Where to get enough money to keep the place and its programs running is a perennial problem for every parish, although the scale of the amount of money involved can be dramatically different.
![](https://thetablet.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Parishg-sstory_small-140x105.jpg)
Where to get enough money to keep the place and its programs running is a perennial problem for every parish, although the scale of the amount of money involved can be dramatically different.
American parishes are not so monolithic anymore. Traditionally European parishes have become places where immigrants and marginalized Catholics increasingly feel at home. While parishes have gone through growing pains as new ways are adopted, in the end, parishioners largely appreciate the diversity.
In this second installment of Catholic News Service’s ongoing series, “American Parish,” the focus is on how different types of U.S. parishes handle contemporary challenges, including the declining number of priests.
If Pope Francis were to have time on his U.S. visit in September to stop at “typical” parishes, it might take a week or two just to see a representative sample.