The fierce independence of Boston Catholic Charities

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Apr 10, 2003

Why would the board of Catholic Charities in Boston defy the bishop? Welll...

For the last available budget year (2002), Boston Catholic Charities received $38.7 million in revenue. Less than $1 million came from the Archdiocese of Boston. Almost $24 million came from government contracts (including Medicaid payments and the like).

Look at those figures for 2 seconds, and then decide: If you're responsible for the budget of Catholic Charities in Boston, who do you need to keep happy: the bishop or the politicians?

Next question: If more than 60% of your organization's revenue comes from the government, are you a Catholic charity, or a government agency?