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Archdiocese reports on post-Katrina losses and aid
By: SComiskey
Sunday July 27th 2008
Throughout recovery focus has remained on the people.
Even in the face of over $104 million in unrecovered property losses following Hurricane Katrina, the Archdiocese of New Orleans has made humanitarian aid and pastoral care of its people its first priority. The archdiocese’s losses, recovery and humanitarian aid efforts are outlined in a new report titled “Post-Katrina Financial Report” released today through the Clarion Herald, the official newspaper of the archdiocese. “As I announced the final decisions of the Pastoral Plan, I pledged to provide the public with complete disclosure of the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ post-Katrina finances,” wrote Archbishop Alfred Hughes in an introductory letter. “This report is in fulfillment of that pledge and contains extensive information about the immediate and ongoing affects of Hurricane Katrina in the archdiocese.” The report focuses specifically on Katrina losses, those funds received for recovery and the social outreach to storm victims. Despite the incredible loss, the archdiocese has received $89 million in funding for long-term humanitarian aid work specifically for hurricane relief and recovery in the region. The majority of the funding came from three humanitarian aid grants from Catholic Charities USA totaling $60.8 million. Over 850,000 people have been served through Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans in the three years since Hurricane Katrina. From gutting homes to providing emergency food and medical care to offering direct financial assistance and case management services to families, Catholic Charities has led the social service and emergency aid efforts for the Catholic Church. “These funds have been used to minister to people struggling to survive in need of basic human services, those needing to clean and gut homes, those living in trailer parks and those seeking help to simply return to a normal way of life,” writes the archbishop. Beyond the services of Catholic Charities, the archdiocese’s schools throughout the region have received millions of dollars to reestablish themselves, including $8.6 million in tuition assistance for children whose families could no longer afford or could never before have afforded Catholic school tuition. The report details property losses of over $287.8 million to church-owned properties, only $184 million of which has been recovered so far through insurance, donations, grants and FEMA funds. This figure includes all property losses incurred through damage to parishes and parish schools, archdiocesan high schools, Notre Dame Seminary, Christopher Homes, long-term healthcare facilities and other administrative buildings. A detailed breakdown of recovery funds shows the archdiocese has received $101.7 million in insurance proceeds, $46 million in donations and grants and $35.4 million in FEMA funds so far to rebuild its facilities and bring pastoral and social services back to the area. The finance office acknowledges the possibility of receiving more FEMA money in the future for eligible projects and alternate approved projects, but cannot report an estimate because no real figures have been established. The report points out that churches, rectories and other buildings specifically for use in worship and religious instruction are not eligible for federal recovery dollars. Often criticized for a lack of insurance coverage, the archbishop himself addresses the situation, saying archdiocesan leadership, which had purchased extra flood insurance through National Flood as a precaution, like the rest of the region, “could not have forseen the expansive destruction wrought by Katrina”. Even as the report details the dollars and cents of recovery, the archdiocese strives to keep people the focus of all work. Today, Christopher Homes is forming new partnerships to bring its elderly residents home. The archdiocesan newly-renovated long-term healthcare facilities are home to over 300 senior residents. Over 40,000 students attend Catholic Schools. Thirty Catholic Charities case workers are keeping full client-loads to serve families. The long-term recovery of the people of the region is the goal of the archdiocesan recovery efforts. As Archbishop Hughes says, “leaders in the archdiocese have brought competent, faith-motivation and concern for the common good to our recovery efforts.” “It has been the archdiocese’s goal to be transparent with out financial decisions,” continues the archbishop. “It is our hope that this report will ease the minds of many parishioners with concerns and questions about the archdiocese’ financial situation while highlighting the continued great need for us to work at further rebuilding.” The complete report can be found in the July 26 edition of the Clarion Herald and online at www.clarionherald.org. A downloadable version will also be available through the archdiocesan website at www.archdiocese-no.org. ###
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