A nearly century-old Catholic church in Lansing may not see its centennial anniversary.
St. Casimir Parish was founded in Lansing in 1921 to serve a growing Polish immigrant community. But in recent years, the parish’s spending has not kept pace with its declining population.
Lansing Catholic Diocese spokesman David Kerr says the situation is dire.
“The parish is likely to run out of money by March of next year,” says Kerr. “In terms of parish numbers, there are about 380 souls that go to Holy Mass on a Sunday, which is relatively low.”
In a letter to parishioners, St. Casimir administrator Fr. Karl Pung said the parish needs an additional $30,000 over and above its budgeted collections to remain viable to the end of its fiscal year next June.
In the meantime, Kerr says the diocese has made no decisions about St. Casimir’s future.