The following press release was emailed to California Catholic Daily from the Board of Directors of Bay Area Crisis Nursery. It is a response to the December 11, 2018 CalCatholic story, “I was fired.”
The Board of Directors of the Bay Area Crisis Nursery (BACN) wishes to clarify its position and certain facts regarding Sister Ann Weltz.
As Executive Director for more than 37 years, Sister Ann Weltz faithfully served BACN, which she courageously founded in 1981. In turn, BACN has helped thousands of families through trying times and provided a unique and essential service to our community.
For some time now, BACN has recognized a number of challenges, subsequently causing negative financial results, a decrease in the census, and operational difficulties. After much discussion, which included Sister Ann, about the financial wellbeing and operational effectiveness of BACN, the Board decided that BACN would be served best by new leadership. Given that Sister Ann had devoted her life to BACN’s mission, on September 21, 2018, the Board asked her to continue to be active in the Nursery in the new role of Ambassador, which would allow her to continue to be a part of the phenomenal legacy that she had established. She rejected the proposal out of hand.
Nevertheless, BACN has continued to honor the service contract with The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, the Catholic order through which Sister Ann served at BACN. BACN continues to pay her monthly salary and her benefits and a car allowance. Additionally, she continues to reside in the house on BACN property, for which her Order pays a nominal (all inclusive) monthly rent of $725.
It has been published that BACN repossessed the van that was owned by BACN and provided for Sister Ann’s use. This is untrue. In written communications, BACN offered to donate the van to Sister Ann’s Order to allow her to continue to use the van. The Order refused BACN’s offer in favor of providing Sister Ann with a vehicle, for which BACN pays.
Sister Ann and a former Board member contacted long-time donors, churches, past Board members, and newspapers, including the Catholic Voice, to publicly challenge the Board’s decision. Shortly thereafter, BACN saw some donors withdraw their support for the Nursery. The decision to ask Sister Ann to step down as Executive Director weighed heavily on the Board members. They took that step only after careful and deliberate consideration. While no one ever questioned the courage, vision and hard work that Sister Ann put forth to build BACN and run it successfully for decades, the Board believed that the downward trending financial position, a continuing decline in the families served, as well as other important operational issues, had not been addressed despite a number of requests. In this circumstance and focusing on what is in the best interests of BACN, the Board believed that the only prudent course was to install new leadership.
BACN’s all-volunteer Board of Directors is tasked with fulfilling its fiduciary responsibility to carry on the mission of the Nursery, as originally established by Sister Ann. This responsibility includes ensuring that BACN is financially sound and that the day-to-day operations of the Nursery are performed in an effective and efficient manner, including the consideration and adoption of best practices in the areas of fund raising, community outreach, and employment management.
The Board recognizes and strongly appreciates the storied history, the outstanding community service, and the many successes that Sister Ann has compiled over more than 37 years. This change is difficult for everyone, but it is in BACN’s best interests and those of the families it serves.
BACN will honor the Service Contract with Sister Ann’s Order through its current term, which ends on June 30, 2019. The Board has hired a new Executive Director to stabilize and lead the organization to fulfill its mission, which is and always has been “to prevent child abuse and neglect.”
This message is endorsed by all members of the Board of Directors of the Bay Area Crisis Nursery.
The article states thst Sidter Anne Weltz is a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.
Isn’t this the same order of religious sisters which had two of its members inducted for embezzlement of funds from a Catholic school in Torrance California? Both were long-serving, with one serving as the school”s principal, with the other as assistant principal. Both had a penchant for gambling junkets.
What does that have to do with anything?
Simon,
The same thing crossed my mind. Here is the press release issued by the Congregation of St. Joseph (Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet), admitting to the wrongdoing by Sisters Mary Margaret Kreuper and Lana Chang after their misappropriations had been discovered.
It makes one think whether the same underlying factor might be linked to the Bay Area Crisis Nursery. The CSJ itself does not have a stellar record of orthodoxy to begin with.
December Press Release regardinf mismanagement by Sisterd of St. Joseph of Carondelet:
https://csjcarondelet.org/statement-regarding-financial-misconduct-by-sisters/
Simon,
Sister Anne Weitz is a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. The article above specifically states that. Sister Anne’s services, according to the article were contracted from the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. As a result, the BACN pays a fee for the services to the Congregation. The specific circumstances underlying the “veiled” dismissal of Sr. Anne have not been published.
The decision to keep the specifics “quiet” are rather disturbing though.
