Nuns win, bishop loses

[Dale_M]

Attorneys for the Diocese of Sacramento and seven donors to the now defunct Loretto High School are mulling whether to appeal an unfavorable ruling in a dispute over $7.75 million the sisters of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary received when they sold the campus last year.

Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto joined seven other plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an order of women religious that ran Loretto High School for 54 years before announcing that the girls’ college-prep school would close its doors for good in June 2009. The sisters cited declining enrollment and financial hardship.

At issue is an estimated $4.5 million donated to the school from a 2001-2002 fundraising drive. The money was used to double the size of the campus, construct a new science building, a performing arts center, visual arts studios, a swimming complex, an athletic field, additional parking and for renovations of some of the already existing school buildings.

calcatholic.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?id=a056a00e-317c-4797-9ea5-4971ab6ea4b5

The religious order sold the school for nearly $8 million, and the diocese, and several donors, want a cut of the sale proceeds. They say that improvements to the school had been made with money they donated in an attempt to keep the school open.

I dunno… its got to hurt to donate so much money and then see it vanish. But I think the sisters made a good faith effort to keep the school open, despite losing money year after year. What is the obligation to keep fighting the fight when you take a large amount of money to help you persevere?

 

[Via_Dolorosa]

Because of the economic situation, many Catholics can’t afford to send their kids to Catholic schools anymore. I’m sure the nuns made a valiant effort but your can’t fight hard facts. Also, many religious orders are in financial trouble due to bad investments and the ups and downs of Wall Street. They have little to offer their retired members. It’s a mess.