Bleak Christmas in the Northeast (US)

Poverty is not our monopoly

The past two Sundays’ collections in the writer’s parish (in a New York suburb) reminded him of the upsurge of “spirituality” in the period from 1980 (a period of global economic slowdown) through the Ninoy assassination and People Power – when we saw a great many becoming Born-Again Christians.

The parish weekly bulletin reports the collections and they were $10,500 and $12,500, respectively. There are 1,322 registered parishioners and the $10,500 equates to the parish meeting its annual operating budget of $550,000. And the $12,500 is clearly over the top. For years the average weekly collection was $8,500, despite a third of the parishioners having their contributions directly debited from their bank accounts. And to cover the shortfall the parish has been holding a summer fair that has become a (town) tradition: it nets the parish beyond its operating needs and the surplus is accumulated to cover capital expenditures. There are a number of “2nd collections” throughout the year to cover the Bishop’s Appeal (which goes to Rome plus supports the diocesan’s seminarians) and charity programs that the parish sponsors. (The writer and his wife were once trustees in a Manhattan church and understand the challenges of church funding.)

What is going on? As reported in the news, unemployment in America is at 10% and if underemployment is factored in, 17% are going to have a bleak Christmas.

Reality hit home when the writer’s wife invited over the community developer’s “key people” – i.e., the ones she deals with – and was surprised that the Sales Manager who sold them the property had been laid off. But she came over still and so the conversation had to touch, albeit briefly, the bleak Christmas people were facing. The maintenance person was most positive, and said he never had government in his mind and that he has always fended for himself. He’s such an engaging person that the writer’s wife would typically call him to do chores, and make extra bucks in the process. (The family had moved to an energy-efficient – natural-gas fueled, multi-zone thermostat controlled heating and cooling and contemporary insulation system – to meet their lifestyle – i.e., frequent travelers – while supporting Copenhagen.)

The story goes on: the cleaning lady who comes with a team of 4 (between visits husband and wife team does the chores from vacuuming and steaming to doing the laundry and most everything in-between; it’s what the doctors ordered) and had a thriving maid-service business, lost the investment apartment she bought at the height of the housing boom. And is about to lose her own home. Her option is to rent.

Even high profile folks are facing the same bleak Christmas: in a family friend’s neighborhood by the Long Island Sound, three Wall Streeters lost their jobs. And the writer’s daughter adds that a broker friend, a successful Manhattan realtor, is experiencing the worst of the New York property market.

It is not surprising that Americans are again turning to the Church; the local church gets filled on Sundays and the weekly collections are on an uptick. Americans, like Filipinos, know how to turn to the Lord.

The writer sends his and his family’s best wishes – “Maligayang Pasko . . . and a blessed New Year!”