Wielding the Axe

25 Boston chancery staffers laid off:

The 25 people laid off are among about 270 who work at the church's headquarters overseeing a variety of educational and administrative services to parishes and other church facilities.

A spokesman, Kevin Shea, said the archdiocese has reduced its staff by 30 percent since 2002.

Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley had pledged to cut 50 positions from the chancery staff.

He is accomplishing about half of the reduction by not filling open positions and by transferring employees to jobs in parishes and other parts of the church.

Shea said a handful of those affected by the cutbacks are diocesan priests, who are being reassigned by the archdiocese, and religious-order priests, nuns, and brothers, who are being reassigned by their orders.

The archdiocese has been struggling financially since the explosion of the abuse crisis in 2002, which caused a dramatic reduction in contributions.

``The archdiocese can no longer continue to operate the way that it has," Shea said.

``The reduction in workforce is one way we are working towards fiscal recovery," Shea added.

Shea said that the archdiocese will not eliminate any ministries as a result of the cutback, but that some will be consolidated.

He also said the archdiocese is working on a planned reduction in the number of people serving on the cardinal's cabinet.

It seems O'Malleyization is back on track.... But where are the new auxiliaries?

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