Catholic Confidential has reviewed a forensic accounting report commissioned by the parishioners of Sacred Heart of Mary Parish in Dundalk, Maryland, revealing financial exploitation by the Archbishop. The parish, with an average of $53,871 of pre-tax net income per year, was taxed at a rate of 131.76% by Archbishop Lori over eight years. After nonpayment of the excessive tax, Archbishop Lori ordered the parish’s closure, exposing a broader scheme threatening parishes worldwide.
The Scheme at a Glance
Bishops impose unpayable taxes, accumulate parish debt, and then declare parishes unsustainable. Before closure, parishes are merged, consolidating their debts. When a church is sold, the proceeds go to paying collective debt rather than supporting parishioners, contrary to canon law (c. 1263, c. 1254).
In September 2024, Archbishop Lori decreed Sacred Heart of Mary Parish would close by December 8, 2024, citing $97,000 in annual losses. What he omitted was that this entire deficit stemmed from Archdiocesan-imposed costs.
Over the last eight years (2016 to 2024), the following charges were imposed by the Archdiocese on $430,964 of pre-tax net income:
- $567,843 in taxes (131.76%)
- $363,779 in special assessments
- Property insurance rising 286% from $23,663 in 2018 to $67,751 in 2024
Excluding these imposed expenses, the parish had remained financially viable.
Continue reading at Catholic Confidential
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