The Referral

January 11, 1994

PERSONAL ATTENTION

Rev. Robert J. Yeager, Ed.D.

Executive Director, DFMC

3225 Pickle Road

Oregon, OH 43616

Dear Father Yeager:

I am writing to you at the suggestion of Sister Frances Mlocek who recently forwarded to you a correspondence file concerning my several-year effort to create an adequate level of security over the Church's Sunday collection system. I assume Sister Mlocek included my handbook, Protecting the Purse, with her referral.

Since you and I don't know each other, I feel it is appropriate for me to briefly explain my motivation. I'm a retired federal law enforcement official with significant experience in the areas of financial accountability and internal security. I began to ponder the Church's lack of secure Sunday collection procedures in 1986, shortly before retiring. In early 1987, I began what proved to be a fruitless effort to stimulate interest at the local parish and diocesan levels. I offered a no-obligation, individual consultation with approximately 90 pastors; not one responded! I then directed my attention to the chancellor's office where I was eventually given a polite but unproductive audience. My subsequent NCCB contacts are well documented.

It was only after realizing the hierarchy wanted no part of a secure Sunday collection system that I developed my handbook. It's development was not motivated by profit; my retirement income is quite adequate. I wrote it because I thought (naively) individual pastors would recognize the value of a truly secure Sunday collection system. I advertised the handbook in the Archdiocese of Chicago weekly at a nominal price of $15 but sold only one copy; the pastor of my mother's parish bought it, but only after she brought the advertisement to his attention.

In follow-up correspondence, however, the pastor informed me that he felt his Sunday collection was already being handled securely and my system would therefore not be needed. I had occasion to observe how the Sunday collection was handled in his parish, and my mother had been involved in the counting process; his Sunday collection was highly vulnerable! I concluded, Father Yeager, the pastor was actually motivated by the fact that my system excludes everyone (including him) from having lone, unobserved access to Sunday collection funds (or any portion thereof) prior to their deposit in the parish bank account. That's a harsh opinion, I know, but if you were on the receiving end of several years of dissembling and obfuscation, I dare say you might well come to the same conclusion.

Lest you conclude my system is untried, however, I'm pleased to report that it was implemented in at least one parish of which I am aware. As you might have guessed, I'm referring to [name withheld] Parish which experienced a remarkable turnaround in cash receipts beginning with the very first Sunday. It's resulted in a revenue recovery of about $25,000 per year, but apparently that's of no interest to the hierarchy; I mentioned the phenomenon in letters to the cardinal and chancellor, but there was no follow-up. As a matter of fact, their written responses made no mention of what, in the corporate world, would have set off bells and whistles at all levels of the organization! It makes one wonder, doesn't it?

Well, now that you know where I'm coming from, Father Yeager, I'll get to the second reason for this letter. Sister Mlocek indicated the Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference meets each year to discuss financial issues, and she suggested I consider offering to make a presentation. I would be willing to make a presentation, provided I was afforded sufficient notice and was treated like other guest speakers from the standpoint of expenses and speaking fees. I have no interest in being an exhibitor, because monetary profit is not my primary motivation. That said, however, I'd be remiss if I failed to mention that my handbook is protected by U. S. copyright laws and may not be used, copied or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission.

If you do decide to explore the possibility of having me address your conference, you should understand that my presentation would make it abundantly clear the only acceptable collection security system is one that eliminates everyone (including the pastor) from having lone, unobserved access to the Sunday collection or any portion thereof, from the moment it is consolidated at the rear of the church until all funds have been counted and properly deposited in the parish bank account. Any system that fails to establish that level of security is merely window dressing!

Most sincerely,

[signed] M. W. Ryan

RESPONSE SUMMARY

No reply was received from Rev. Yeager or any other representative of the NCCB organ, Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference.

So much for referrals!