UPDATE: Catholic Diocese of Alexandria reducing staff

The Catholic Diocese of Alexandria is eliminating 10 lay positions and restructuring three clergy positions at St. Joseph Catholic Center in Alexandria for financial reasons.

“With trailing collections, charitable grants being reduced and with ever-increasing expenses, the Diocese has been operating at a deficit. This coming year it is approaching $500,000,” Bishop Ronald Herzog said in a letter about the staff reductions.

Herzog said in the letter that he received “strong encouragement” from the Diocesan Finance Council to proceed with a reduction in staff, which was “the only alternative.”

St. Joseph Catholic Center is located on Coliseum Boulevard and is the headquarters for the Diocese of Alexandria.

“Ten lay and three clergy positions have either been dissolved or restructured, effective immediately. Some of their responsibilities will be redistributed among remaining diocesan employees,” Herzog said.

A diocese spokesperson said the three clergy members are part of the restructuring, but they are still full-time employees of the diocese.

Herzog said the diocesan reserve funds “can no longer sustain the loss” of funding and “care must be taken to preserve dedicated funds for the purposes they were given.”

The reason for the reduction in staff was “purely financial and not based on job performance. The combined years of service that these individuals have provided through their various ministries in the Diocese of Alexandria are forever treasured,” Herzog said.

“I sincerely regret that I have had to make these very difficult, but necessary reductions,” he added.

“Unquestionably, these employees and their families will encounter difficult times in these months ahead, and they remain in my constant prayer. So also, I ask that the people of the Diocese of Alexandria extend their prayers to all who have been impacted recently by economic circumstances, not only in our diocese, but in other dioceses and businesses throughout the state.”

Herzog’s full letter can be found on the diocese website at www.diocesealex.org.