Newry Cathedral Parish in Crisis: A Call to Action
Newry Cathedral Parish is facing a financial crisis that could fundamentally alter its ability to serve the community. With a mounting debt of £1.4 million, the parish is now operating at a significant and growing deficit. If support does not increase soon, some of its historic churches may be forced to close.
The cost of maintaining several church buildings, many of them historic and architecturally significant is substantial. In 2024 alone, electricity costs for the parish’s churches totalled £55,000, while the upkeep of the cemetery cost £25,000, and essential maintenance and repairs reached £70,000. These are not optional luxuries, but critical expenditures required to keep the churches open, safe, and functional for worship and community life.
Each week, the parish falls further behind. Income from regular contributions has declined, reflecting a broader national trend of decreasing Mass attendance down over 40% in the past few decades across Ireland. Yet the parish continues to deliver extensive services, with more than 1,000 Masses per year, over 200 funerals,160 Baptisms, 32 weddings, and the preparation of more than 500 children for sacraments such as First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
Despite serving an estimated 27,000 parishioners, Newry Cathedral Parish has only four priests, each covering over 5,000 people. These clergy, supported by a small group of lay volunteers, carry out hospital and home visits, provide pastoral support, run youth programmes, and assist with bereavement care. The scale of the work is vast, and the resources increasingly limited.
Some assume the Catholic Church has vast central funds, but this is a misunderstanding. Parishes like Newry are financially autonomous. There is no funding from the Vatican or a national Church treasury. Every bill from heating and lighting to insurance and salaries—must be covered by donations from the local community. There is no government assistance either.
The parish understands that some members of the community have lost trust in the Church due to past failings. This appeal is not about defending the institution but about preserving local pastoral care and community connection. Churches are more than buildings they are places of welcome, memory, and hope. They belong to the people of Newry, and their future now depends on the support of that very community.
Without urgent intervention, difficult decisions will have to be made potentially including parish amalgamations, service reductions, or church closures. These are not threats, but honest reflections of a stark financial reality.
Representatives from the parish will speak at all Masses this weekend to share this message and ask for help. The call is not only for financial support but also for time, skills, and prayer. If each family were able to contribute an additional £5 to £10 per week, the deficit could be significantly reduced. This is not a call for extravagance, it is a plea for survival so our parish can continue to be a place of faith, comfort, and community for generations to come.
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Questions and Answers with Canon Francis Brown on the Future of Newry Cathedral Parish
Q: Is Newry Cathedral Parish really in danger of closing churches?
A: Yes, sadly, this is a real possibility we are facing right now. The parish has built up a significant debt of £1.4 million, and each week we see a growing shortfall between the money we bring in and the costs of running the parish. Churches need to be heated, lit, cleaned, and maintained. Roofs, stonework, windows all need ongoing care, especially in historic buildings like ours.
The truth is that keeping several church buildings open and running takes a great deal of money, and we simply don’t have enough of it now. If support from parishioners doesn’t increase, we may have no choice but to consolidate services and consider closing one or more churches. It’s not a decision anyone wants to take, and we are doing everything in our power to avoid it, but we must also be honest with the people of Newry about the seriousness of the situation.
Q: Why should people support the Church when fewer people are going to Mass?
A: That’s a very fair question, and one we hear often. Yes, it’s true across Ireland, Mass attendance has dropped by 40% over the past few decades. Many people are no longer practising their faith in the same way, and we aren’t blind to that. But our churches are still essential places in our community.
Even if people aren’t attending Mass every Sunday, they still turn to the Church at important moments in life. We are here for baptisms, weddings, funerals, and other key moments of celebration and sorrow. We have over 1000 scheduled masses each year. Our priests and lay people visit the sick at home and in residential care, support families in crisis, and work closely with our 12 schools and numerous community groups.
The Church provides a sense of place and tradition, and for many, it is still a source of comfort, meaning, and connection. If we want that to continue, we need to act now. This isn’t just about buildings but about preserving spaces that matter, supporting pastoral care, and ensuring that future generations have access to the same spiritual and pastoral support we’ve known.
Q: Isn’t the Church wealthy? Why does the parish need more money?
A: That’s a common misunderstanding. While the Church is a large institution, each parish is financially independent. What that means is that Newry Cathedral Parish does not receive money from “head office” or from the Vatican. We rely entirely on donations from the local community—people like you to cover everything.
We don’t get government support, either. Every electricity bill, every wage, every repair job has to be paid for by local giving. And when the number of people contributing drops, but the costs stay the same or even increase, the pressure becomes overwhelming. The electric for the churches cost £55k last year, upkeep of the cemetery was £25k, essential repairs and maintenance was £70k.
The beautiful buildings we worship in are also some of the oldest and most architecturally significant in the city. They are part of our shared heritage, and we want to preserve them but that costs money. We are asking the people of Newry to help us protect something that belongs to all of us.
Q: How many people are being served by the parish, and how are you managing?
A: Newry Cathedral Parish serves over 27,000 people. That’s a huge number. And yet, we only have four priests. That means each priest is serving more than 5,000 people—and the needs of the community continue to grow.
In addition to our masses, we conducted over 200 funerals, 160 Baptisms, 32 weddings, prepared over 500 children for First Holy Communion and Confirmation, and visited those who are sick at home or in hospital. We offer support in times of bereavement, hardship, and worry. But with limited resources, it is becoming harder to keep up.
We are truly blessed to have several lay volunteers who help with administration, ministries, youth work, and pastoral outreach but it is still a stretch. And we know we could do so much more if we had the means. The Church is not just about clergy and that’s why we’re calling on the people of the parish to get involved and help however they can – financially, yes, but also through time, skills, and prayer.
Q: What do you say to people who have lost trust in the Church?
A: We understand. The Church has made serious mistakes, and trust has been deeply damaged, especially in recent decades. The pain that some people have suffered because of the Church’s failures is very real, and we must never forget that. We must continue to seek forgiveness, listen, to learn, and to change.
But this appeal is not about covering things up or moving on without accountability. This is about the local parish, about your neighbours, your family members, your friends. The people sitting beside you in church or attending a school play or offering a hand in kindness when you need it.
Supporting the parish is not just about supporting the institution but it’s about helping people and preserving a space where faith, care, and community still have a home. If we turn away completely, we risk losing not just buildings, but something sacred that has helped shape lives for generations.
Q: What will happen if things don’t improve soon?
A: If things don’t improve soon, we may have to make some very difficult decisions. These might include merging parishes, reducing the number of services, or even closing some churches. These decisions would not be taken lightly. We know how much the churches mean to people not just spiritually, but emotionally and historically.
Our goal is to continue serving all parishioners across the area, but we need a level of support that matches the scale of the challenge. We are not asking for luxury we are asking for survival.
Time is not on our side. The more we delay, the harder the decisions become. But we truly believe that with the help of the community, with people pulling together and giving what they can, we can find a way forward. The Church has always been about hope, even in the darkest times. This is a moment for that hope to shine.
Members of our church community with be speaking at all masses this weekend.