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  Manchester Diocese Cuts Jobs, Plans Restructuring of Services

Catholic News Service [Manchester NH]
Downloaded March 25, 2003

MANCHESTER, N.H. (CNS) -- The Manchester Diocese, which paid $6.9 million in sex abuse settlements last year, has eliminated 15 jobs and plans to restructure its services in an effort to reduce its budget by $500,000 annually. Reductions are needed because $2.2 million of the 2002 settlements came from the diocesan savings fund, depleting the account which had generated interest and dividend income used in the past to cover a portion of budget expenses, said Patrick McGee, diocesan spokesman. He also cited an anticipated drop-off in contributions. About 60 sex abuse suits are still pending with no estimate yet as to how much this will cost the diocese, said McGee. One cost-cutting casualty may be Tidings, the diocesan newspaper which appears 15 times a year. Editor John Haywood was one of the employees dismissed March 18, and after the April issue the paper will be suspended pending a study of the entire diocesan communications operations, said McGee. Other jobs eliminated were administrative posts and adult education, catechetics and youth ministry positions, he told Catholic News Service March 24.

 
 

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