Have faith that God will guide you through this darkness. This is what declining membership and economic hardship looks like.

It might be instructive to look at the parish's most recent annual financial report, to remind oneself of where the money comes from and where it goes.

Not knowing the details of the situation, I won't rush to judge....but Noel is correct in his first point. You cut the least necessary items from your budget first. What would be most telling is what they DIDN'T cut....

Jeffrey and Richard: We just had our recent "State of the Parish Finances" report at all Masses a few weeks ago. The last fiscal year ran a significant deficit (around $105,000 IIRC and I know I can get the balance sheet). The Finance Council has done a magnificent job in their stewardship of parish resources; I think we finally just came up against the poor economy. And I had done a little math (as did the chair of the Finance Council during his presentation). We are a parish of about 400 families. An increase of $1.25-1.50 per family each week takes care of the deficit.

Francis: I would be a stopgap solution. I could conduct but I have no keyboard skills (unlike our laid-off MD who is a fine organist and competent choir director). Granted, you don't need a keyboard to do chant, but this parish is more "four-hymn sandwich" than the changeable five (Propers). Bricks had been laid in that direction--I was singing the Introit (along with another choir member) and occasionally the Communio and the choir was regularly singing the Communion Antiphon from SEP. I don't think the parish is ready for any more chant right now. Our staff of cantors and accompanists was assigned by the wife of the MD; I know I could step into that role right now.

Our current priest is from a religious order and is working toward incardination into the diocese (and also has a very fine singing voice, I might add). This is his first assignment as a parish priest. He has stated he wants to increase the number of youth and young families in the parish. It is my belief (and I think that of a good many people here) a reverent, beautiful liturgy will do more to increase numbers (both in terms of parishioners and the collection) than anything else. How this will be done in light of this move remains to be seen.

This is so sad ... brings back memories from about 25 years ago, although a different situation, but essentially the same result. I pray that, with reconsideration, wiser and saner heads will prevail - and I pray for your own discernment in this difficult time.

One option woudl be for the DOM to volunteer services until things get better.

DO NOT LET THIS PERSON DO IT.

He was not let go because of finances, he was let go because someone wanted rid of him, someone with the pastor's ear.

Otherwise the pastor would have sat down with all the musicians and discussed the situation before firing.

When Sheep Attack 101.

I can see it, Communion Of Only Those Who Can Pay For It. ATM/Debit Cards with ID Accepted.

Or, station street people to distribute unconsecrated hosts, only those who can afford it get the good stuff.

And of course, that's what it is all about. Keeping the good stuff from the people. A good music program in a Catholic church singing Latin results in brother priests angry with the pastor for stepping out of line and encouraging such foolishness.

I know one parish where the new associate said, "What's the deal, all these people at Mass smile and say, "I'm from St. Pastor's-A-Jerk."

It's called going to Mass not where you are assigned, but where you are drawn to go. A new concept and one that has caught on as huge numbers of Catholics do the ultimate and go away. In the church music business we run into all kinds, you should hear the complaints about former Roman priest who defect to protestant pulpits. First of all they wold now know a good hymn if it....

If 400 familes added $2 a week the priest and bishop would have a heart-attack...then where would we be! Good point, CHG....they are afraid to ask the people for the people might respond and tell them wat they really think.

The choir isn't even as important as the band at a football game.

Time For Choir Booster's Club. Seriously. Open their own bank account.

Noel, I assure you it was financial; it had nothing to do with his performance.

I think what Noel was getting at was if the DoM offered to volunteer his services, and the pastor refused, then you could know for sure that he was let go because of non-financial reasons.

Not that this would work in this situation, but...

I was thinking, wouldn't it be fun to partner with NPM or somebody on a round-robin hire-fire scheme? When one parish switches over to chant, and another switches over to Gather, what if there was a clearing-house of DMs that could arrange a swap, like in professional sports?

A full-service swap would also switch out the pipe organ for the baby grand.

It would be harder to trade a seven-second reverb for a state-of-the-art mixer. So obviously this is totally impracticable...

Let me tell you....times are tough out there.

A friend recently picked up a gig taking photos of homes 'past due' on mortgage payments in an upper-middle class neighborhood. Does about 60 homes/month. In a few cases, he's shot a home in July which was abandoned by September. These are $200K-$500K homes.

hey, yeah! Lights are expensive, right? And totally unnecessary. What else do we use all those candles for?!

bonus in that candles provide heat, as well.

Charles, with no electricity is no organ. Serfs cannot pump Rodgers.

I remember the old 12 rank Kilgen that had bellows pumps, which worked quite well whenever there was a power outage. Sometimes, when we wanted to have fun and would pump it up to about 3-4 times its nominal low pressure - then it sounded almost like a calliope!

but candles are expensive, too!

Let people bring in candles, and they'll bring in Coleman lanterns, until the place looks like an Amish sleepover. Plus, the churches with all the carpeting might burn down... that's a bad thing, because there's no money, and they'd be rebuilt tackier and more cheaply.