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Home  / News & Publications /  Michigan Catholic News / 2008 /  Economic crisis hits parishes

by Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published November 7, 2008

Marylynn G. Hewitt | The Michigan Catholic Many parishes are saying that in this current financial crisis the Sunday collection is getting lighter as people struggle to make ends meet.

Detroit — Fr. Robert Shafer, pastor of St. Timothy Parish in Trenton, figures his parish is not alone in experiencing reduced collections during the current financial crisis.

"I think everybody's is down. I think it's a percentage situation – where people are still trying to give, but not giving as frequently or consistently," he says.

The parish's many senior citizens try to give what they have customarily given on at least the first Sunday of the month, but sometimes cannot afford to do so the other Sundays, Fr. Shafer continues. He estimates the collection is down by about 10 percent overall, but says there is "a wide variety of reasons for that."

"People are worried about their pensions, foreclosures of houses, and having enough for their prescriptions. They're wondering about whether their kids will have a job. It gets a little scary," he says.

Fr. Robert Shafer

Despite problems with the economy, parishioners are trying to maintain support for their parish as best they can, Fr. Shafer says: "Church is important for these people, and they have great hearts."

But uncertainty about what lies ahead is taking its toll. "Nobody knows what the future holds; we have to trust in God," he adds.

Collections down about 10 percent from a year ago is also the situation at Our Lady of Refuge Parish in Orchard Lake, says its pastor, Fr. Gerald McEnhill.

But Fr. McEnhill expresses confidence there will be an economic turnaround: "We're seeing a slowdown in contributions, but I see this as only a temporary situation. Our parishioners are very generous. We'll ride it out and things will improve."

Although situated in upscale Orchard Lake, the parish also includes Sylvan Lake and Keego Harbor, but job losses and foreclosures have hit people in all three communities.

"We are seeing requests for assistance significantly up through our St. Vincent de Paul conference, and we try to help," Fr. McEnhill says.

He expects the parish will be able to meet its Catholic Services Appeal target by February.

"Things are going to get better; the only question is when," Fr. McEnhill adds.

Fr. Duane Novelly, pastor of St. Matthew Parish on Detroit's east side, says special collections are down, "but I've been urging people to do all that they can to maintain what they give to the parish, and I think they've made some sacrifices in their personal lives to maintain what they've been giving, though we've had some ups and downs."

It is clear parishioners are being squeezed by the economic situation, he says: "A couple of parishioners who are restaurant owners say they're seeing fewer and fewer customers coming in. And we're getting a lot more calls for assistance, especially with food and utilities. Also, requests for Christmas and Thanksgiving baskets are coming in sooner than ever before."

St. Matthew also lost the Detroit Public Schools as a tenant for its former school building. The financially troubled school district was not keeping up its side of the bargain. "They're about $500,000 in arrears to us in terms of utilities, engineering costs and back rent," Fr. Novelly says.

Signs of the financial crisis are readily apparent in St. Matthew's community. "We're seeing more foreclosures, including six just down the block from the church," Fr. Novelly says.

And, of course, the crisis is could even worsen. "I, as well as everyone else, am concerned about the tremendous loss of jobs that would come from a Chrysler-GM merger. The whole Church of Detroit would be hurt," Fr. Novelly says. Across town, in southwest Detroit, Fr. Ed Zaorski says requests at the outreach programs – a soup kitchen and food pantries — of his three parishes have seen "almost a 50-percent increase since the end of summer."

"We're seeing many people being laid off, losing their jobs, and senior citizens whose savings are being depleted. Many immigrants in the parish have been relocating back to their home countries in Mexico and Central America," says Fr. Zaorski, pastor of All Saints and SS. Andrew & Benedict parishes, and administrator of St. Stephen/Mary, Mother of the Church Parish.

But the crisis has not had any significant affect on the parishes' income, he continues: "The collection plate has remained about the same. We're city parishes, so it is not that great to begin with, but our people are generous. The first Sunday of the month is strongest, with some drop off the second, third and fourth Sundays — a lot of people are on fixed incomes."

Fr. Robert Fisher, pastor of St. Lawrence Parish, Utica, also says he is seeing more requests for assistance through the parish's Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference.

As for the collection, "we've actually picked up a bit from what we were doing in summer, but we're definitely behind where we would have expected to be," he says.

Fr. Fisher says he hears reports from parishioners about layoffs, and also attributes the decline of about 35 students in their school's enrollment to the economic downturn.

The effect the financial crisis is having was a topic of discussion at the Oct. 28 Renaissance Vicariate meeting, "and everybody was complaining," says Fr. David Brecht, OSA, pastor of St. Clare of Montefalco Parish in Grosse Pointe Park.

From July through the first Sunday of November, the collection at St. Clare is down 6 percent from a year before.

The parish's territory is about half in Detroit and half in the Grosse Pointes, though more than half of parishioners are from the Grosse Pointes, he says.

The revenue decline has not forced any budget cuts as yet, "but if it keeps going this way, we'll have to consider some," Fr. Brecht says.

He adds, "There are certainly an enormous number of homes for sale in the Grosse Pointes, and many are sitting there empty – whether from foreclosures or people moving away."

• Economic Crisis in Michigan