What Is Our Parish Assessment?

The administration, offices and ministries of the Archdiocese of New Orleans serve people, parishes and institutions in temporal and pastoral matters largely by administering and funding those services that are best accomplished at the archdiocesan level, ministries that the parishes cannot do on their own and ministries that complement all the good work that is done in our parishes and other institutions.
Funding to help support the work of the archdiocese is primarily provided through an assessment that is paid by each parish.  The “Code of Canon Law”, Canon 1263, provides that the Diocesan Bishop has the right to impose an assessment for the needs of the diocese and this assessment should be proportionate to parish income.

These services included the following:

• Human Resources
  • Serves as primary consultative resource for HR issues
  • Provides training and development to Pastors and Parish staff
  • Administers all employee benefits including medical, dental, vision and disability
  • Covers priest automobile insurance
• Finance, Accounting, Management, and Insurance
  • Manages the central bank (deposit/loan program)
  • Oversees Investment portfolios and management of parish funds
  • Manages self-insurance program which includes property, general liability, worker’s comp insurance and medical
  • Serves as primary consultative resource for all accounting, financial, tax and liability issues
  • Advises Parish personnel on financial policies and procedures and internal controls
  • Acts as a clearing agent for various special collections
  • Coordinates the assessment from the Archdiocese of New Orleans for the Vatican and the USCCB
• Legal
  • Provides legal counsel regarding all legal and insurance claim matters
  • Provides legal secretarial coverage for maintenance of corporate records and annual reports
  • Assists parishes with negotiations for the settlement or mediation of any claim asserted by or against the Parish
• Other Services
  • Provides guidance to parishes for real property and personal property transactions and capital improvements
  • Provides guidance and assistance in fund-raising and parish stewardship
  • Provides communications services from website development to media relations to consultation and assistance
  • Manages the archives and records, from ensuring that records are properly maintained to restoration and digitalization
  • Offers Priest Continuing Formation and assistance through the Priest Personnel Office

In addition, Parish Share assists the Archdiocese of New Orleans in covering costs for certain ministries as follows: