Job Cuts for the Milwaukee Archdiocese

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee is in desperate straits. It faces a huge budget deficit and some jobs must go.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee announced Friday a major restructuring to eliminate 37 central office jobs early next month, wring out $1 million in cost savings and close a $3 million budget deficit.

The plan was revealed this week by Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan in an e-mail sent to more than 4,300 people in the central office, parishes and schools, as well as church volunteers.

"We worry about the many services and ministry areas that appear to be cut, while we place our faith in God's promise of new growth and new life that will result from the 'pruning.' And that takes faith," Dolan said in the letter.

He also did not side-step the cause of the budget problems facing the archdiocese.

"We are frustrated that money is tight and we have to make these cuts," he said. "This is heightened because we know it is caused largely by the financial impact from the actions of those priests who sexually abused minors."

Why would Archbishop Dolan "side-step" the cause of the budget problems?

He has been upfront about the scandal. There's been no effort to deny it.

...Under the restructuring, 37 of 150 central office positions will be eliminated. Eight of the eliminated positions are already vacant. In addition, 15 new positions will eventually be created.

Prominent positions to be eliminated include: the Vicar for Hispanic Ministry, Director of African-American Ministry, Co-Director of Asian Ministry, Coordinator of Corrections Ministry and Coordinator of Health Ministry.

"These ministries don't end," said Jerry Topczewski, Dolan's chief of staff. "They are happening every day in all parts of the diocese. They're not reliant on a person in a centralized place to continue."

A new structure will provide needed services in new ways, Topczewski said.

Thirty-seven positions are being eliminated. That's a dramatic reduction.

It think it's interesting that the JS chose to highlight the five positions that they did -- "the Vicar for Hispanic Ministry, Director of African-American Ministry, Co-Director of Asian Ministry, Coordinator of Corrections Ministry and Coordinator of Health Ministry."

It seems to me like a not too subtle attempt to suggest that the Archdiocese considers Hispanic, African-American, Asian, Corrections, and Health ministries to be expendable.

Why would the JS just chose to highlight those? What were the 32 other positions eliminated? Not worth mentioning?

Jerry Topczewski is right. The restructuring doesn't mean that those ministries will end. Certain paid positions are being eliminated so they will be addressed in new ways.

It's horrible that sexual abuse lawsuits involving Milwaukee priests have resulted in millions of dollars in debt for the Archdiocese. So many people are being impacted by the disgraceful actions of a few.

That's the price of the scandal.