Archdiocese may eliminate parish bookeeping and centralize accounting

St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke is considering taking over bookkeeping for all 197 parishes in the archdiocese, modernizing a structure that's lasted for centuries.

His challenge will be to make the accounting of church money more efficient without giving the impression of a power grab.

"This is not about trust, it's not about Big Brother looking over their shoulders," said Frank Chauvin, chief financial officer for the archdiocese. "It's about making sure things are done right, and it's about accountability with parishioners."

Sounds like a very good idea...