MARCH 11, 2007

There is a common cliche: "Been there, done that." It is meant to convey a certain one-ups-manship. Someone may say that they have visited a certain country, or engaged in a certain activity, or experienced a certain set of circumstances. Perhaps it may even be done in a slightly bragging way. The other party then "puts them in there place" by saying in a world-weary, jaded voice of experience: "Been there, done that" as though what the first individual said was no big deal, just a common thing.

For the first year of my Pastorate, we at St. John of God have run our own program to raise the assessment to pay the diocese for Parish Share. We have this past year been successful doing things our own way, and so this year many might say: "Been there, done that." But there are a few new wrinkles this year.

First, you may notice that our assessment has gone down almost $10,000. This is not because our income is down, but because I have changed our accounting methods. And also because I appealed the original assessment of the diocese according to the new methods. They agreed and therefore we have a reduced amount.

There are many factors that make an appeal like this difficult: the economic times are not the best (just look at the price of gasoline!); everyone is most tentative with the prolonged state of war we are functioning under; many are angry with the Church in light of the sexual abuse scandals that have been bruited about; some local activities in our diocese have disconcerted some in terms of transfers of priests, closings of schools and the like. All of these considerations and more make the Appeal this year a tougher sell than in the past.

But the bottom line remains the same: the diocese must tax parishes in order to run all the programs that cannot be sustained on merely a neighborhood level. We all benefit from such programs. We have no choice but to remit the full amount to the diocese by the end of the year. And we can only do it if we pull together and all participate as we have done in the past, regardless of changing circumstances. If we are successful in raising our assessment, we can continue to do things our own way. If not, we will be forced to adopt the diocesan way of it. All we have to do is match the great effort we made last year. We paid the diocese and kept a tax-free $13,000 here at home for our own needs.

"Been there, done that, don't want to go back."
Please help and respond.