MINNESOTA
Canonical Consultation

11/13/2014

Jennifer Haselberger

Since Saturday’s announcement that the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis needs to cut 20%, or nearly $5 million, from its operating budget, I have been quoted by various media outlets as stating that the Archdiocese’s financial troubles are not just the result of legal costs resulting from the Doe 1 litigation, but can also be seen as the logical result of years of mismanagement and poor decision making. While I don’t think anyone has publicly challenged the truth of that assertion, I do want to take the opportunity to point out what I consider to be five examples of poor decision making that have negatively impacted the Archdiocese’s bottom line. The cumulative effect of these decisions, as you will see, have cost the Archdiocese in excess of $5 million.

Decision #1- Gift of land to Hill Murray

Prior to 2005, the Archdiocese…