Outside of Boston many churches have closed or consolidated over the decades owing to declining attendance and the Catholic clergy scandal from the early 2000s. Others have barely managed to persevere, in large part because of child care centers located on the premises which provide operating funds, as well as volunteer/community efforts to provide help where needed.
One positive trend: New or growing ethnic groups who take over a fading building. When the Archdiocese of Boston shut down or combined several churches in the wake of the scandal, it decided to let a Korean congregation use one of its smaller churches that had been closed. Services were well attended because it's near the intersection of two major highways, and congregants come from many miles away, including from other states in New England.
After a few years, the Archdiocese of Boston deeded the entire property to the Korean congregation who did a wonderful job of fixing the building and bringing life back to that church. It's a beautiful church and I was so glad to see it happen.
https://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.php?ID=196714
https://ccfboston.org/impact-stories/st-antoine-daveluy-pari...
I have learned recently that the Koreans are set apart in the world (perhaps uniquely) in that they were self missionizing to their own people with Christianity delivered back home from their kinfolk who traveled abroad. That must produce a very different ethos and flavor for them for getting things done internally without a lot of external support where foreigners are relied upon to get stuff done. This self starter spirituality is probably highlighted in this example you share above somehow.
This came up in one of the articles:
Korea has a strong Catholic presence with a unique history. Unlike in many Asian countries, the Korean people became Christian prior to the arrival of any missionaries. They learned about the Bible on their own and “self-converted” before seeking instruction from missionaries in China.
For what it’s worth, other flavors of Catholicism and Christianity evolved outside of Rome’s oversight or with very limited contact. I’m thinking in particular of some of the east African sects, as well as Celtic outposts in Ireland and Scotland in the Dark Ages.
a community from Tonga has taken over an underused Presbyterian property in a dense city here on the US West Coast. What was once empty and dusty is now regularly filled with vibrant events for all ages. Since they started that program, that large volcano erupted, making the community center safely in California all the more important.