Will Catholic donors close their wallets?

Already functioning in bankruptcy, the archdiocese, which also includes San Francisco and Marin counties, now needs to find the assets (cash, property, securities, bequests, etc.) to make good on that binding agreement. Officials of the archdiocese and its various enterprises have sent out the word that their parishes and educational entities will have to share the financial burden.

As one former academic leader from the Peninsula put it in an email, “We knew this was coming, unfortunately.” It’s still a rather chilling reality. Donated funds are the lifeblood of Catholic institutions.

Letters have gone out to parishioners and school communities indicating that some of the resources to finance the archdiocese’s lawsuit obligation will have to be provided by them.

Will that reality dampen enthusiasm for fresh donations or, for that matter, higher school tuition/fees? It’s not clear. But there is a sense of betrayal out there among the faithful who number close to 30% of the county’s total population (200,000+), according to statistics compiled by several sources.

Monsignor John Talesfore, pastor of St. Matthew’s Parish in San Mateo, trying to reassure his flock, has penned an alert. In it he wrote that, “the worship, educational, pastoral and charitable ministries of St. Matthew’s are expected to continue without interruption. … St. Matthew’s remains on solid financial footing and that will not change. We will manage any financial implications thoughtfully and responsibly.”

However, the actual budgetary impact of the archdiocese plan as it affects its many diverse branches and communicants remains to be seen.

STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION: Speaking of settlements, the recent $20 million agreement regarding legal claims against several contractors working for the San Mateo County Community College District comes at a fortuitous moment. The district needs all of the positive reviews it can muster as it heads toward the November ballot box. A request for an extension of an existing bond package is expected to be OK’d by district trustees this month. Lingering whiffs of scandal relating to Ron Galatolo, the district’s former chancellor, and others continue to swirl. Additionally, unhappy district teachers have threatened to strike if their contract demands are not met. The settlement, which is related to Galatolo’s past behavior, is a step in the right direction as a fresh administration moves forward.

PERSUASIVE POWERS WERE MOOT: Basketball coaches invariably work hard to influence the judgment of referees during games. It’s part of the job description. Pete Harames, who died at the age of 80 not long ago, was no exception. But, during a contest in the East Bay while guiding the fortunes of San Bruno’s Capuchino High School years ago, he ran into something of a communication roadblock, according to a colleague who spoke at a celebration of Harames’ life last week. He wanted to discuss a situation with one of the referees. But the fellow simply waved his hands. He didn’t talk. It turned out that the guy was a mute. He was signing. Harames couldn’t. A back-and-forth discussion, thus, was moot.

BRISBANE LOSES LOCAL CONTROL: Voters in Brisbane, which leans heavily Democratic at the polls, might be having second thoughts about their political allegiance these days. That’s because they have been thrown under the bus by the Democratic pols in Sacramento who have opted to take over development authority in the tiny North County town. They made that move because they charged that plans for massive housing growth on the east side of Brisbane, dubbed the Baylands, were moving too slowly. Sacramento is now exercising dictatorial control, barring a successful appeal.

WEDDING OF THE CENTURY: Just to be totally clear, your correspondent was not able to attend the so-called Wedding of the Century involving Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift in New York City last week. Our private jet malfunctioned. Plus, our invitation was lost in the mail. Allegedly.

WAYNE WILLIS PASSES AWAY: Sorry to learn of the passing of Wayne Willis, a stellar student and quarterback at San Mateo High School in the late 1960s and, later, an accomplished professor at the University of Arizona. He died July. 3. Thanks to Dr. Werner Ju for the heads-up.