By Philip Marcelo, Associated Press
Custodian George Blomquist clears snow from the grounds of Our Lady of the Angels Church after a weekend snowstorm in Worcester, Mass. (AP Photo/Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Christine Peterson)
Religious leaders in snowbound New England are beginning to ask themselves how on Earth their houses of worship will make ends meet after all these acts of God.
Churches, synagogues and mosques report attendance is down at services, as poorly timed winter storms have hit on or close to days of worship. And getting the faithful to come out is challenging, with limited parking and treacherously icy sidewalks plaguing the region.
For many places of worship, that has meant donations are drying up just as costs for snow removal, heating and maintenances are soaring.
“You have this perfect storm of people not being able to go to worship and so not bringing in offerings, combined with much higher than usual costs,” says Cindy Kohlmann, who works with Presbyterian churches in Greater Boston and northern New England.
She says the financial toll could force some of the roughly 60 Presbyterian congregations in the region to close. The churches have collectively requested at least $300,000 from the national church’s disaster relief fund to help cover their bills.
At the Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Boston, the Rev. Thomas Domurat says he will hold two collections at Sunday Masses in an effort to gather more donations for snow expenses.
Mazen Duwaji, executive director at the Islamic Council of New England, says the mosque he attends in Sharon, Massachusetts, is hoping to make up its shortfalls during its annual fundraiser in March.
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As one who ministers in a community that was without power for close to a month post Sandy-this ongoing tragedy in NE is both very sad and heart wrenching for those involved. But the real question is why are so many houses of worship in the NE, New England region in such straights apart from any weather related events.
The answer is that for the vast swath of New England, Vermont and Maine in particular, worship and religious activity matches that of France and Italy. The region has a whole has in essence lost faith, as they embrace the secularistic tendencies of moribund Europe. New England is known as the land of high taxes, single party government, and stagnant economies. The entire region is losing population as folks vote with their feet to Texas and Florida.
The Presbytery of Boston and NE, known for their radical sexual ethics and outright hostility to the evangelical faith are more or less comatose shells of their former selves.
Behaviors and choices made have real life consequences. And all it takes for the events of snow and ice to push the entire organization into a hospice mode.
What an odd comment regarding churches in a region currently facing some weather-related challenges. Tied to economic and social woes? Massachusetts has one of the top performing economies among the states by most measures, and is right in the middle among the states on state and local taxes. We are supposed to believe that people are fleeing Massachusetts (with its Republican governor and home to the previous Republican presidential candidate) because of “one party rule” for … Texas?? (a state whose politicians seem positively obsessive about halting a significant source of population growth). Mr. Gregory refers to Boston churches as “comatose shells.” Records for his own church show average attendance of 50, in decline from previous years, and a budget apparently much dependent on sources beyond congregational giving.. Why throw stones at Boston?