RVC Diocese to cut 1,500 jobs

The Diocese of Rockville Centre announced last week that it plans to offer buyouts to about 25 percent of its 6,000 employees.

The diocese, one of the largest employers on Long Island, would offer the buyout to about 1,500 of its full-time and part-time employees including administrators, education directors, outreach workers, maintenance workers and non-unionized elementary school teachers to help bring down costs. Employees will have 45 days to decide.

The plan was revealed last week in a letter that Bishop William Murphy wrote in the diocese’s newspaper.

“Today the expenses associated with the ministries and services we provide our parishioners and the greater Long Island community exceed the donations you, as good stewards, make to parish, diocese and the other charitable and educational commitments that are ours,” Murphy wrote in his letter. “Over the next few months we will restructure our internal organization to protect the financial viability of our Church for 2010 and beyond. Through this new model we are committed to ensuring that every parishioner’s donation is maximized for the pastoral priorities of our Church and for the good of our communities in the most operationally efficient manner possible.”

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