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whatevergirl
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Hi Hell…usually there is a financial statement that parishes send showing individual’s salaries. Does your parish have one?
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Michael_Welter
Guest
I’ve never seen that. Ours just shows total salary expenditures for the year.
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whatevergirl
Guest
There usually is a further breakdown of administrative staff members, and if there are only 2 or 3 staff members, you can pretty much figure it out from there. But, our prior parish didn’t name names, but named the actual positions. Business Manager, Business Secretary, and there were a few other titles with the salaries posted near them.
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Hellisreal
Guest
Hello Whatevergirl!
Somehow I was not subscribed to my own thread
I must have unsubscribed myself! Thanks for pointing this out to me. I am so ashamed I never cared about this issue before. I am not sure how our parish does it to be honest.
I e-mailed someone who is on the finance committee to ask when our statement comes out.
SORRY TO ALL OF THE POSTERS HERE.
I have to go back and re-read this whole thread!
Thanks for all who commented, I am going to try to explain why I want to know this in another thread if I can organize my thoughts better.
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gwenred
Guest
I understand the desire to know - I get curious myself every once in awhile.
However, having been part of a parish staff, I appreciated that my salary was just lumped in with the rest of the staff salary budget, and not distinguished and published on its own. I received a living, but not extravagant wage, and many would have been supportive, but trust me - there are always plenty who think church employees can just live on the love of the parishioners. They have families and needs, too, and trust me - parish staff do not take their positions “for the money,” – if they did, they would work somewhere else!
Parishioners should be able to trust their parish administrators to negotiate reasonable salaries that are fair to the employees and reasonable within the church budget – thus the budget is public while individual salaries are not.
However, having been part of a parish staff, I appreciated that my salary was just lumped in with the rest of the staff salary budget, and not distinguished and published on its own. I received a living, but not extravagant wage, and many would have been supportive, but trust me - there are always plenty who think church employees can just live on the love of the parishioners. They have families and needs, too, and trust me - parish staff do not take their positions “for the money,” – if they did, they would work somewhere else!
Parishioners should be able to trust their parish administrators to negotiate reasonable salaries that are fair to the employees and reasonable within the church budget – thus the budget is public while individual salaries are not.
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puzzleannie
Guest
no parishioner has the right to this information
I know if my salary information were released to parishioners I would raise a stink because it violates diocesan policy.
the finance commission (technically not a committee) is the only parish council lay commission that is mandatory in most dioceses. the parish is also obliged to follow diocesan policy on financial reporting and accountability. the pastor must retain or hire the appropriate profesionals for this role, and submit books for regular audits by the diocese internally and outside auditors on a prescribed schedule.
there is probably a diocesan guidelines for various lay roles, and salary guidelines, and they are probably available to anyone with a reason to need that information. for instance, they would be provided to a school board, or parish education commission hiring a new principal or DRE. Some diocese have set salaries for pastors, vicars (assistant priests), deacons, religious sisters, chaplains etc, some set the salary according to the position rather than the person who fills it.
our particular law (which governs all this stuff) is available on the diocesan website by I doubt if many people look at it.
OPs question did come up in the protracted controversey about a neighboring parish (which has made national news a couple of times for outrageous activities of various protestors). Among other things a new pastor fired several parish staff persons who had been hired for jobs which technically do not exist in our diocese, and who also had joined a union without the bishop’s permission (an egregious violation of canon law). the litigation surrounding this union issue will likely someday reach the supreme court so you may be reading about it.
the pastor must make an annual financial report to the parish, and it will likely give some totals for salary/benefits, without a breakdown. Or it might report by departments–pastoral, education, school etc.
yes there are rules on who knows what and who needs to know. I have a budget for CCD, but it is given to me without salary info. I know my salary, but not the cost of my benefits (which I could figure out pretty closely), but not the salary of others on parish staff, nor do I have any right or need to know. When I interview a new secretary, I talk about the job, the bookkeeper talks to them about salary and benefits.
the finance commission does know, but they are strictly enjoined to keep confidentiality rules. some transparency might be helpful, but if people were not so spiteful and ready to look for something to gripe about it probably would not be necessary. for instance, people complain all the time about what the deacon does or does not do “for all the money we pay him” forgetting that he is retired and we pay him nothing other than the usual stipends for funerals, weddings etc.
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twosweetgirls
Guest
I must admit, I’m now intrigued, too. That would be icky to find out there’s something financially serious going on in one’s parish, like embezzelment or something. 
When you feel up to posting it, I’ll be interested to hear why you’re so concerned about this.
When you feel up to posting it, I’ll be interested to hear why you’re so concerned about this.
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Hellisreal
Guest
Thanks twosweetgirls, I am praying about this and if I ought to post anything more on it. I have even seeked out my old Priest who I went to confess how I have not been feeling good about going to Mass-dreading it (though I have gone) and I know that is the worst thing to do when things happen. I need Mass more than ever now. As well as other devotions and prayer, adoration today helped.I must admit, I’m now intrigued, too. That would be icky to find out there’s something financially serious going on in one’s parish, like embezzelment or something.
When you feel up to posting it, I’ll be interested to hear why you’re so concerned about this.
Trying to not let this be the cause of me slipping somehow.
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twosweetgirls
Guest
That’s true–you wouldn’t want to find out hell is real.
Okay, that was bad. I’m just trying to lighten your mood, because it’s clear that whatever this is, it’s greatly troubling you. Would seeking out legal counsel help?
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Hellisreal
Guest
That’s true–you wouldn’t want to find out hell is real.
You made me smile!
And laugh!
Mood is lighter, thank you!
As for legal issues- I would never seek legal help in any matter with the Church.
I have Jesus, Why do I need a lawyer?
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twosweetgirls
Guest
Oh, I just meant that if it were some really serious financial (or whatever) issues that were troubling you this deeply, to the point you were dreading even the Mass, that maybe seeking legal counsel would give you some direction; that kind of thing.
And I’m glad you liked my bad one-liner.
And I’m glad you liked my bad one-liner.
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maherite1977
Guest
I remember when I worked as a Parish Secretary, I was paid $5.15 an hour - believe me, I didn’t do the job for the money. I however, did not know or really care what everyone else in the Parish Office made (that was for the bookkeeper to know).
The last month I worked as Secretary (actually, I was the Bulletin Editor at that time), the new Parish Manager, who brought trouble with her to the Parish (another subject completely…and I don’t feel like elaborating) attempted to give me a raise. I told her to keep the raise - I thought it was silly to give me a raise when the Parish finances were in dire straights. I told her it wasn’t worth it and to spend the money to help the Parish instead of helping me.
The last month I worked as Secretary (actually, I was the Bulletin Editor at that time), the new Parish Manager, who brought trouble with her to the Parish (another subject completely…and I don’t feel like elaborating) attempted to give me a raise. I told her to keep the raise - I thought it was silly to give me a raise when the Parish finances were in dire straights. I told her it wasn’t worth it and to spend the money to help the Parish instead of helping me.
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