The members of the General Secretariat for Finance met in Madrid in the community of Our Mother of Perpetual Help from the 14th to the 16th of May 2024. The following members were present: Vicente Soria Fleitas (Economo General), Kingsley Ifeanyi Anoghala (Assistant to the Economo), Ivel Mendanha (General Consultor), Gerry O’Connor, Jeffrey Rolle, Ignacio Vázquez Guedán, David Hore, and Kevin Zubel.
The meeting began with a special mention of Fr Johannes Römelt, who served in the General Secretariat for Finance for 3 terms and who passed away on the 9th of March 2024. Fr Vicente presided at the Eucharist on the opening day of the meeting, which was offered in memory of Fr. Johannes. Among the topics discussed during the three-day meeting were the following: The approval of the minutes of the previous meeting, the presentation of the accounts for 2023 of the General Government and its various Institutions, the project for the renovation of the Casa San Alfonso, the finances of the newly restructured Units of the Congregation in South America and South Europe, the Fund for Africa and Madagascar, Issues pertaining to Cyber Security and Fraud, management of Insurance Policies, Fundraising in the Congregation, Workshops on Financial Management in the different Conferences, The Auditor’s report for 2023, and The Financial Reports and status of the different Units of the Congregation. On the first day there was a presentation by representatives of the Vatican IOR (Institute for Religious Works). On the second day, there was an online meeting with the consultants from the USA regarding the investments of the Congregation. Different recommendations were suggested by the Secretariat for consideration and approval to the General Council regarding many of the issues discussed.
Fr Kevin Zubel, the Provincial of the Province of Denver and the Internal Auditor of the Congregation, celebrated the Eucharist on the second day, the feast of St Isidore, the Farm worker and Patron of the City of Madrid, and Fr Ivel Mendanha, General Consultor responsible for Finance celebrated the closing mass on the final day. The General Secretariat for Finance is grateful to Fr Jose Bartolome, the Rector of the community of Our Mother of Perpetual Succour in Madrid and to the entire community for the hospitality and fraternal care that was accorded to the confreres of the General Secretariat for Finance.
The next meeting will be held in Dundalk in Ireland in the month of November.
Joseph Ivel Mendanha, C.Ss.R.
General Consultor
