Diocese of Scranton adds collection to boost priests' benefits

by laura legere (staff writer)
Published: June 23, 2009

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The Diocese of Scranton announced this weekend the start of a new monthly collection to help pay for the retirement, education and health care costs of priests.

In flyers tucked into parish bulletins on Father's Day, the diocese outlined the widening gap between the rising costs of clergy care and education and the insufficient funds available to pay for those programs.

Bishop Joseph F. Martino said a second collection to be held at Masses on the first weekend of every month will be used to cover what he called the "enormous" costs of training and care, which are currently not fully met by ordinary diocesan revenues.

In the 2008-2009 fiscal year, the diocese is $1.8 million short of the $8.6 million needed to pay for clergy care and education, according to diocesan figures. Parish assessments and funds raised through the diocesan annual appeal contributed $6.8 million for those programs.

Bishop Martino said the new monthly collection "seems to be the most effective and understandable way to meet our obligations to the clergy" rather than increasing the assessments paid by parishes throughout the diocese.

According to diocesan figures for the 2008-09 fiscal year:

- The diocese had to pay $1.1 million for "clergy support and medical assistance" above the $2.9 million parishes contributed to cover health insurance premiums for active priests. Diocese spokesman William Genello said he could not specify what accounted for those costs because they pertain to "medical or other personal issues," but he said "the diocese is obligated to provide necessary care for priests who might be dealing with a variety of personal issues." He also said the costs have exceeded the amount budgeted for them.

- Costs to run the Villa St. Joseph retirement home for priests exceeded the funds parishes contributed to operate it by $38,000.

- Health care costs for retired priests were more than double the $696,000 parishes contributed for those expenses.

- Seminary and clergy education cost $263,000, but the diocese projects education expenses "will increase significantly" in the next fiscal year. Mr. Genello said a number of priests will be engaged in advanced studies this year, in part because priests must be trained in specific areas, like Canon Law, as older priests with those specialities retire.

Contact the writer: llegere@timesshamrock.com

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Well, Father Bechtel - turns out here you essentially admit you don't actually KNOW FOR SURE what it is you've been preaching, when it comes to what scripture specifically says about abortion, now doesn't it. That's just been proven in your latest response.

Of course, I knew this already.

And as for what you call tradition - how much of this is the result of genuine moral and philosophical introspection by the Christian community, versus what was concocted over the years by various bureaucrats within the church? There IS a difference - however many in the Catholic church have them just commingled indiscriminately.

Again, go back and consider what's actually written in the Gospels, what Christ actually taught - these should take a much higher precedent over whatever your Bishop says and practices. And - in fact - many things your Bishop says and practices are frankly in conflict with what scripture actually says.

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Jeff, 06/27/09 10:20

Oh , I almost forgot another one...Other Programs $778,219...exactly what is other programs? that is how it is listed on the finacial report. what is that money spent on and used for? what the heck is OTHER PROGRAMS..

if no one believes this just go to the scranton diocese website and click on diocese finances , download the report and see for yourself.

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nealon, 06/27/09 10:12

First off it is the BUSINESS of every single member of all the churches in the Diocese of Scranton to know what the bishop makes. WE pay his salary. We pay for all his perks, we pay his staff,his housing,his meals, etc. So get that thru your head. What is the big secret? What does he have to hide? How much has he contributed to the pitiful appeal and to the priests retirement, education and health care costs?

Secondly, I have attempted to see where exactly all the money from the appeal goes, however much is just generaly listed as Other Administrative Expenses to the tune of $637,738 where is that nearly one million dollars going? or other expenses are not clearly broken down just a generalized area, such as Chancery Office $808,753, OK.. what is all that cash being used for and spent on? Finance Office $578,777..?? so WE do not know exactly where every penny is being spend or sent to. So we have just as a quick example, three areas on the Financal report that encompass TWO MILLION DOLLARS and nothing is broken down So we don't know where or what the money is being used for or in what manner. The truth shall set you free. I demand transparency.

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nealon, 06/27/09 10:08

Dave R, (R)

I don't know if you are the same person, however let me respond as if you are.

Essencially what I am hearing in your posts is frustration, hurt, pain, and suffering. You see a Diocese shrinking, schools closing, churches closing and that pains you. That pains me, that pains the bishop. Without getting into a long protracted point/counterpoint to your post let me just say that what is being done is necessary. We can argue whether or not the bishop is going about it the right way- but I think we can both agree that this has to be done, and no matter HOW the bishop chooses to impliment this necessary reorganization- people would still be upset with him.

Allentown and Ohio just went through this- and took very different approaches from Bishop Martino and it is the same attitude there: The Bishop is a big meanine, he dosen't care about us, he hates us, he thinks he knows it all, he is destroying the Church, Why did you know that that wicked Bishop Cullen owns a shore home? How dare he? Who does he think he is? Did you know that I saw a priest driving a new car the other day? They are closing the Churches so they can get rich- yeah we are on to them, you can't fool us boy. blah, blah, blah. You see where I am comming from here? You wonder why I get upset with many of the posts here?

