The Boston Archdiocese said it raised $10.85 million in 2004 through its annual fund drive, an increase of more than $500,000 over the previous year. Nearly 54,000 Catholics contributed, up about 20 percent from the year before.
Archbishop Sean O'Malley called it a "heartwarming sign" after three years of fallout from the scandal, which saw numerous priests defrocked.
However, the fund-raising campaign still fell far short of the $17 million the archdiocese raised before the scandal erupted in early 2002. Donations plummeted to about $8.8 million that year.
The scandal was blamed in part for a financial crisis that led the archdiocese to close dozens of parishes. The closings angered many parishioners, some of whom held vigils inside their churches to protest the move.
