The Diocese of Metuchen's Annual Report

2 02 0 STEPPIN G FO RW ARD in FAITH

Financial Summary The DIO C ESE of M ETUC HEN

DEAR BROTHERS AND SI STERS I N CHRI ST, Eachyear,i nprepari ngt orel easet hef i nanci alreport andst at i st i csabout t hel i f eofourdi ocese,Iam remi ndedoft hepeopl eIhavemet ,part i cul arl y wi t hi nt hepastyearbutal sot hroughoutt hesepastf i veyearswhi l eservi ng asyourbi shop.

Asyouknow wel lf rom yourownl i ves,t hememori esoft hi spastyear cert ai nl yl ookdi f f erent .Theyaremarkedmorebyvi rt ualevent sand gat heri ngsonZoom rat hert hani n-personi nt eract i onsandcel ebrat i ons.

Whi l eIam grat ef ulf ort het echnol ogyt hatkeptusconnect ed,Imustadmi t t hatIam t hankf ul ,t oo,t obebackvi si t i ngourpari shesandmi ni st ri es.

Ital waysbri ngsmegreatj oyt owi t nesst hegoodworkhappeni ngi nour pari shes,school sandCat hol i ci nst i t ut i onsandmeett hemanypeopl e worki ngt obui l dupt heKi ngdom ofGodi nourl ocalChurchofMet uchen.

Grat ef ul l y,t herearesomanyf ai t hf uli nourdi ocesewhocont i nuet ori se t ot hi soccasi oneveryday,evenwhenf acedwi t hdi f f i cul t i esl i ket hatofa gl obalpandemi c.

Whent heext ensi vecl osuresi nourst at ewereannouncedonMarch16,2020, t hest af fofCat hol i cChari t i es,Di oceseofMet uchenneverst oppedservi ces.

Inf act ,t hei rservi cesi ncreasedast heoverwhel mi ngneedbecameevergreat er.

Worki ngwi t hresi l i ence,compassi on,andcreat i vi t y,t heycont i nuedt ooperat e i neachofourf ourcount i est orespondt ot hegrowi ngneedsoft hosehurt i ng andi nneedofassi st ance.Thi spandemi chasshownusmoret hanevert he i ncreasi ngneedf ort hechari t abl epresenceoft heChurch.

Part neri ngwi t hCat hol i cChari t i eseachmont ht ot el lt hei rst ori esof encount er,accompani mentandmercy,TheCat hol i cSpi ri t ,ourdi ocesan newspaper,pi vot edt oamont hl ypubl i cat i onsi ncedi st ri but i ont hroughour churcheswasnotpossi bl eduri ngt hepandemi c.Theysharedi nspi ri ngst ori es off ai t hi nauni quewayandwi t hal ocall ensbot hi npri ntandt hei ronl i ne versi on.Thenewspaperal sof eat uresst ori esaboutour90pari shes,manyof whi chwentt ogreatl engt hst hi spastyeart oremai nconnect edt ot hei r pari shi oners,ensuri ngt heycoul dcont i nuef i ndi ngcomf orti nt hepresence oft heEuchari standt heot hersacrament s,event hroughanActofSpi ri t ual Communi onwhennecessary.Thenewspaperal sof requent l yhi ghl i ght st he 27Cat hol i cschool si nourdi ocese,al lofwhi chwereabl et osaf el yreopen t hei rdoorsi nt hef al lt hankst ot het i rel essworkofourDi ocesanCat hol i c School sOf f i ceandouradmi ni st rat orsandt eachers.

OurCat hol i cschoolst udent shavesuchal ovef ort hei rschool sandt hei r t eachers;t heywerehappyt obebacki nt hei rcl assrooms.Now,t hankst oour speci al“adopt -a-semi nari an”i ni t i at i ve,eachschoolwasi nvi t edt o“adopt ” asemi nari anwhom t heyprayerf ul l ysupport .OurCat hol i cschoolchi l dren haveagreatl ovef orvocat i onsandoursemi nari ans– agi f tf orbot hour st udent sandourmenst udyi ngt obecomepri est s!

The DIO C ESE of M ETUC HEN 2020 Financial Summary

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Wehavet hemostsemi nari anst hatwehavehadi nover25years,whi chi sagreatbl essi ngt ous,but al soast rai nonourdi ocesanbudget .Asyouknow,anyeducat i oncanbequi t eexpensi ve,butno mat t ert hecost ,i ti st rul yaj oyt owi t nesst hei rdeepeni ngf ri endshi pswi t hChri standt ohavet hem st udyi ngt oservet heChurchofMet uchen.Theyareagreatsi gnofl i f eandhopei nourChurch,and t heyareal soagreati nspi rat i onf ormepersonal l y.Thi sgroupofmenwhoresponded“yes”t oGod’ s cal l ,gi vet hemsel vesf ul l yt ot hei rhuman,i nt el l ect ual ,past oral ,andspi ri t ualf ormat i onsot hat t heyarepreparedt oserveourdi oceseasyourf ut urepri est s.Noneoft hi swoul dbepossi bl ewi t hout yourgenerosi t yt oourBi shop' sAnnualAppealandi nsomanyot herways!