I know this is painful, but it is necessary. Many dioceses as I said are going through it.

The thing is- IF we can submit to this time to pruning, suffering, and death, it will LEAD TO LIFE.

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Father Dave Bechtel, 06/27/09 07:56

Harvey,

No, they did not teach spelling at the seminary since the assume we would have be taught how to spell in Grade School. I was taught how to spell Harvey. However since this is an internet post and not some academic paper or professional correspondence. I think what is say is more important then whether or not I have taken the time to check my spelling as I would if this was a more professional or academic setting.

As for the standards, actually they are quite high. You may go online and check at any seminary website and read for yourself.

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Father Dave Bechtel, 06/27/09 07:43

Jeff,

The Bible is not and has NEVER been read in isolation from the Church and it's Tradition. Tradition is the form of, (or helps to give form) to Scripture. It may be that the Bible is not clear on the points you raise, (though I am not sure I agree with that- I just don't have time to research it right now) but so what? The Bible is clear enough about the fact that outright murder of the innocent is wrong. A baby is an innocent human life, therefore murder of the baby is wrong. What is so difficult about that?

Now if you want to argue that it follows we can't utilize the death penalty go right a head. Some would argue that, and it is I think a valid argument. I would not agree with those people, but that is not really important since there is room for both sides.

Once again, you simply continue to prove why we must keep hammering away at abortion in our preaching. You have also shown what I need to perhaps research and preach on next time the Scripture readings at mass lead in that direction. Keep it up- your only proving my point sir.

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Father Dave Bechtel, 06/27/09 07:40

Apparently they didn't teach spelling at the seminary. Or perhaps standards are lower than they once were.

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Harvey, 06/26/09 10:51

Sorry, Father Dave, but not quite right on many of your points.

For one thing, there is no undeniably specific mention of abortion with no other possible context or meaning to be found anywhere in scripture.

Instead, the Bible speaks of the prohibition on killing, and makes no distinctions or stipulations regarding abortion. As such, the Bible really does not establish any order of priority as to whether or not the baby should be saved and the mother left to just die or not. If "pro life" is a priority, then why is not saving the lives of mothers a priority. Obviously you and Bishop Martino have chosen to put one before the other by attempting to make one of the possible means of saving the mother's life illegal.

As you yourself now admit, both lives ARE of equal importance. This is, however in conflict with a staunch anti-abortion stance. God indeed says murder is wrong. But standing by and doing nothing as a mother dies, when you could have saved her is likewise being complicit in murder. Every bit as wrong as performing the abortion. Sorry, but the REAL world is not so simply black and white for such simplistic and myopic approaches to be shouted down at us from an ivory tower. As such, I'd suggest I "get it" far more comprehensively than you or Bishop Martino do.

Next, regarding the Church's mission of evangelizing... Obviously Martino is obviously doing a an absolutely horrible job of this when all he manages to do is drive people out of the church and get them annoyed and frustrated with him.

Like I said, his priorities are totally off.

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Jeff, 06/26/09 09:33

N Hawthorne:

As long as we are going that to priests, why not do it to EVERYONE who has commited such atrosities? Why stop with priests?

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Father Dave Bechtel, 06/26/09 05:49

Nealon,

When YOU release YOUR taxes for the last five years and show the world what YOUR salary is, then we can talk about the bishop. As it is none of my business what you make, it is none of YOUR business what the bishop makes. What IS your business is what the bishop does with YOUR donation. (If you give. If you do not donate, then the Appeal is absolutely NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS)The bishop is very public with what he does with the people's donations. If you are interested in where the Appeal money goes you may either contact the Diocesean Finance Department, and or read about it in the Catholic Fright, I mean Light. (The Diocesean Newspaper.)

Though I have no idea what a bishop's salary is, (if anything) I think it logical to suppose it is around what a pastor's salary is, perhaps slightly higher. If that is the case, I am sorry to dissapoint you, but it ain't much.

Seconldy if you are so upset over what Catholic Priests or bishops get paid, why aren't you also harping on the salries of our protestant counterparts? Those are 2-3X what we get, including extras. I do not mean to complain about our protestant counterparts, only to point out your double standard.

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Father Dave Bechtel, 06/26/09 05:44

Jeff,

The only thing that is twisted is your argumentation. For 2000 years the Church has spoken with one voice ABORTION IS WRONG, and CAN NEVER BE JUSTIFIED. (I refer to DIRECT abortions as opposed to INDIRECT abortions. I am not going into the distinctions here.)

Indeed, this sounds heartless but when the mother's life is in danger, and all means to save her and or her baby have been exhausted, a DIRECT abortion is never justified to save the life of the mother. BOTH lives are of equal importance. Now, would I ever expect the law to reflect that? No, don't be silly. I would be happy if the law simply restricted abortion except when the life of the mother is in danger because that is all we could realistically expect.

That being said, medicine is so far advanced that children are becomming viable earlier and earlier in pregnancies, and situations where the mother can die are becomming more rare.