You are correct, two members of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet were charged with embezzlement in December of 2018. The article was published in California Catholic Daily at:
https://cal-catholic…
link to California Catholic Daily Article is here:
https://cal-catholic.com/la-archdiocese-to-press-charges-against-sisters-accused-of-embezzlement/
Based on the conduct and behavior of the board, I doubt that the sister is guilty of embezzlement. Also, I’m somewhat familiar with the order and, despite its misgivings, have never heard of an embezzlement case other than the one mentioned in the prior Cal Catholic article. In other words, I think the innuendo of embezzlement is incorrect.
I don’t think something as serious as “embezzlement” is at the root of the change. Rather it is indicative of a flaw within the CSJ itself. The article above states the following:
“The Board has hired a new Executive Director to stabilize and lead the organization to fulfill its mission, which is and always has been “to prevent child abuse and neglect.”
The operative words in the BACN statement are “stabilize and lead the organization to fulfill its mission.”
Based this statement, approved by the BACN board, Sister Ann Weltz’s leadership deteriorated the organization’ mission. Specifically, the organization became UNSTABLE and its ability to fulfill its mission; i.e. ‘“to prevent child abuse and neglect’,…
“This is untrue. In written communications, BACN offered to donate the van to Sister Ann’s Order to allow her to continue to use the van. The Order refused BACN’s offer in favor of providing Sister Ann with a vehicle, for which BACN pays.”
Vow of poverty? Avarice?
Regarding embezzlement: the CCD guilt by association crowd strikes again. Look, I obviously don’t know what happenned here. I agree with Steve Seitz that this doesn’t sound like embezzlement, since they are eager to keep her on in some capacity. I will say that I appreciate that this board is asking tough questions and doing tough things, which is sometimes necessary. Most volunteer non-profit boards, are happy to be there when times are good, but when difficult decisions have to be made, especially when it comes to personnel changes of long-time executives, they flee like rats. I hope the best for all involved and the organization and their clients.
See my response to Steve Seitz above.
The point of the observation (and it was an observation) that there may be a fundamental flaw in the management abilities of members of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. The reported embezzlement by Sr. Mary Margaret Kreuper, CSJ and Sr. Lana Chang, CSJ, coupled with the dismissal of Sister Ann Weitz, CSJ may be indicative of a deeper problem within the congregation itself.
If a new director was required to “stabilize” the organization, as was said in the article, there must have been something which compromised or prevented Sister Ann Weltz’s ability to maintain the organization’s stability in the first place.
Actually, Sienna, it was an uncharitable kicking while they are down kind of “observation”. I’m just observing.
Your made-up “observations” ignore the fact that the board had observed declining donations and clients. The board sought to turn that around, and any organization that needs new leadership needs to be stabilized. It’s just that simple. You don’t need to “observe” any kind of compromise or deeper problems. Let’s let go of our guilt-by-association thinking and wish and pray for the best outcomes for the oragnization, its foundress, and its clients.
Take a look at the publicly available Form 990. Then reevaluate.
Sienna,
The organization likely developed stability issues possibly because the sister’s mind has grown frail and error-prone with age. This isn’t the first time that such things have happened.
Also, keep in mind that Carl Karcher was kicked off the Board of Carl’s Jr. in the 90’s because the board didn’t like some of his ideas for the company. Embezzlement was not the issue.
I’m not sure what you are trying to say Sienna. Did you look at the 990? What did you find there that indicates a problem?
Yes—it is publicly available on http://www.guidestar.org. The site lists all Form 990 information returns that are required to be filed by Sec. 501(c((3) organizations. I also know how to read them.
Also, the Annual Reports published at the website are comspicuouslu noted as “Unaudited.”
Providing emergency child care, respite for stressed single parents, hospitalized parents, or housing problems (heating, flooding, etc)
They are a 24/7 operation and depend on donations, grants
See 2016 Annual Report
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/f56a3d_0b2436f1a4e2408e847c58e05fff9661.pdf
at https://www.bayareacrisisnursery.org/what-we-do
Sister says the BOD are pursing public funding which she has avoided.
https://martinezgazette.com/letter-to-the-editor-i%E2%80%88did-not-retire-i%E2%80%88was-forced-out/
“As a Catholic Nun I never accepted public money to run our charitable organization…. faith based in the real way. We trusted in the Lord”
These comments are disgusting. There was no embezzlement. How quick people are to jump to conclusion.