Yes,wehavemanygreatl aborersherei nt hi svi neyardofMet uchen,worki ngt oadvanceourmi ssi on.

Inordert hatwecancont i nuet oprovi def ort hemanyspi ri t ual ,past oralandservi ceneedsoft hose i nourdi ocese,It akemyresponsi bi l i t yt ost ewardourf i nanci algi f t sveryseri ousl y. Ihavewri t t en t oyourecent l yaboutt hei mpl ement at i onofananonymousreport i ngmechani sm f orconcerns surroundi ngpari shf i nances. Inaddi t i on,wehavecreat edanew Pari shFi nanci alServi cesOf f i cet o assi stourpari sheswi t ht hei rownf i nanci alpract i cesandcompl i ance.OurDi ocesanFi nanceCounci l , compri sedofmost l yl aymemberswhoareexpert si nf i nances,areagreatai dt ome,asi sourdi ocesan st af f .Theyhavehel pedt omakeouroperat i onssound,especi al l yasal argenumberofi nst i t ut i ons f acedf i nanci aluncert ai nt yt hi spastyearwi t ht hepandemi c.

Int hef i nanci alsummary,youwi l lnot i cet hatt hepandemi chasl edt oexpect edf l uct uat i onsi nour ownf i nanci al s. Youwi l lal soseeadecreasei nnetasset s,present edonourSt at ementofAct i vi t y, resul t i ngf rom t hedecreasei nt hedi scountrat e,ori nt erestrat e,usedt oval uet hecl ergyret i rement obl i gat i ons.Thedecreasei nt hi srat ei sref l ect i veoft heoveral li nt erestrat eenvi ronmentand i ncreasesanddecreasesovert i me. Thedecreasei nnetasset sal soref l ect snetunreal i zedl ossesi n t hei nvest mentport f ol i oasofJ une30,2020.Thesepensi onandi nvest mentval uat i onadj ust ment sare " non-cash"changesbutaf f ect edourbot t om l i nef ort heyear. Theresul t sf rom operat i ons,excl udi ng t hesenon-cashadj ust ment s,wereposi t i ve.

Whi l et hi sreporti sonl yasnapshot ,f orsomanypeopl et heef f ect soft hi spastyear– t heemot i onal , physi cal ,andf i nanci ali mpact s– coul dneverbef ul l yrepresent edi nasnapshotbutrat herwi l lf orever bereal i zedi noureverydayl i ves.Thi spandemi chasf oreverchangedourworl dandt hewaywel i ve, butIhavenodoubtt hatGodi sworki ngt hroughus.Hei saski ngust obui l dupHi sKi ngdom herei n t hi sdi ocese,whi chHehasent rust edt ous,andIknow t hatyou,t hegoodpeopl eofourpari shes,are doi ngj ustt hat .Fort hat ,youhavemyheart f el tt hanks!Yourgenerosi t yandt hesacri f i cesyouhave madet omakeChri stknownandl ovedi nourworl d,andmosti mport ant l y,yourongoi ngprayers,l eave mef eel i nghumbl edandverybl essedt obeservi ngasyourbi shopi nt hi sbeaut i f ulChurchofMet uchen.

Pl easeknow ofmyl oveanddai l yprayersf oryou,andIaski nyourki ndnesst hatyourememberme i nyourprayerst oo.Mayouref f ort sal waysbepl easi ngt oGodandmayweal waysgi veourbestand al lt oHi m.MayHi sKi ngdom comet hroughourcooperat i onwi t hHi sgraces.

Wi t hrenewedbestwi shes,Iremai n Yoursi nChri st ,

M OST REVEREND JAM ES F.CHECCHI O,JCD,M BA Bi shopofMet uchen The DIO C ESE of M ETUC HEN 2020 Financial Summary 3

The DIO C ESE of M ETUC HEN 2020 Financial Summary

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PRAYER O F FAITH Father, I abandon myself into Your hands; Do with me whatever You will.

W hatever You may do, I thank You. I am ready for all, I accept all.

Let only Your will be done in me, And in all Your Creatures.

I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Into your hands I commend my spirit; I offer it to You, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into Your hands, W ithout reserve and with boundless confidence.

For You are my Father.

The DIO C ESE of M ETUC HEN

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