I'm glad to hear that running out of money engages the bishops' attention, but I wish that funding "community organizers" and other groups that are opposed to Catholic principles had engaged it first. The goal of partnering with non-Catholic groups (as long as they don't work against our principles) is laudable, but the people who run this for the USCCB have often ignored the second part. CCHD's time has passed. This bit from JD's letter "some may also suggest a focus on providing direct aid to Catholic apostolates, rather than to community organizing programs" is the only thing that would every make me contribute to CCHD again. Every year when it comes around, I give a donation directly to either local non-Catholic group it supports that I know is ethically sound and effective, or to a Catholic apostolate that addresses the same issue. We don't have a lot of money to give, but sadly, I know we are better stewards of it than the USCCB.
Large organizations with decentralized management such as the USCCB can often have weak financial practices and oversight. So this really isn’t surprising.
Shouldn’t programs such as these be left to the local dioceses according to the principle of subsidiarity?
Poor stewardship by the CCHD & the bishops who are supposedly overseeing it. We stopped giving to the annual collection many yrs ago precisely bc if we wanted to contribute to an NGO, there are many more well managed alternatives. If we give a dime to the Church, we expect it to at least support Church teaching. Geez.
Surely the point is that giving money makes you feel good and virtuous, especially if you are giving away other peoples' money. Witness the decades of giving billions of aid to assorted useless and corrupt governments.
Great report. Amazing how the average Catholic parishioner knows how to budget and yet the large Catholic CCHD does not. When in doubt go the the man in charge, that is where you will find the guilt.
JD, Ed, & Brendon, have you ever considered offering a journalism 101 course for writers over at ncronline.org? It seems like that really need to bone up on basic of journalism while learning a little professional courtesy when they are scooped rather than doubling down on their errors. It might be a way to generate some cabbage for the journalists doing real reporting at The Pillar, while sparing the writers at ncronline.org further embarrassment.
Good reportage
Curious situation here. Who was overseeing this organization? What were their goals? Mismanagement running rampant.
I'm glad to hear that running out of money engages the bishops' attention, but I wish that funding "community organizers" and other groups that are opposed to Catholic principles had engaged it first. The goal of partnering with non-Catholic groups (as long as they don't work against our principles) is laudable, but the people who run this for the USCCB have often ignored the second part. CCHD's time has passed. This bit from JD's letter "some may also suggest a focus on providing direct aid to Catholic apostolates, rather than to community organizing programs" is the only thing that would every make me contribute to CCHD again. Every year when it comes around, I give a donation directly to either local non-Catholic group it supports that I know is ethically sound and effective, or to a Catholic apostolate that addresses the same issue. We don't have a lot of money to give, but sadly, I know we are better stewards of it than the USCCB.
Large organizations with decentralized management such as the USCCB can often have weak financial practices and oversight. So this really isn’t surprising.
Shouldn’t programs such as these be left to the local dioceses according to the principle of subsidiarity?
Poor stewardship by the CCHD & the bishops who are supposedly overseeing it. We stopped giving to the annual collection many yrs ago precisely bc if we wanted to contribute to an NGO, there are many more well managed alternatives. If we give a dime to the Church, we expect it to at least support Church teaching. Geez.
Has anyone ever looked into whether or not the recipients of CCHD funds have actually helped the communities they say they work to support?
Surely the point is that giving money makes you feel good and virtuous, especially if you are giving away other peoples' money. Witness the decades of giving billions of aid to assorted useless and corrupt governments.
Kinda like praying because we get consolations, rather than praying in order to please God and love Him better...
We do get our motivations mixed up.
Great report. Amazing how the average Catholic parishioner knows how to budget and yet the large Catholic CCHD does not. When in doubt go the the man in charge, that is where you will find the guilt.
JD, Ed, & Brendon, have you ever considered offering a journalism 101 course for writers over at ncronline.org? It seems like that really need to bone up on basic of journalism while learning a little professional courtesy when they are scooped rather than doubling down on their errors. It might be a way to generate some cabbage for the journalists doing real reporting at The Pillar, while sparing the writers at ncronline.org further embarrassment.
In the end, CCHD had an $11.4 million operating deficit in 2023.
https://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=63998