Companions In Hope

Money Talks; Do Bishops Listen?

When asked in February, 2004 about the increased scrutiny of the handling by the parish and diocese of the clergy abuse cases,  parish spokesperson Rama Canney stated to the Daily Herald, "It's very much about a parishioner of ours; it is about a priest who lived on our campus. The division is small, but there probably is one." Since then, the parish has blamed the continually decreasing weekly collections on "bad weather", "summer vacations", "a troubled economy", "donors' uncertainty", and "all of the factories closing". Despite all of these excuses, the baskets seem to readily fill up whenever there is a second collection for an outside agency. The Crisis Pregnancy Center received collections of over $8,000.00 and $13,000.00 on separate weekends. The Cross International agency received over $7,000.00 in one weekend and the Red Cross received over $34,000.00 for tsunami relief at one weekend collection. The next time a second collection was needed - for a guest missionary from the Phillipines - the pastor instead held one single collection and promised to give the missionary a "generous portion" of the donations, the amount of which was never disclosed to parishioners.

In 2003, the parish started to publish the shortfall in collections each week. For most of 2003 and 2004, the amount "needed" was $32,000. That amount was reached only once or twice, at Christmas. Many times, the weekly shortage exceeded $10,000.00. Parishioners were later informed that the amount "needed" each week had increased to $36,000 per week to make up for all of the shortages. According to the 2004 annual financial report, the revenue shortfall for the year was $288,232. According to the actual collections in 2005, with most weekly totals hovering around the $20,000 mark, the parish is close to $16,000 short of its budget each week. The practice of including the "shortage" each week in the bulletin was discontinued in 2005.

In 2004, the parish started "Did You Know?" tidbits in the financial report section that included how much the parish paid for certain materials or services. This included how much the electrical, telephone, snow removal, or janitorial bills were as well as how much the parish paid for employee insurance premiums, postage, and wine. This practice discontiued in September 2004.

In 2005, the parish started a Parish Pay program through which parishioners donate monthly instead of weekly. The total collected via Parish Pay in February was $9,790; April was $17,837; May $20,509; August $22,206. In 2008, Parish Pay totals in the bulletin disappeared without mention.

Though the practice was discontinued in 2005, the parish bulletin used to publish the collection shortfalls at the end of each month, fiscal quarter/half. Here are some of their numbers:

The practice of regularly publishing the monthly and quarterly shortfalls in the weekly bulletin was discontinued after September 2004.

In January 2005, the following numbers were published regarding the expansion debt:

Total Facilities Expansion Cost (additions and improvements to the school, improvements to the parish center and the construction of an Adoration Chapel) - $8,014.187.00.

Total Payments to Date (01/02/05) including all fundraising programs - $4,638.961.00.

Balance on Loan from the Rockford Diocese to Date (01/02/05) - $3,375.226.00.

Total interest on Loan Paid to Date (12/31/04) - $390,257.00.

In April 2005, the following Facilities Expansion Report was published:

Payments made to Date - $4,682.245.00
Balance on Loan from the Rockford Diocese to Date - $3,335.114.00.

In October 2006, the "Annual Stewardship Report claimed the following:

There were slight increases in both the parish population and the weekly collections. Because a 'census' was performed, parish staff identified "active families" and "inactive families". Apparently, the 'active families' are the ones who registered in the census. Anyone who neglected or declined to register is still considered a parishioner - by the standards of select but unidentified members of St. Peter staff -and continue to be listed in the parish directory. No attempt was made by the parish to track the number of families who have left the parish and/or reasons for doing so.

The report also indicates that the parish is unable, due to lack of funds, to pay in full the annual assessments levied by the Rockford Diocese. Once again, parishioners are asked for an increase in donations in order to pay the $263,862 tax to Bishop Doran.

The 2006 report also indicates that 37%, or nearly $3 million, remains due to Bishop Doran for the $8 million expansion project even though the deadline - or 'timetable' - for pledge completion has long passed.

Quoted from the report: "The parish's primary source of income is the parishioner base. Budgeted revenues for the new fiscal year 2006/2007 are $1,941,238. That means an 18% increase in giving over the actual contributions received in 2005/2006. Can this truly be obtained? Should we expect the average parish household to contribute even more?"

Jarmoluk's Latest Multi-Million Dollar Campaign

On February 18, 2007, Jarmoluk introduced his latest fundraising campaign to the parish via the parish bulletin and speeches at all of the Masses. He identified all of the chairpersons for the drive named "Upon the Rock....Securing the Next Century". The reason behind the drive is to "eliminate the parish debt and to establish an endowment with two accounts. One of these accounts will be for parish needs and the other for Catholid education necessities", according to Jarmoluk. The established goal is $2.6 million "with a challenge target of $3.2 million".

There is no mention in Jarmoluk's message as to why pledges that were made during the first expansion campaign and regular weekend collections aren't enough to pay down the debt and provide for the needs of the parish and school.

