’s a challenge to report news that is current. In my column last week, I gave an update on our (gratefully healthy) financial situation so I thought I’d share some information with you that we received recently from the Diocese concerning the assessments that we pay to the Diocese. We are taxed a certain percentage of our weekly contributions which not only allows us to receive substantial assistance from the Diocese in our parish work, but also allows us to participate in the mission of the Universal Church in proclaiming the Gospel. So let me quote for you some important information which may help you understand how this assessment works.
“The Diocese of Cleveland provides pastoral and temporal services for people, parishes and institutions in the Diocese, and represents the Faithful in the Diocese in the worldwide church. Funding to help support the work of the Diocese is primarily provided through an assessment that is paid by each parish. The Code of Canon Law, Canon 1263, provides that “after the Diocesan Bishop has heard the Finance Council and the Presbyteral Council, he has the right to impose a moderate tax for the needs of the Diocese.” This Canon further states that the tax is to be proportionate to income. The current assessment rate in the Diocese of Cleveland is 16.5% of offertory, reduced to 11.5% for parishes with schools.
The Diocese supports the work of the Bishops in the United States through the work of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Catholic Conference of Ohio Bishops represents the Catholic Church on public matters throughout the state, such as ensuring the receipt of government funding for education including textbooks and vouchers for students enrolled in our Catholic schools. Lastly, each Diocese throughout the world is asked to support the work of the Holy Father in his ministry. Funds are requested by the Holy Father to demonstrate our fraternal support for the work he undertakes to meet the needs of the Church on a global basis. Funding provided by the Diocese of Cleveland to these various state, national, and global ministries approaches $500,000 annually.
On a local level, the Diocese serves people, parishes and institutions in temporal and pastoral matters largely by administering and funding the Bishop’s ministries that are best accomplished at the Diocesan level, ministries that the parishes cannot do on their own, and ministries that complement all the work that is done at the parishes and other institutions.
In all cases, the resources provided by the parish assessments are carefully used to further the mission of the Church. These resources are under the discipline of an annual budget process, an annual independent audit, and the advice and oversight of the Bishop’s Finance Council. Further, the Diocese publishes an annual accounting of its utilization of these resources in its annual Report to the Community.
Although a specific parish or institution may not use all of the services that the Diocesan Offices provide, the services of all these Offices are used frequently in most parishes in the Diocese.”
Hopefully this information helps you to understand why our assessments are necessary and helps you to realize how much assistance we receive from the Diocese. Your donations help both the parish, the Diocese and the Universal Church to accomplish its mission of doing the work of Christ.
Please join us for Mass this Thanksgiving at 9am and enjoy the long holiday weekend, another gift to be thankful for at this time of the year.
4940 Broadview Rd.
Cleveland OH 44109
216-661-1006
Roman Catholic Church
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