Parish of the Precious Blood, Finance Office

The Parish of the Precious Blood is a part of the Diocese of Portland which conducts its business as the Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland, a Corporation Sole. The Diocese along with its parishes and parish schools are one legal entity under civil law in the State of Maine. However, the Diocese and parish are also governed according to the Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church. The Finance Office's responsibilities are much the same as they are in other corporations as far as civil law matters are concerned. The Finance Office's responsibilities are somewhat broader as defined within the Church.

The Finance Office administers the temporal (worldly) goods of the parish under the authority of the pastor/administrator and in accordance with a budget determined by a parish finance council. Enough income is to be provided to meet the expenses that have been legitimately authorized by the pastor. An account of all receipts and expenditures must be rendered to the finance council each year.

Under Canon Law, the diocese and parishes are not one legal entity. Each parish as well as certain other institutions are a separate legal entity or separate juridic person under Canon Law. Each juridic person has certain responsibilities and certain rights under the law. Nevertheless, the Finance Office must exercise careful vigilance over the administration of all temporal goods which belong to public juridic persons subject to the pastor.

Definition of Juridic Person -  an artificial person constituted by competent ecclesiastical authority for an apostolic purpose, with a capacity for continuous existence and with canonical rights and duties like those of a natural person. Like a civil-law corporation, it is a legal construct which can and must be conceived of apart from the natural persons who constitute it, administer it, or for whose benefit it exists. Of its nature, a juridic person is perpetual and, once established, it can out last all natural persons or material goods which formed it. 

The Finance Office oversees the financial affairs and property management of the Parish. In so doing, the Office conducts audits, centrally administers day to day accounting operations, oversees investment activities, reviews and schedules maintenance repairs, upgrades and capital improvements.

I hope that you find this brief overview to be helpful. Please contact us if we can be of any assistance. Thank you for your interest.

Finance Office Staff :  Michael Lagasse, Parish Business Coordinator

                                    Darrell Nicholson, Parish Bookkeeper

                                    Herm Turcotte, Parish Facilities Manager

The Finance office staff can be reached by calling 207-498-2536, during normal business hours.

Peace & God bless,

Michael J. Lagasse, Business Coordinator

Parish of the Precious Blood