Pro-life is NOT the primary mission of the Church, true, but so what? What does that prove? Who said it was? Evangelization is the primary mission of the Church. Pro-life falls under that unbrella becasue God says abortion is murder. Since people still don't seem to be getting the message, (people like you) the Church must continue to focus on it. If people would finally wake up and "get it" the Church would not have to harp so much on it.

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Father Dave Bechtel, 06/26/09 05:35

Father Dave, Two things

1. I guess I am disappointed in learning that the Bishop doesn't care what is written here and doesn't even bother to read it. Many in his flock are disappointed, but there thoughts don't matetr. Clearly if the Bishop isn't interested in reading what you write, then he doesn't care waht anybody else writes here. Besides some of the outrageous posts, I think Catholics have a duty question the church, not in matters of dogma, but in business decision. Lets face it, the Bishop is not spending his money but the hard earned money of many families suffering through hard times.

2. Why the Hussein comments when speaking of the President. This was a right wing attack on the President in trying to link Saddam Hussein and the President.

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Dave R., 06/26/09 04:24

Fr. Dave:

I stand corrected with regards to the external signs of the MSGR rank, however, it is getting a bit old with the way you and other's have unconditionally supported the bishop. He has done much damage to this diocese that may never be repairable. He had alienated so many of his flock that I am surprised that more haven't left the church, not religion but the church. His management style leaves a lot to be desired. He cannot continue on in this manner and expect the Catholic Church in Scranto to flurish under his watch. He closed schools awith the stroke of a pen without any regards to the feelings of the students, teachers and parents that would be affected, and you defend him. He closed churches and combined others so that their ethnic identites were squashed, and you defend him. He tried telling me who to vote for (and yes I am pro-like) and you defend him. I just don't understan, what else can he do or will he do until people say "enough is enough" and do everything they can to see him packing and given a one-way bus ticket out of town. If he just that the guts to lay the cards on the table instead of playing the wizzard form Oz behind the curtain pulling the levers and ropes, maybe more people would stand behind him instead of sticking pins in their Bishop Martino dolls. I just don't get the man and his management style, leading by intimidation just doesn't do it. Again sorry about the MSGR gaff, my aplogies. Now get back to this weeks sermon!!!!!

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R, 06/26/09 03:46

Sorry, Fr. Bechtel, but "pro life" is NOT the most important issue that the Church has before it. It is NOT the primary mission of the Catholic Church.

Here's where things have become twisted - and this has only happened in our own recent history - completely separate from the prior 2000 years of the Catholic Church's history:

The "pro life" message of the BIBLE is not exactly synonymous with what the anti-abortion people try to sell as "pro life". In fact, taking abortion off the table entirely may be deliberately condemning women facing high-risk pregnancies to their own deaths, therefore NOBODY can accurately or morally call "anti-abortion" a "pro life" stance. If abortion is outlawed outright, you might well not not only be complicit in the death of unborn babies who cannot be carried to full term due to medical complications, but also be complicit in condemning the mother to death also.

Where is the morality in this? It's immoral to take the life of an unborn baby but there's no problem in letting both mother and baby die?

I don't think so.

As such, it takes the 2000 years of Catholic tradition and spins it.

So again, as I see it, this is NOT the voice of the Catholic Church, it is instead the voice of anti-abortion special interest groups, and right-wing partisan subversion. Pure and simple.

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Jeff, 06/26/09 10:43

Hey martino, release your taxes from the last five years. let's see what WE paid you. What are you afraid of? Let's also see what you gave to your pitiful appeal.

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nealon, 06/26/09 10:22

they should put a SCARLET P on all the priests foreheads who molested kids.

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N. Hawthorne, 06/26/09 10:09

Do you know how many times I have heard that boring, old, tired, and worn out Ad Hominum? Puts me right to sleep. I will read it on nights I can't fall asleep.

By the way, it is not a red strip down the pant leg, it is a Cassock with SCARLET piping down the center for a low ranking Msgr, and a full SCARLET Cassock for higher ranking ones.

Since I do not wear cassocks, Scarlet piping is quite irrelavent to me. Believe me, if the bishop is going to name me a MSGR, I am going to have to be much older, and I will have to do something worthy of the title besides write posts- that the bishop does not even read or care about.

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Father Dave Bechtel, 06/25/09 07:43

Jean,

Great Idea! I love it!

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Father Dave Bechtel, 06/25/09 07:39

Fr. Dave

From the number of posts you have here I think that you need something more to do than to be sitting at your computer, maybe you should be tending to your flock instead of trying to bolster up the bishop and his autocratic musings. I do suspect that you are bucking for the red stripe down the side of your pants legs. Who knows maybe you will get it (but not have earned it)

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R, 06/25/09 04:41

With the upcoming bazzar season approaching, why doesnt the Bishop and his bey of defroked clergy set up a "Dunk-A-Priest" booth at the bazzars? I am sure there will be many willing to risk a buck to try and dunk one of these fellas, a real gold mine for the Bishop? henna or no?

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Jean LeBatiste, 06/25/09 03:20

Diocese of Scranton adds collection to boost priests' benefits

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