(WGBH) — As many as two-thirds of the 280 Catholic parishes in Boston are working with the archdiocese to find a solution for their financial difficulties, according to church officials.
Houses of worship across the commonwealth have been closed for close to two months since Gov. Charlie Baker issued a stay-at-home advisory and closed non-essential businesses in mid-March. The lack of weekly collections has made it difficult for some parishes to cover their expenses.
“The financial consequences of the suspension of Masses has been dramatic and onerous,” Terry Donilon, spokesperson for the archdiocese, said in a statement on Wednesday. “While some number of our parishes were struggling financially before the virus and had been borrowing from the Archdiocese to make ends meet, a much larger number of parishes is now suffering from the sharp decline in donations.”
