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Just how badly has the Covid-19 pandemic hit the United States Catholic Church? And after taking such a hard hit financially, how can U.S. bishops help parishes be “field hospitals” for the sick during a time of so much need?
According to a 2020 CARA survey, U.S.
bishops report that many arch/dioceses, eparchies, parishes, and Catholic
schools have been greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in the
areas of sacramental celebrations, rites, and preparation; and financially (as estimated in our previous post). A
lesser but still substantial proportion of dioceses report being greatly
affected in the areas of the morale of parish and diocesan/eparchial personnel
and in their Catholic Charities organizations’ abilities to serve those in
need.
To
address these challenges, dioceses and eparchies have enacted/issued and/or are
considering a wide variety of remedies including: pastoral guidance from
bishops about how to provide for sacramental needs while adhering to local and
state guidelines and ordinances, helping parishes apply for governmental aid,
encouraging parishioners to consider giving to their parishes electronically,
offering Catholic schools help with providing distance learning to students,
helping parishes host online Masses, adapting the assessments parishes pay to
their dioceses, eliminating or curbing diocesan programs, and closing some
Catholic schools or parishes.
How large of an
impact has the pandemic had on U.S. Catholic dioceses, eparchies, parishes, and
charitable organizations?
In Spring
and Summer 2020, CARA conducted a survey concerning how the Covid-19 pandemic
had impacted U.S. arch/dioceses, eparchies and parishes.[1]
Some 116 bishops of U.S. arch/dioceses and eparchies responded, for an overall
response rate of 59%.[2]
Bishops
were asked how significantly their dioceses and eparchies were affected in a
number of areas, with their responses summarized in Figures 1 and 2. The dark green-portion
of the bars below show the percentage of dioceses or eparchies saying an area
was “very affected,” with the light green-portion of the same bars showing those areas
“somewhat affected.”
All of the areas displayed in Figure 1 have at least half of dioceses and eparchies saying they were “very affected” by the pandemic; each also has more than nine in ten dioceses and eparchies saying that area was “somewhat affected” and “very affected” combined. These areas shown in Figure 1 can best be characterized as parish sacramental celebrations, rites, and preparation programs.
All of the areas displayed in Figure 1 have at least half of dioceses and eparchies saying they were “very affected” by the pandemic; each also has more than nine in ten dioceses and eparchies saying that area was “somewhat affected” and “very affected” combined. These areas shown in Figure 1 can best be characterized as parish sacramental celebrations, rites, and preparation programs.
Figure 2
shows those areas relatively less likely
to be affected, which include the morale of various chancery and parish
personnel as well as the effectiveness of the services of dioceses’ or
eparchies’ Catholic Charities organizations. Note, however, that even among
these areas more than half are “somewhat affected” and “very affected”
combined.
Examining just the “very affected”
percentages in Figure 2, nearly half of bishops report that the morale of
deacons and priests have been strongly affected, with about one-fifth saying
the morale of lay ecclesial ministers, the bishops themselves, and the chancery
staff have been “very affected.” Finally, about a quarter of bishops indicate
that their dioceses’ eparchies’ Catholic Charities’ ability to serve those in
need have been “very affected.”
How have dioceses and
eparchies responded to the sacramental and financial difficulties posed by the
pandemic?
In open-ended
questions, bishops were asked to write in how their dioceses and eparchies have
been managing sacramental and financial difficulties. Concerning the
sacramental issues facing parishes, bishops are most likely to mention issuing
guidelines for pastors and parishes and having granted dispensations to
parishioners from their obligation to attend weekly Mass. Most bishops also report
having instructed their parishes to follow the ordinances of and guidance from federal,
state and local officials in terms of gatherings.[3]
Figure 3 below shows the findings for whether dioceses and eparchies have either taken an action or are in process of deciding whether to take an action.
Two major ways that dioceses and eparchies have been helping
their parishes counter these financial difficulties are by helping parishes
apply to federal and state programs (such as the federal Paycheck Protection
Program) and encouraging parishioners to consider electronic giving for their
parishes’ offertory collections. In addition, in a separate open-ended question,
a majority of dioceses wrote in that they have either adjusted the percentages
that parishes pay to their dioceses in annual assessment fees or are in the
process of figuring out what kinds of adjustments should be made.
What
dioceses and eparchies have been relatively less
likely to consider is also of consequence: closing some Catholic elementary
schools, high schools, or parishes (45%, 26%, and 26%, respectively, have
either done so or are considering doing so).
Finally, bishops
were asked how much they have helped parishes and Catholic schools with the
technological difficulties they have encountered during the pandemic. Nine in
ten say their dioceses or eparchies have “somewhat” (12%) or “very much” (79%) helped
their Catholic schools provide distance learning to their students, and more
than eight in ten have “somewhat” (22%) or “very much” (62%) helped their
parishes provide online Masses for their parishioners.
What does the future
hold?
The
pandemic is, of course, an ongoing phenomenon. As dioceses and eparchies take
other actions as circumstances change, CARA hopes to provide summaries of those
challenges and actions as well.
Click for: Full Report of Findings
Written by Jonathon L. Wiggins and CARA Visiting Scholar Sr. Aloysia Sebueng Makoae, SNJM. Photo courtesy of Official U.S. Navy Page: MCAS New River Chapel prepares for religious services in Jacksonville, N.C. on June 5, 2020.
Click for: Full Report of Findings
Written by Jonathon L. Wiggins and CARA Visiting Scholar Sr. Aloysia Sebueng Makoae, SNJM. Photo courtesy of Official U.S. Navy Page: MCAS New River Chapel prepares for religious services in Jacksonville, N.C. on June 5, 2020.
[1]
A survey of parishes is also currently in the process of being conducted. CARA is also surveying Catholic young adults nationally about how they have been practicing their faith during the pandemic and how they see themselves practicing in the future once the pandemic is over.
[2]
Please note: a complicating factor for these data is that some dioceses
responded early on during the pandemic (May 2020) while a few others responded
as late as early July 2020. Also, some coastal U.S. dioceses experienced the
pandemic before many others in other parts of the country did.
[3]
This question was not directly asked on the survey, but was mentioned by many
bishops in an open-ended response.