the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Clifton NJ, the Catholic Diocese of Paterson is investigating the disappearance of cash, checks, and credit card information from approximately 500 North Jersey donors. The missing contributions, intended for the annual Diocesan Ministries Appeal, were last seen at the diocese office in Clifton in late October before being dropped off for shipping.
What Happened?
According to a Nov. 8 letter from Bishop Kevin Sweeney and Chief Development Officer Timothy Potter, the 500 envelopes were part of 1,700 donations received at the diocese office between Oct. 28 and 31. These donations were placed in a FedEx drop box on Oct. 30 and 31 for shipping to a third-party processing firm. However, the envelopes never arrived, and tracking numbers were never entered into FedEx’s system, leaving the donations’ whereabouts unknown.
Police Investigation Underway
The diocese has involved local authorities to investigate the incident. “We are not ruling out foul play,” Sweeney and Potter stated in their letter.
Steps Taken to Prevent Future Losses
In response to the incident, the diocese has ceased using FedEx drop boxes. Instead, all donations are now hand-delivered to a FedEx store, where they are scanned, and tracking information is immediately recorded.
Impact on the Community
The missing donations were intended to support seminaries, Catholic schools, priest retirements, and essential ministries like Catholic Charities. These programs provide critical services in Passaic, Morris, and Sussex counties, serving approximately 430,000 Catholics in the diocese.
Bishop Sweeney expressed concern about how the incident could affect parishioners’ willingness to contribute. “This has the unintended effect of impacting funding to vital ministries, especially where the need is so great,” he wrote.
Support the Appeal
Despite the setback, the diocese hopes donors will continue to support the Diocesan Ministries Appeal. A solution is now in place to ensure every package is securely tracked.
Have Questions or Concerns?
Parishioners with concerns about their missing contributions are encouraged to contact the Diocese Development Office at (973) 777-8818, ext. 215.
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Sending cash via US Mail isn’t the best idea.
Sending money to the Church is an even worse idea.
Hating religion is an even worse idea.