Information on the Catholic Church & PPP Loans

On July 11, Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Justice, Peace and Human Development, addressed the Catholic Church's receiving Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, part of the economic relief package passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
 
“The Catholic Church is the largest non-governmental supplier of social services in the United States. Each year, our parishes, schools and ministries serve millions of people in need, regardless of race, ethnicity or religion. The novel coronavirus only intensified the needs of the people we serve and the demand for our ministries. The loans we applied for enabled our essential ministries to continue to function in a time of national emergency.
 
“In addition, shutdown orders and economic fallout associated with the virus have affected everyone, including the thousands of Catholic ministries -- churches, schools, healthcare and social services -- that employ about 1 million people in the United States. These loans have been an essential lifeline to keep hundreds of thousands of employees on payroll, ensure families maintain their health insurance, and enable lay workers to continue serving their brothers and sisters during this crisis.”
 
Read Archbishop Coakley's full statement  here.
 
On May 7, the Catholic Diocese of Lexington disclosed its receiving PPP loans to help keep some 150 furloughed employees and prevent the furlough of additional employees.
 
Full bilingual statement follows:
 
PPP Loans Help Catholic Institutions Keep Employees in Central and Eastern Kentucky
 
LEXINGTON — Loans disbursed through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) have enabled Catholic institutions across central and eastern Kentucky to keep some 150 furloughed employees and prevent the furlough of additional employees. PPP is part of the CARES Act, passed by Congress in response to the economic fallout created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
“The suspension of public Masses, cancellation of school and other distancing measures during the pandemic have meant that many people who work at Catholic institutions are not able to come to work, and parishes have been unable to take up collections,” said Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., of the Catholic Diocese of Lexington. “This hardship comes at a time when millions of Americans are losing their jobs, so it’s especially helpful and hopeful to see the difference these loans can make in helping keep people connected to their livelihoods.”
 
The Catholic Diocese of Lexington covers 50 counties in central and eastern Kentucky, with 59 parishes and missions and 15 Catholic schools serving some 46,000 Catholics.
 
 
Los Préstamos PPP Ayudan a las Instituciones Católicas a Mantener a los Empleados en las Áreas del Centro y del Este de Kentucky
 
LEXINGTON - Los préstamos desembolsados a través del Programa de Protección de Cheques de Pago (PPP) han permitido que las instituciones católicas en el centro y este de Kentucky mantengan a unos 150 empleados suspendidos y han evitado la suspensión de empleados adicionales. PPP es parte de la Ley CARES, aprobada por el Congreso en respuesta a las consecuencias económicas creadas por la pandemia del COVID-19.
 
"La suspensión de Misas públicas, la cancelación de la escuela y otras medidas de distanciamiento durante la pandemia han significado que muchas personas que trabajan en instituciones católicas no puedan venir a trabajar, y las parroquias no han podido recoger las colectas o limosnas", dijo el Obispo John Stowe , OFM Conv., de la Diócesis Católica de Lexington. "Esta dificultad llega en un momento en que millones de estadounidenses están perdiendo sus empleos, por lo que es especialmente útil y esperanzador ver la diferencia que estos préstamos pueden hacer para ayudar a mantener a las personas conectadas a sus medios de vida".
 
La Diócesis Católica de Lexington cubre 50 condados en el centro y este de Kentucky, con 59 parroquias y misiones y 15 escuelas católicas que sirven a unos 46,000 católicos