The Los Angeles Archdiocese will try to erase a $4.3 million deficit by
laying off 60 workers and closing some headquarters operations, the Los Angeles
Times reported.
The operations will affect pro-life activities and outreach ministries to
college students and people with disabilities, among other programs, the
newspaper said.
The cuts come two weeks after the opening of the archdiocese's $189 million
cathedral. Cardinal Roger Mahony said the edifice and the layoffs are not
related. The deficit results, rather, from losses in the stock market, he said.
The cardinal said he expects that local parishes or regional groupings of
parishes, known as deaneries, to pick up many of the lost jobs, the Times said.
On many college campuses, the Catholic presence will all but disappear, Campus
Ministry director Laurie W. Oester said, according to the Times.
The archdiocese, the nation's largest, serves 5 million Catholics. Its overall
budget is $600 million. The cuts will cause some programs to be eliminated
while others -- including marriage encounter retreats -- have been ordered to
heavily cut the number of workers.