One byproduct of canceled Masses is no offertory collection. And a byproduct of no offertory collection is puncture wounds in the budgets of parishes, dioceses and national collections. "It's a big hit, and it's gonna hurt," said Patrick Markey, executive director of
While other sacraments point to Jesus and bring his blessings, only the Eucharist is Christ himself
The life of a parish priest can be challenging in ways that never even occur to many people in the pews. One of the most challenging events in the life of a priest, or in the life of the parish itself, is
These days, Father John Hollowell sits at his desk and pores over financial statements, trying to figure out how to cut almost 25 percent of his two Indiana parishes’ operating budgets for next year. “McCarrick and friends are coming home to roost
In March 2015, the outlook for St. Mary of the Lake Parish was grim. The parish, a mainstay of the Miller section of Gary, Indiana, since its founding in 1929, was down to about 40 worshippers on any given Sunday, and it