While dioceses across the country have canceled public Masses in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus, many parishes are remaining open for prayer, Eucharistic adoration, and confession, and continuing charitable work in the community.
But some parishes, especially those serving poor communities, have already begun feeling a financial pinch as they lose access to in-person parish collections.
For Father Joseph Lajoie, pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Denver, dwindling cash flow during the coronavirus crisis constitutes a “potentially crippling, if not mortal, blow” to the parish.
Sacred Heart is one of the oldest parishes in the archdiocese, occupying a 140-year-old building. It is also one of the poorest, and its congregation is largely elderly and low-income.
The parish has no online giving portal, no electronic database of registered parishioners, and no way to communicate with the entire community electronically, except through social media.
Though many parishes keep reserves on hand— and Lajoie stressed that Sacred Heart does have some savings— the prospect of months without passing the basket has Lajoie worried about being able to pay his small staff, especially after the few weeks.
The financial implications of canceling Mass are not just affecting small parishes, either.
Father Ronald Cattany, rector of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Denver, said over the first weekend after Masses were suspended, in-person donations at the cathedral were down about 75% from a typical weekend. What did come came from those going to confession at the cathedral, or stopping to pray.
The priest said the cathedral canceled its entire order of palms for Palm Sunday, and he fears that the palm supplier may go out of business. Still, he has been seeking to reassure parishioners that Jesus will be waiting for them in Eucharist when the pandemic ends.
“The Blessed Mother’s helped us before, and she’s going to get us through this.”
Full story at Catholic News Agency.
How will the Blessed Mother get us through this? Those are pious words that don’t seem to have any real meaning right now.
I want to thank Archbishop Cordileone for announcing that Catholics in his parish are not required to attend Sunday Mass. I’m not clear whether he has cancelled public masses on Sunday’s as well, but he has done so for weekday masses. This is the only pro-life policy available to him, so I’m grateful. https://sfarchdiocese.org/health-alerts
In the link you gave, Archbishop Cordileone says that there will be “no public Masses”, and that we should keep the Lord’s Day (Sunday) at home, so “no public Masses” should mean no public Mass for Sunday either.
In other words all Masses are going to be live streamed to watch at home.. Archbishop Cordileone gives a red link on that website you posted to all the live streamed Masses in the Bay Area.
Thank you to and God bless Archbishop Cordileone and the other bishops who are taking precautions about having too many people gathered together in close proximity in churches, yet are having their priests celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for our redemption in ways we can see and benefit from them.
A crisis always brings out the flaws in the ongoing systems and processes. Catholic parishes are notorious for not teaching the biblical call for stewardship. We have always been a church that got what was left, compared to those denominations that teach that the first fruits go to God. What does that mean? It means that you take 10% of your take-home pay each month and give it to the church. With what is left, you pay the rent, the car payment, etc. Does the average Evangelical do that? Not really, but they do give two to five percent on a regular basis. That means that an average earner of $60 K is going to give about $170 per month to the church. I confess that I don’t meet that standard any more, but I know that I should. I just made myself feel guilty, so maybe St. …. Why doesn’t thsi church use technology to get the monthly tithe?
It must be remembered that the Eucharist is the reason we have a priesthood. The American episcopacy, priests all, have abandoned their flocks under secular directives to possibly protect their physical health with little or no regard for the spiritual health of the people. Many priests are being coerced by their bishops to cooperate in this abandonment due to their priestly promises of obedience. Public Mass has been cancelled throughout the land.
Maybe when the USCCB has to bailout a few hundred parishes rather than continue buying condoms for the poor in Africa they will learn that abandoning their sheep comes with a cost.. Please GOD !!!
Nicholas, We have been directed to not leave our homes. Anyone who would go to a public Mass is endangering the health of his/her community. Go get groceries and go home. Anyone over 65 may not leave their home for almost any reason. Anyone over 80 years will find it is too great a risk to leave their homes.
This is about our survival – look at Italy and Iran – in the long run. Take a look at all the parishes that are putting Mass on youtube today. Wonderful.