Bishop Weisenburger, the Diocese of Tucson entering Phase II and the local religious picture

How is attendance since re-opening?

“Our parishioners are returning to Mass carefully and appropriately following CDC recommended safety guidelines. Others remain at home and view a televised or Mass online.”

At the beginning of the pandemic all Catholics were relieved from the traditional requirement of in-person Sunday Mass participation.  That dispensation remains in place and I have consistently encouraged those identified by the Centers for Disease Control as “at-risk” to not attend Mass in person, but rather to view a televised or internet Mass from home. 

The vast majority of our 78 parishes reopened to in-person Masses for those outside the CDC risk categories. Based upon a diocesan-wide survey, with results varying greatly from parish to parish and city by city, Mass attendance has increased widely by about 25% from August to September. 

Watch Bishop Weisenberger's interview on KGUN, Channel 9, Tucson

Is the Diocese still doing online services? How are those attendance numbers?

“Online Mass participation on the Diocesan web (which is Mass celebrated in my home chapel) peaked at 3,000 viewers in July, then decreased by about 45% in August and September, which roughly mirrors the increase in our in-person Mass attendance since our parishes reopened.” 

My daily Mass was not the only Mass provided for our people, as many individual parishes also provided Mass for their parishioners online. 

Notice concerning Phase II

On October 10,2020, the Diocese of Tucson will move into Phase II of the plan for reopening for public worship. If your parish has an approved plan you may, at the pastor's discretion, begin to implement that plan on or after October 10, 2020. For those who do not have an approved Phase II plan, Phase I protocols will remain in effect until approval is obtained. 

Has the amount of donations typically seen decreased since the beginning of the pandemic?

“Since July 1, our priests have reported that donations are down by 10-30% throughout the Diocese. The Catholic Foundation was able to provide emergency grants totaling $396,000.00 to 38 parishes to help them with expenses. The Catholic Foundation estimates that it will need an additional $250,000.00 to support our parishes through the end of this year.  I am exceptionally grateful to the Catholic people of our Diocese and Catholic Community Services for their incredible support of our parishes during this time of economic hardship. To support our parishes, there is a donation portal on Tucson’s Catholic Foundation website at https://www.ccs-soaz.org/donate for anyone who would like to help.”

What other ways of funding does the Diocese depend on? Is there enough to stay afloat while?

“The Diocese of Tucson has an annual appeal which is traditionally held in February.  While our financial picture probably mirrors that of many charities and our needs remain critical, we are not in danger of closing our diocesan services at this time. We have made necessary changes to reduce expenses so that we can operate within our means and continue to place full priority on those ministries that directly serve the parishes.” 

Last week, the Archdiocese of Chicago suspended all religious services… is the Diocese in anywhere near a situation like that?

“The short answer is “no;” however our Diocese was perhaps the only one that voluntarily shut down mid-summer when the areas we serve experienced an exceptional spike in Covid infections and hospitalizations.  The Diocese of Tucson is committed to monitoring the data provided by the Centers for Disease Control, Arizona State leadership, and our state and local health departments -- and implementing aggressive protocols to keep our people safe during the pandemic.”

What Catholic charitable causes are in need of more funding, if any?

“While Catholic Community Services is the main charitable arm of the Catholic Church in southern Arizona, it serves people in need regardless of religious affiliation.  At present, Catholic Community Services is working to help people facing homelessness due to the inability to pay rent.  There is a donor portal at their web site to help this effort, at https://www.ccs-soaz.org/donate.”

“Another example where our charitable efforts extended beyond the Church occurred earlier this year, when we held a food drive at seven (7) parishes over six days in response to the need to help our local food banks.  In that time, we were able to collect approximately 15 tons of non-perishable food, which equates to about 2,500 meals. We were very grateful to receive donations in that time from many non-Catholic churches who chose to help us in that excellent endeavor.”

Did the Diocese receive a Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan?
“The parishes that make up the Diocese are separate corporations and each board made its own decision about whether to apply.  About 20% of the more financially needy parishes did apply for the PPP loan to keep their employees.”