Catholics Pledge Record $16 Million in Donations

Despite this year’s sex abuse scandals and economic downturn, parishioners in the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles have pledged $16 million to aid their needy parishes and schools -- the highest figure in the annual fund-raising campaign’s 10-year history.

The results from the Together in Mission campaign, published in the archdiocesan newspaper and distributed to parishioners Sunday, represents the first measure of whether the clergy sex abuse scandals, archdiocesan financial problems and other negative news have affected donations here.

Though some parishes have reported drops in their Sunday collections, the archdiocese-wide appeal for the poor set records both for the total amount pledged and the number of donors, which increased to 106,161 this year, according to spokesman Tod Tamberg.

“Given today’s economic realities and negative headlines, the triumph of this year’s Together in Mission brings me more gratification than ever, because you looked past those headlines and into your generous and blessed hearts,” Cardinal Roger M. Mahony wrote in a letter to parishioners announcing the results.

As of Monday, the archdiocese had collected $13.8 million, or 86.2% of pledges, Tamberg said. That compares with $13.7 million, or 88%, at this time last year. The campaign usually collects 90% by year’s end, he said.

Parish pledges ranged from $1,220 at Immaculate Conception in the tiny Santa Barbara County town of New Cuyama to $248,402 at St. Monica in Santa Monica. St. Monica parish administrator Mike Mottola said the church had so far collected more this year than last for the fund, although its Sunday collections were down 10% compared with last year’s. It was the first decline in more than five years, he said.

Some parishes, however, reported falling short of their pledges. The drive began in January just as the sex scandals were breaking in Boston. Father Stan Bosch, pastor at Our Lady of Victory and Sagrado Corazon parishes in Compton, said collections were running a few thousand dollars behind pledges for the first time in four years.

“For a lot of people it’s the economy,” Bosch said. “Other people are still suspicious that money raised from independent sources is going for sex abuse lawsuits or the cathedral.”

Tamberg said, however, that the mission fund is strictly controlled and is used only to help subsidize 44 needy schools and 33 parishes.

Mahony launched the annual campaign not only to share resources between rich and poor parishes, but to connect congregations too. St. Mel in Woodland Hills and Our Lady of Victory in Compton, for instance, have established sister-church ties in which they’ve swapped visits of parish councils and choirs. One year, Bosch said, St. Mel offered $45,000 in surplus mission funds to Our Lady of Victory.