The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston saw its finances continue to stabilize in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2011, as payments to settle claims of clergy sexual abuse declined and Catholics in the pews opened their wallets a little wider.
Operating revenue for the archdiocese was $343.2 million for the fiscal year, compared with $332.9 million during fiscal 2010.
The increase was due in part to growth in parish collections — $115.7 million in fiscal 2011 compared to $111.2 million in fiscal 2010.
Expenses during the same period declined, to $338.2 million in 2011 from $342.8 million in 2010, according to financial statements released last Thursday.
The reduction in expenses was due in part to layoffs in the archdiocese’s central operations.
Payments to settle allegations of clergy sexual abuse continued what has been a steady decline since the scope of the problem emerged a decade ago.
In 2011, the archdiocese paid $1.7 million to settle claims brought by 23 people. In 2010, the archdiocese paid $2.1 million to settle 30 claims.
A note to the financial statements suggests church officials don’t expect the problem to go away soon.
With insurance policies tapped out, the note states, the archdicoese is relying on a reserve fund of about $4.5 million to settle future claims.
The financial statements, which the archdiocese recently began releasing voluntarily — religious organizations are not required to make their finances public — also indicate that:
- Net assets totaled $767 million as of June 30, 2011, compared with $737 million a year earlier.
- The value of investments was $145 million as the end of fiscal 2011, compared with $139 million at the end of fiscal 2010.
- The archdiocese made 9.3 million on the sale of buildings in 2011, compared to $7.1 million in 2010.
- Enrollment at Catholic schools in Boston was up 1 percent in 2011 over 2010 — the first increase in 20 years.
- Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley’s pay — including expenses not included on his W-2 — was about $55,900. But $34,300 of that was sent to the order to which he belongs, the Capuchin Priests and Brothers, and $7,200 went to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, where he lives in an apartment. All priests in the archdiocese receive roughly the same pay.
- Three archdiocesan employees made more than $200,000 per year in fiscal 2011. Seven made between $100,000 and $200,000.