A 2019-20 financial report in a parish bulletin stated that the average amount needed weekly in collections is $8,355, and a total Sunday collection was $4,331.
Farrell said he is sure the pandemic caused collections to fall even further. The parish website says there are 800 households registered in the parish, but it doesn’t say how many are active parishioners.
“The Vietnamese church is certainly welcomed,” Farrell said of Our Lady of La Vang. “Their presence would be an improvement, but no one knows what will happen.” He said a growing Catholic church, such as Our Lady of La Vang, is rare and encouraging in this day and age.
Because of the pandemic, parishioners were not able to gather to discuss the future of the parish. It was left to the parish council, said Farrell.
“We are all aware of our precarious financial position. We are now in a period of disappointment and trepidation,” he said.
Judy Tully, a parishioner at St. Frances Cabrini for 45 years, said at first she was caught “off guard, but the more I thought about (the bishop’s proposal), I like it.”
“I am very happy it will remain a Roman Catholic parish with young families coming in (from Our Lady of La Vang),” said Tully, 73, a retired dental hygienist.
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