January 31, 2008 Status of the Upon This Rock....Securing the Next Century financial campaign to make up for low collections and unpaid pledges on the original expansion campaign:

Number of Pledges made...................................655 (out of "4,000 families", according to Jarmoluk)

Pledges made...........................................$2,778,261

Payments received...................................$0,691,563

Balance of Pledges..................................$2,086,698

Payments made on Parish Debt............$0,516,201

Investment on Endowment Accounts....$0,175,362

Parish Needs Endowment......................$0,083,431

Education Endowment..............................$0,091,931

The Upon This Rock.....Securing the Next Century campaign was sold to parishioners as a way to "get ahead" and pay down the debt remaining on the 1999 building campaign in order to save on the interest. The "parish needs" and "education" endowments were also thrown in as a way to get more parishioners to bite. The parish paid big bucks to a private company to tell them how to word the sales pitch in order to get the best response. This Public Relations/Marketing firm also printed out huge glossy brochures in full color and decals for the church doors and windows. According to the annual financial report, the cost of these spin-room services came out of the parish budget and was, according to the report, in part to blame for the parish being unable to balance the budget without taking out more loans and withdrawing from savings.

It's working, partly. Many people jumped on the Upon This Rock' wagon and the Upon This Rock committee jumped for joy, in between sips of wine of the non-consecrated sort at a meeting on parish grounds. The applause and head nods offered to those who pulled their weight in pledges were countered by frowns and stern looks from the pastor toward those who didn't. But a quick, "I'm sorry, Father. I'll get 'em this week" would always follow. Quite a disgusting scene, this being a Roman Catholic Church and all. It was enough to make Enron look like a Sanctuary of the Lord. Why, again, did Jesus turn the table at the temple?

The fact is, this campaign has essentially been a Catholic 'double-dip'. Even those who paid-in-full their pledges of sometimes thousands of dollars toward the $8 million were asked to give again to make up for the 'shortages' in weekly collections. They were personally telephoned at home and urged to welcome committee members - Jarmoluk surrogates - into their homes with outstretched hands - not to offer help, but to ask for more money "til it hurts". (The image seems reminiscent of Capone days but instead of a payback with booze or protection, the Church promises grace and heaven.) Of course, it wasn't promoted as a fundraiser to make up for all the unpaid contributions and pledges by Catholics who refuse to fund an organization that operates like Enron or Capone. But that's what it is. It's called spin. One male Upon This Rock volunteer expressed at a meeting the troubling feeling he got asking families who already gave in the original campaign, were already struggling to make ends meet, and were already paying ever-increasing school tuition for more money. It didn't matter to Ken Lay II. We need millions and the bishop's on my case to pay him back and, by God, we're going to soak them, hell or high water! You can't get blood from a turnip, but St. Peter's sure is trying.

Percentage of money collected going toward "Parish Debt"..................................75%

Percentage of money collected going toward "Parish Needs Endowment".......12%

Percentage of money collected going toward "Education Endowment"..............13%

Those who have pledged in this campaign might ask, "Why is the parish so deep in debt?

Answer: It's the _________________ !
a) economy, bad weather, closing factories in Geneva
b) secrecy, abuse of power by pastor, lies by pastor, verbal assaults by pastor
c) pastor's web site with filthy message board and phony documentary about himself
d) various methods of intimidation by the pastor including lawsuit threats by his attorney
e) the fact that the pastor is in violation of diocesan rule that all parishes must have a parish council
Hint: It's not 'a'

Pray, Pay, and Obey. As long as enough obedient Catholics keep writing checks payable to the parish and diocese, the style of parish administration on par with Enron, La Cosa Nosta, and the Church of Scientology will continue. Did Jesus go around having fundraisers and building mult-million dollar over-sized 'state-of-the-art' structures? No. Jesus was penniless and humble. And he was the greatest teacher of all time. He was not an elitist. He served everyone, without condition - regardless of their wealth, their contributions, or their last name. His intent for the Church was not to break the backs of hard-working families to throw more and more money into an abyss in which there is no accountability. His intent for the Church was not to rack up countless 'ministries' and call it Christianity. Mother Teresa had it right. The Rockford Diocese does not. What about the laity? Money = Spirituality or "Just Say No" to the Clergy Tax Collectors? WWJD?

July 2008 Status - Separate collection notices of Parish Pay disappear from the weekly parish bulletin.  Could it be that the weekly collections are so low that the parish administration decided to secretly add the Parish Pay totals to the weekly collection totals to "beef them up" a bit?  The totals are currently hovering in the $25,000 range.  Several years ago, pastor Jarmoluk and his financial committee chairman told parishioners $36,000 was needed each week just to break even (not to mention paying off the heavy debt the parish accrued).  This would tell us that the parish is still approximately $10,000 under budget every single week and falling further and further into debt.  The annual parish financial report is due to be mailed to parishioners is the Fall. 

COMING SOON:  An update on the 2008 Annual Financial Summary of St. Peter Parish in Geneva. 
PREVIEW:  St. Peter Parish in Geneva, under the 'guidance' of Joe Jarmoluk, remains in heavy financial trouble.

"The next big scandal to be exposed in the Catholic Church will be the financial one." - an American lay Catholic, formerly in a high position in the Catholic Church who has dealt directly with American Catholic bishops as well as officials in the Vatican.

Click here for a list of letters and reports referenced on this page.

Companions in Hope
P.O. Box 638
Geneva, Illinois 60134

mail@companionsinhope.com

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