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The sad tale of the downfall of Stadelmaier.

Discussion in 'Free-For-All Archives' started by mioque, Apr 5, 2004.

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  1. mioque

    mioque New Member

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    For those of you who never heard of it, Stadelmaier was a clothing manufacturer that specialized in making gear for Roman Catholic clergymen. It was the biggest and most prestigious firm of it's kind in the world.
    http://www.stadelmaier.com/center.htm
    http://www.catholicsupply.com/churchs/clerstad.html
    http://www.catholicsupply.com/churchs/clerstad2.html

    They've recently gone bankrupt, mostly because of the priest pedophiliascandal in the USA.
    All those millions payed in damages can't be used to buy new priestly vestments, you see.

    http://www.katholieknederland.nl/actualiteit/nieuws/nieuws_317507.html
    (yes the article is in Dutch)

    Anyhow, I thought it was an interesting (small) example of something terrible happening in one corner of the globe having a noticable impact on the other side of it.

    Interesting sidenote. There are rumors that a contributing factor to the end of Stadelmaier was that the Vatican was always chronically (as in years and years) late in paying it's bills.
     
    #1 mioque, Apr 5, 2004
  2. mioque

    mioque New Member

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    Before people demand an internet source for the rumor about the Vatican being slow in paying it's bills.
    My source for that little piece of gossip is Jolien Stadelmaier, the wife of the owner of the firm.
     
    #2 mioque, Apr 5, 2004
  3. trying2understand

    trying2understand New Member

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    Not sure that your information is correct.

    Individual Catholic Churches pay their own bills directly. There is no centralized accounts payable department at the Vatican for pruchasing vestments for individual Catholic Churches around the world.

    Perhaps you could verify this with your friend.

    Also, your links go to a church supply company located in St.Louis. Do they buy vestments from Stadelmaier wholesale and then in turn retail them? If so, the Vatican would not be involved. There are several such privately own church supply companies in the US and around the world.
     
    #3 trying2understand, Apr 5, 2004
  4. UncleRay

    UncleRay New Member

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    This is one of the greater leaps in logic that I have seen on the BB.

    I don't know what showing shirt catalogues proves. Maybe American priests don't like paying $50.50 for polyester shirts from this company.

    There are numerous suppliers of Catholic Church supplies including black shirts. Maybe others are just better run.

    Also when your fashion statement begins and ends with black polyester shirts, the priestly wardrobe budget is just not too large.

    The number of priests in the United States has remained constant (slight increase). No big growth market.

    As for tying the bankruptcy of this company to the sexual scandal in the US makes absolutely no sense. To begin with the vast majority of abuse incidents occured 20 years ago. I think those guys already bought their shirts.

    You also seem to be under the impression that every purchase of the Catholic Church (including priests' shirts) must go through the Vatican. Thus the slow pay habits of the Vatican brought down this company.

    Catholic Churches buy their own supplies from the best suppliers they can locate. I don't know of anything purchased through the Vatican.

    :D As for the slow pay policy of the Vatican. I have no direct knowledge of that but I am inclined to accept that as truth without further internet research. Why would I be surprised that a bureaucracy run primarily by Italians is a bit slow and multilayered.

    A Baptist Book Store went out of business in our town. I attribute no special religous significance to the event. The operators were not real friendly. That might have had something to do with it.

    Sorry I couldn't read the Dutch (I assume) article.

    I must say I love your country. Spent a week in Amsterdam a few years ago. A most beautiful city. It also seems to be filled with tall, beautiful, blond, friendly people who each speak a minimum of three languages. Usually more.

    :confused: If I remember correctly, Protestant churches had a rooster on the spire. What is the significance of that?

    Grace and peace,
    Uncle Ray
     
    #4 UncleRay, Apr 5, 2004
  5. mioque

    mioque New Member

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    "Individual Catholic Churches pay their own bills directly."
    Yes they do, when I typed the Vatican, I wasn't referring to the local Catholic churches. I was talking about the upper echelons of the RCC not paying for handcrafted liturgical vestments ordered by them.
    Apparently there is still an outstanding bill going back to 1986.

    "Also, your links go to a church supply company located in St.Louis. Do they buy vestments from Stadelmaier wholesale and then in turn retail them?"
    Yes. And once again this wholesaler no doubt payed in time.
     
    #5 mioque, Apr 5, 2004
  6. mioque

    mioque New Member

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    UncleRay
    "Spent a week in Amsterdam a few years ago. A most beautiful city."
    you are not talking about the prostitutes I hope. [​IMG]

    " If I remember correctly, Protestant churches had a rooster on the spire. What is the significance of that?"
    Gereformeerden hebben 'n haantje
    Lutheranen 'n zwaantje
    Roomsen hebben 'n kruiske
    Mennisten 'n huiske
    Or translated.
    Calvinists have a rooster
    Lutherans a swan
    Catholics a cross
    (Ana)baptists a house
    It refers to Peter betraying Jezus 3 times before the rooster crows. But mostly it's simply a piece of tradition.

    "Why would I be surprised that a bureaucracy run primarily by Italians is a bit slow and multilayered. "
    In my experience the only bureaucracy within Italian borders that runs smoothly is the postoffice of the Vatican, everything else... :rolleyes:
     
    #6 mioque, Apr 5, 2004
  7. UncleRay

    UncleRay New Member

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    HI Mioque,

    Thanks for the update on the church spires. Very interesting.

    Grace and peace,
    Uncle Ray
     
    #7 UncleRay, Apr 6, 2004
  8. mioque

    mioque New Member

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    Uncle Ray
    When I became the verger of my church, I immediatly arranged to put a pole on the roof of the building (we sadly lack a churchtower) with a little wooden house on top of that.
    The elders had it taken down 2 days later. :mad:
    Churchleadership the last couple of decades just doesn't respect tradition anymore.

    I almost forgot.
    "As for tying the bankruptcy of this company to the sexual scandal in the US makes absolutely no sense."
    Stadelmaier made most of it's income by designing and producing very expensive liturgical vestments. One of a kind pieces, handmade to special order usually for special occasions.
    Every year for decades a steady stream of orders for these would be coming in from the US.
    At the moment the American RCC is paying huge amounts of damages to the the victims of the pedophile priests.
    So they have no money left to order new special clothing, so this source of income for Stadelmaier dried up.
     
    #8 mioque, Apr 7, 2004
  9. trying2understand

    trying2understand New Member

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    Mioque, you friend would not know this to be the reason for certain, but is surely merely speculating.

    The sexual scandal is a phenomena of the Church in America. Is America their only market?

    Also, damages are being paid by only some Dioceses, not all or probably even most.

    You would agree, would you not?

    Ron
     
    #9 trying2understand, Apr 7, 2004
  10. mioque

    mioque New Member

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    "you friend would not know this to be the reason for certain, but is surely merely speculating."
    My friend is the owner's wife. Ofcourse there is a certain level of speculation involved (isn't there always), but it is certain that the American market for the handcrafted stadelmaier clothing collapsed during the scandals.

    "The sexual scandal is a phenomena of the Church in America. Is America their only market?"
    The USA was their largest market, but they sold stuff everywhere where there are RC priests, or at the very least Protestant ministers who don't care that the clothing was designed with priests in mind.

    "damages are being paid by only some Dioceses, not all or probably even most."
    True. Churchdonations are down across the board however.
     
    #10 mioque, Apr 7, 2004
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