The Rev. Kenneth J. Anderson, pastor of St. John Henry Newman Parish in Evanston, has been asked to step down from his administrative duties following questions surrounding the parish’s handling of finances.
In a letter sent to parish community members dated March 30, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago addressed internal concerns raised about the potential mishandling of parish funds.
“You should know that serious questions have been raised about the administration of parish finances,” Cupich wrote. “We have therefore undertaken a review of parish finances and have asked Father Anderson to step away from his financial administrative duties while we do so.”
Cupich added that Anderson was “fully cooperating with this decision” and will retain his other duties as pastor during the interim period.
“Please know that the examination of parish business systems will be thorough,” Cupich wrote. “Your trust means a great deal to me and I appreciate your patience as we undertake this review and work to remedy any possible deficiencies or lack of needed controls.”
Anderson did not immediately respond to a Pioneer Press request for comment.
Kevin McCaughey, operations director for St. John Henry Newman parish, declined a request for comment on behalf of the parish and its St. Athanasius School, referring back to Cardinal Cupich’s letter.
The announcement comes in the wake of an unstable period for St. John Henry Newman, marked by staff departures and a broader community push for donations to close the deficit of the parish’s operating budget.
In a series of emails sent to parishioners over the last year, church leaders requested contributions to help close their financial gap.
Anderson, along with Parish Pastoral Council Chair Adam McCostlin and Parish Finance Council Chair Jake Noble, wrote in an open letter to the community on May 30 that while the church expected to finish the fiscal year “under budget when it comes to expenses due to several cost control measures,” Sunday collections were “forecasted to have a shortfall.”
“Our trend has steadied and we intend to grow,” administrative leaders wrote, “but stewardship and participation is not as robust as it was pre-Covid.”
As part of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Renew My Church Program to consolidate Catholic parishes across the city to ensure long-term viability, St. John Henry Newman became the new designation for the merger of two local parishes: St. Athanasius in Evanston and St. Joan of Arc in the Evanston-Skokie area.
The merger, which went into effect July 1, 2022, was one of two consolidations of Evanston’s Catholic parishes.
During that same period, St. John XXIII became the new designation for a parish merger between St. Nicholas and St. Mary Parish in Evanston.
St. Athanasius, the Catholic school associated with St. Athanasius church, became part of St. John Henry Newman parish after the consolidation.
Founded in the early 1900s, St. Athanasius School has over 300 enrolled students as of May 2025, per previous reports from the parish.
St. Joan of Arc’s former school, now The Academy at St. Joan of Arc, is no longer affiliated with the parish and operates as an independent Catholic school with its own governing board.
The separation occurred before the merger, however, when a 2019 risk of closure spurred a formal separation from the Archdiocese of Chicago, according to the school’s website.
“As we approach the fourth year of the Renew My Church Process, we celebrate the unity and strength that have emerged from merging St. Athanasius and St. Joan of Arc into our new parish, Saint John Henry Newman,” parish leaders wrote to parishioners last May.
The merger stands as a “testament to our resilience and unwavering faith,” the letter stated.
But recent staffing changes have extended beyond the church’s broader consolidation.
In an email sent to parishioners on June 29, Anderson announced the resignation of two parish employees, Donna Borman, St. John Henry Newman’s former business manager, and Natalie Hennigan, the parish’s former operations director, effective last July 12 and 3.
Anderson wrote that while the parish would begin its search for a new employee, Borman would continue to assist with payroll coverage for all employees of the parish, including St. Athanasius School.
“After prayerfully considering both her current position and what would be her expanded role with Donna’s departure,” Anderson wrote on behalf of the operations director, Hennigan has decided to “resign from her position at SJHN.”
Neither Borman and Hennigan could be reached for comment in regards to their resignations.
Cardinal Cupich confirmed in his letter on behalf of the St. John Henry Newman Parish that Anderson will “retain his faculties as pastor,” during the parish’s financial review, which will allow him to “continue serving the pastoral needs of the parish.”
Cupich said he has assigned Pastor Wayne Watts of Saints Joseph and Francis Xavier Parish in Wilmette to oversee the administration of internal finances while the formal review is being completed.
