We are living in a unique moment in history right now – the coronavirus pandemic. What does ministry look like during this time? I live in a diocese that complicates that answer even more. On February 28, 2020 my diocese filed Chapter 11, the legal term for bankruptcy. So when the pandemic began and our state made all nonessential workers telework ministry began to take its hits.

Parish ministry leaders who were paid hourly were laid off. Theoretically that was to help them since they would not be working as many hours. Yet in those cases no one ever stopped to ask the question – How will be minister to people at this time? Thankfully many pastors/parish administrators asked the key question. Sadly not everyone did. When the diocese advised parishes to lay people off, many followed that advice.

What followed next was the end of diocesan ministry positions. Many of these cuts were planned due to the bankruptcy, but they were accelerated by the pandemic. Without public Masses there are no parish collections. So there is no money to pay assessments to the diocese. What little financial resources remained for our diocese post scandal and leadership crisis were now decreased more. So those terminations happened in early April.

“No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Matthew 6: 24

When a crisis hits necessity determines priorities. The toilet paper shortage as this began is evidence of that. Panic buying was real. My diocese was in crisis before the pandemic. By cutting diocesan ministry positions the parishes that followed the diocese’s advice in laying off their ministry leaders now also lost the help they may have received from diocesan ministries.

For my diocese the corruption began long before I was born. The other masters that leaders chose to serve hurt countless people. Sadly that hurt continues to happen. God sent his Son to show us the way. Three years of public ministry with no buildings and little resources continue to bear fruit today. Jesus’ “master” was proclaiming the kingdom of God. Our priorities direct our actions. Even during a crisis our core priority should remain. Challenging times reflect who we truly are and what we value.

My prayer continues to be that we become the Church Jesus intended us to be. People are philosophizing that this pandemic will challenge us to create a new normal with different priorities. I hope and pray this happens in my diocese.