For quite some time now some of us have been encouraging a local Catholic parish that found itself with 1.1 million dollars from the closing of Catholic Churches in North Central Milwaukee to use the money to serve the needs of the poor in the area. (See Catholic Church in North Central Milwaukee, Cry of the Poor Petition and Sustainable Fund proposal.) Now the parish council is set to vote Thursday, September 12 at 7pm on a recommendation made in secret by a task force it appointed. This os draft open letter being sent to the pastor of parish, parish council and community is an effort to stop this vote. Any suggestions about this draft of the open letter not yet sent?
We suggest that a vote on the Task Force Recommendation to the Parish Council on the Allocation of Funds from St. Albert’s fund, St. Nicholas fund and sale proceeds from Blessed Trinity, about 1.1 million dollars, be postpone until a community meeting for all concerned are able to be present.
The present recommendation that the money be put in a Trust fund with no more than 3.5% of money made on the trust fund (usury) be used for outreach and capital needs violates, in my opinion, the intention, expressed and unexpressed of the donors of the money; the Gospel teachings on abundance; the principle mission of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church; and all principles of sustainability.
The ‘intention of donors’ expressed by written documents like that of the Blessed Trinity parish council and unexpressed intentions is to further the mission of the three parish to people in the neighborhoods in North Central Milwaukee.
In the parable in Luke 12: 13–21 Jesus tells us how to not to deal with an inheritance or abundance given to the Church. The story is of the man who enjoyed a bountiful harvest and rather to share it decided to down his barns and build larger ones to store his grains and other goods. “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” There are many more lessons in the Gospel about our obligation as followers of Jesus to share our abundance or Archdiocese given money, with others in need.
The principle mission of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church was best expressed by our Holy Father on his return trip from Brazil. The mission of the Church is the “evangelical and preferential option for the poor” which will be not be served by this recommendation. In fact ‘usury’, where the 3.5% or less would come from was, for a long time, considered a “sin” in the Catholic Church and condemned by many religions.
“Sustainability requires the reconciliation of environmental, social equity and economic demands.” It is Not the storing away of funds. When Jesus urged us to practice the works of mercy he did not talk about sustainability. However, one of the community proposals that the task force did not consider seriously was for a Sustainable Fund that would provide beds, refrigerators and stoves, basic needs of poor in North Central Milwaukee for a long time. Maybe Jesus thought that doing the works of mercy would be sustainable if more people practice it, starting followers of the Way, our Catholic church.
None of the many good proposals arising from the community were taken seriously. There were no public meetings to discuss money and recommendations.
The secret task force met in secret and did not share thoughts or opinions until the secret announcement at the last meeting to the Parish council. If “we are the Church” has any meaning why don’t we practice it.
The recommendation for an endowment type trust fund for a Church that is united with another nearby church sounds like it was made before the task force was appointed. If the church is trying to protect these funds from legal suits a proposal like the Sustainable Fund would have been a more Christian way to accomplish that goal.
Hoarding money for a diminishing Catholic church unable to even change its Sunday Mass time to accommodate neighbors and dwindling enrollment of youth and young adults seems like no way to practice the evangelical and preferential option for the poor mission of the church.
Information about the amount of money, where it came from, the intent of donors and history of Catholic Church in North Central Milwaukee has been censored or withheld from people of God. Open the doors and build community by allowing us to be Church together. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:31)
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