Archdiocese of New Orleans Faces Big Losses

The Archdiocese of New Orleans suffered $120-million worth of uninsured flood damage to its 1,274 buildings after Hurricane Katrina, according to The Times-Picayune.

Archbishop Alfred Hughes said the archdiocese anticipates spending about $52-million to fix churches and schools that are serving as temporary hosts to closed parishes.

Although Catholic organizations and ministries have donated most of that amount, the archbishop says that local clergy members will still have to raise $13-million on their own.

Due to the expense, he noted, many churches and parishes did not purchase flood-insurance coverage. He estimates that the archdiocese’s total property losses stand at $225-million. The archdiocese had only $25-million worth of flood insurance.