Archdiocese to shutter 11 offices

By Stephen McKinley

In a cost-cutting move, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York has announced that it will close offices for 11 of its charitable organizations.

Italian and Chinese charitable offices will be closed, as well as the Office for Women’s Concerns, founded by the late Cardinal John O’Connor, and an office offering help and information to the disabled.

But although a total of 23 jobs will go, Project Irish Outreach, providing immigration and legal advice to Irish immigrants, will survive.

According to coordinator Patricia O’Callaghan, neither the First Avenue office nor the Aisling Irish Center on McLean Avenue in Yonkers is under threat.

"We obviously always try to be streamlined around budgets," O’Callaghan said.

She pointed out that recent developments with the immigrants advice charity had included an increase in staff from 25 to 50 members.

"I have not been worried about this," she said.

But the cutbacks may portend bad news for other offices of Catholic Charities. The Archdiocese’s announcement indicated that the cutbacks were only the "first stage" of a program of measures to balance its budget.

In a statement, Msgr. Edward O’Donnell said, "This is a difficult decision, but one that needs to be made in this first stage of working toward a balanced budget."

Other measures under consideration include turning the archdiocese weekly newspaper, "Catholic New York," into a monthly.

O’Donnell said that the 23 employees who finished their work on May 25 will receive severance packages.

Speaking for Archbishop Edward Egan, spokesman Joseph Zwilling said that the measures were necessary to balance books and maintain financial probity.

"The Archdiocese, like any family, can’t spend more than it makes," he said. "We will continue to look at our offices and what we do and how we do it, and try to fine ways to do it better and more efficiently."

The cutbacks are expected to save about $1.4 million.