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Have President Trump’s NGO cuts exposed the U.S. bishops’ dependency on government funding?
The U.S. bishops’ conference is at the start of a restructuring process that could see its Washington, D.C. headquarters sold or leased, as the conference faces ongoing financial challenges and a recent round of layoffs.
A task force of bishops was charged last month with leading a process to review the USCCB’s priorities and operations, in order to make concrete decisions about asset and resource allocation in future budget cycles.
While conference leaders say that USCCB finances are healthy, the task force approaches its work after a significant loss of federal funds, and personnel cuts across several departments in recent years.
At the USCCB’s plenary meeting in Baltimore last month, outgoing treasurer Archbishop James Checchio told bishops that the conference was facing “a challenge.”
“Succinctly,” Checchio said, “times have changed, but our physical structure has not, and the way we do business largely remains the same.”
“For perspective: Since the restructuring of the communications, justice and peace and now MRS, now in 2024 the cost to maintain our underutilized headquarter building in DC was roughly $4.4 million, which includes insurance, but not capital projects,” the archbishop added.
“Restructuring” of the departments Checchio mentioned has meant dozens of layoffs in recent years, at least 50 of which occurred this year, amid a federal cessation of refugee resettlement funds administered by the conference.
