Originally published at National Catholic Register
The Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, is missing a large batch of donations, and parishioners are urged to monitor bank accounts amid an investigation into the whereabouts of the funds.
A letter to diocesan residents from Bishop Kevin Sweeney, obtained by CNA, said the missing funds were part of the Paterson Diocese’s ministries appeal.
The diocese for 10 years has used a third-party firm that “specializes in processing and recording donations,” Bishop Sweeney said.
That arrangement is “used by many dioceses and nonprofits to ensure there is an independent, ‘arms-length’ distance between the office that conducts a fundraising effort and the funds that come in,” the bishop noted.
Bishop Sweeney said workers on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31 dropped appeal responses from “approximately 1,700 parishioners” into a FedEx drop box. The appeals were addressed to the processing firm.
“Unfortunately, the packages never arrived at their destination, and the tracking number for each package used to monitor the location was never entered, making it impossible to know their current whereabouts,” the bishop said.
Of the 1,700 responses, Bishop Sweeney said, the diocese estimates “approximately 500 … may have contained cash, checks and credit card information.”
The prelate said the diocese has
