Newspaper Page Text
A supplement to
The Southern Cross
Volume 80, Number 14
April 6, 2000
Diocese of Savannah
Annual Accountability Report
d o *
2000
Contents
Faces of Service 2-3
Expenses and Revenues 4
Letter from CFO 4
My dear friends in Christ,
Horseback was the primary mode of
transportation when the Diocese of Savan
nah was established in 1850. It was also
the primary mode of communication. When
you wanted to tell somebody something,
you saddled up your horse and rode to the
next town.
That's how many of our priests in the early
days spread the Good News of the Gospel.
Today we have telephones, computers, tele
visions, radios.
Yet for 150 years, through the generosity
of generations of south Georgia Catholics,
the message of God's love has been con
stant. Today, as we enter the Third
Millennium of Christianity, there is a
renewed appreciation of what a great gift
God has given us in His Son.
These two anniversaries—that of the
Church and that of the diocese—can serve
as milestones during which we reflect on
what has gone on in the past and what we
expect to accomplish in the future. This
annual report is a reflection on the past fis
cal year of the Diocese of Savannah, a year
which set the stage for our celebrations this
year. The report contains annual financial
information (see back page) which is a tan
gible sign of our stewardship of your contri
butions to the Church in south Georgia.
The 1998-99 annual report also features
the faces behind the multitude of ministries
that your contributions support. Along with
the services they provide, some of these
these offices have been busy over the past
year assisting with deanery millennium cele
brations as well as preparing for Jubilee
Year 2000 celebrations. Our diocesan
observance will culminate in a five-day cel
ebration of the 150th anniversary of the
diocese in late November.
The fruits of the One Faith... One Family
capital campaign will be evident this year
as the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist
reopens after a multi-million dollar facelift.
In many of our parishes, additions to
schools and worship spaces are sprouting.
Hispanic ministry is benefiting from the
establishment of a home and transportation
for three Guadelupan Missionaries of the
Holy Spirit in the Tifton-Moultrie corridor. A
"virtual private network" is being developed
to connect our parishes by computer to
enhance the flow of communications.
Though these capital campaign projects,
as well as the other ministries and projects
underway in our parishes, are not directly
covered in this report, the diocesan budget
does impact in one way or another on each
project. Many of the offices at the Catholic
Pastoral Center lend support to these pro
jects and ministries.
My gratitude goes to the members of the
Diocesan Finance Board and the staff of the
Diocesan Finance Office for their continu
ing service to the Church in south Georgia,
to insure that your hard-earned gifts are
carefully recorded and utilized in our min
istries.
I remain deeply grateful for your contin
ued support through the Diocesan Deve
lopment Appeal as together we seek to
evangelize ourselves and the world around
us in the new millennium.
Yours in Christ,
+ jCo-
Bisriop of Savannah
BACKGROUND: The
Diocese of Savannah was
established July 19, 1850.
It then extended over the
entire state, and included only six pari
shes, with a total of about 5,000 Catho
lics. After the Civil War, the Bene
dictines and other religious communi
ties established missions in the area.
Immigration from Europe and the
movement of population southward
swelled the population over the years.
In January 1937 the name of the dio
cese was changed to “Savannah-
Atlanta.” It was re-designated
“Savannah” on November 8, 1956,
when the northern part of the state
became the separate Diocese of
Atlanta.
The Cathedral of Saint John the
Baptist, dedicated in 1876, is the seat
of the Diocese of Savannah.
BISHOP: The Most Reverend J. Kevin
Boland is the 13th Bishop of the
Diocese of Savannah. He was ordained
to the priesthood June 14, 1959, for
Savannah. He was appointed Bishop of
The Diocese of
Savannah on February 7, 1995 and was
ordained and installed as bishop on
April 18, 1995.
SIZE: The Diocese of Savannah com
prises 90 counties in South Georgia. It
covers 37,038 square miles, organized
Savannah at a glance
into 7 deaneries.
POPULATION: The total population
is 2,539,235. Catholics number 75,398.
PARISHES: There are 52 parishes with
a total of 27 missions.
PRIESTS: The current number of
priests, diocesan and religious, active
in the diocese is 82.
DEACONS: 33 men serve the Diocese
as members of the Permanent
Diaconate.
RELIGIOUS: We have a total of 120
Sisters and 14 Brothers.
SCHOOLS: There are 5 Catholic high
schools and 15 elementary schools
serving 6,770 students.
REUGIOUS EDUCATION: 6,340 chil
dren are under instruction in parish
religious education programs
HOSPITALS: Three Catholic hospitals
are in the diocese. They are located in
Savannah, Augusta, and Columbus.
CHILD-CARE CENTER: There is one
residential facility located in Savannah.
MATERNITY HOME: There is one res
idential maternity facility located in
Macon.