Newsletter June 30, 2025

Hello All!

The following is the latest information since our June 9 Newsletter:

• Our 80% assessment amount is $211,800, based on our financial status at the close of our last fiscal year, August 31, 2024.  It is actually being called a donation or gift as an assessment has to be based on income and not unrestricted cash on hand.  Parishes typically have more unrestricted cash on hand than the number that would be based on one year income.  This is a money play by the Diocese.

• Our leadership team reached out to the Diocese through Father Chris to advise we would vote to make the payment if the Diocese dropped the merger decree and maintained our status as a parish for 10 years. Yes, we can sustain ourselves even with this payment.  The Diocese rejected this offer and indicated that the merger and the assessment were separate actions and that the 80% was meant to make us unable to sustain ourselves financially.

• It is expected that there will be a follow-up meeting with the Diocese this week regarding the assessment.  In order for the assessment to be approved, 4 of 5 must vote yes.  The voters are:  The Bishop, The Vicar General, Our Pastor, Trustee 1 (Carol Stitt), Trustee 2 (Dan Butler).  We expect the vote to be 3 in favor and 2 against - meaning the assessment is rejected.

• The next steps by the Diocese are unknown, but could include the termination of our Trustees.  New Trustees may then be recruited in the hopes of getting a vote that passes.  It could also be that the Diocese will attempt to "take" the money even with a no vote.  Trustees are not required by Canon Law, but are required by NY State law based on our classification as a not-for-profit.  

• We have heard from Philip Gray from the St. Joseph Foundation that filing an injunction with the Attorney General in NY, against the termination of Trustees would most likely yield no result as the Attorney General (Letitia James) would likely ignore the filing.

• Another action we are investigating is the possibility of joining a consortium of parishes from the Buffalo area that is meeting with a civil lawyer to discuss ways to throw up roadblocks against the Diocese, including an injunction preventing the Diocese from "taking" the money.  The meeting with the law firm will take place July 2, after the July 1 date the Diocese has for having the votes and determining how much money they have secured.

• Meanwhile, we filed remonstatio (appeal) on June 20, to the Bishop regarding the assessment.  We will file it with the Dicastery if the Bishop does not respond or responds negatively within 30 days.  If the Dicastery advises they have accepted for review either our meger decree suspension or revocation appeal, we will then send our assessment appeal to them immediately.

• Philip Gray advised that the assessment process has broken at least three canon laws.

  1) The money assessed is expected to come from unrestricted funds to the Parish.  The money was donated for the use of the Parish, not the Diocese, and certainly not for the specific intention of paying a lawsuit.  While not restricted in use by the Parish, the money is restricted for use by the Parish.  The assessment is an extraordinary tax as identified in Canon 1263 and no one, including the Bishop has the authority to coerce by any means a free-will donation.

  2) If an assessment is merely a donation made freely to the Diocese, it represents a significant violation of our Pastor's obligation to be a "good householder" (Canon 1284).  The amount harms our Parish Patrimony and jeopardizes the ability to fulfill obligations of care for the immovable property and spiritual property of our Parish.  Furthermore, the Pastor cannot make so great a donation. Canon law only allows a Pastor to make a donation equal to or less than the ordinary administration allowed administrators in the Diocese of Buffalo.  That amount is $15,000/year (Canon 1285).

With all this said, please continue to pray for a positive outcome from our appeals.  Please also feel free to reach out to Father Chris and respectfully urge him to vote no.

Finally, our Dough to Go event is rapidly approaching and I am advised that our food sales and raffle ticket sales are doing very poorly.  Please take action asap to draw support for this critical event.

Thank you all for your continued prayers. Please continue to pray for us and our community as we navigate this difficult course. God bless you!

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