PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
Harold Brubaker, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: Sunday, February 10, 2013
When the Archdiocese of Philadelphia set out in late 2008 to raise $200 million in donations, Catholics stepped up generously and pledged $221 million through January 2011.
The Heritage of Faith/Vision of Hope campaign gathered $185 million in pledges for the archdiocese and $36 million specifically for parishes, the archdiocese reported.
But pledging is one thing. Paying is another.
Church officials said in late November, in a long-delayed report, that as of June 30, 2011 – just six months after the pledge period officially ended – collections were falling short. They estimated that they would not collect $41 million, or 22 percent of the $185 million promised to the archdiocese, spokesman Kenneth Gavin said recently. The estimate of the shortfall could go up or down.
Through June 2012, Heritage of Faith had collected $85 million in cash, the November report said. Archdiocesan officials would not provide a corresponding figure for anticipated collection shortfalls.
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