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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.