Parishes Archives

Faith Direct moves parish donations into a new generation of giving
- Catholic News Service, Church in the US
- July 6, 2017
In a “monumental shift” in church funding, parishes across the United States have started using Faith Direct, an e-giving service that allows parishioners to contribute to their church through offertory gifts online. In June the company celebrated the transaction of a total of $1 billion in donations since its founding.
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One-time rival parishes in Nebraska town thrive via cooperation
- Associated Press, Church in the US
- May 21, 2017
In a small town in Nebraska, two Catholic parishes, one traditionally Czech and the other German, were traditionally rivals, but today they’re thriving in part because they’ve learned to cooperate. “People just had to get along,” a parishioner said. “There wasn’t a whole lot they could do about it. So we did.”
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A Texas parish keeps faith after a tornado destroys the church
- Church in the US
- May 13, 2017
A tornado on April 29 destroyed the parish church of St. John the Evangelist in Emory, Texas. The next day, they held Mass in the parish parking lot with 200 people attending. They offered it in thanksgiving that nobody in the parish was seriously injured.
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On parish visit, Pope says vendetta and rancor aren’t Christian

February 19, 2017

In his first visit to a Roman parish since posters went up around town on Feb. 4 charging that the pontiff lacks mercy, Pope Francis on Sunday insisted that pursuing a vendetta and talking behind people’s backs “is not Christian,” urging believers to pray for people who don’t like them.

Italian parish votes against welcoming a migrant family

A pastor in northwestern Italy asked his parish to vote on taking in a migrant family, and the result was an overwhelming “no.” The local bishop slammed the decision, saying, “These Christians go to Mass, but they don’t know anything about Jesus Christ.”