Cardinal O'Malley's Letter FY06

Cardinal O'Malley's Letter from Annual Report Fiscal Year 2006

My Dear Friends in Christ, 

Last April, in keeping with our commitment to financial transparency, the Archdiocese of Boston released comprehensive reports that provided a detailed summary of our operations and the financial position of our funds. These reports were made available to any and all interested parties. The reports were an important step as we sought to go forward with the mission of the Church and to witness the Gospel in word and deed, both within our Catholic family and to the wider community.

As significant as last year’s financial reports were for the Archdiocese, their release was just the beginning of our commitment to provide this information on an annual basis. We continue to honor that commitment as we now release the reports for 2006. It has been our goal this year to improve the presentation and accessibility of the information, and we will continue to strive for excellence and clarity with each successive release. Our efforts to rebuild trust and confidence will allow nothing less.

The process of rebuilding in our Archdiocese, the priority I shared with you in July of 2003 as I was installed as your Archbishop, also calls for vision and planning. We have also been blessed with the talents and efforts of new personnel in several key positions. Very Reverend Richard Erikson, Vicar General, Jim McDonough, Chancellor, Scot Landry, Director of Institutional Advancement and Teresa McGonagle, Director of Finance have brought a faithful commitment to the good of the Church, a fresh perspective, and the kind of leadership that allows the women and men they work with to take new initiatives and to succeed.

There continue to be many challenges before us, but it is clear that many people want to help and are doing so. We thank God for the deeply held faith of the people of this Archdiocese and the dedication that is evidenced day in and day out at the parishes, schools, hospitals and social service agencies. It is also important that we never fail to invite those who have stepped away from active participation in the life of the Church. Recent years have not been easy for Catholics and many others in the Archdiocese. We must always present kindness and a genuine welcome to our sisters and brothers who have been absent from our midst. The Christian bond forged in Baptism is never broken and now is the time to draw on its strength, to be reunited in the name of the Lord.

As the Archdiocese charts a course for the future we must, and we will, continue to work to earn the respect and trust of those whom we serve, the Catholic population and society at large. In Christ’s name, that is my pledge to you.

Devotedly yours in Christ,

+Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM Cap
Archbishop of Boston