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BDN Mary-Ellen Adams packages cornbread before a drive-thru bean supper fundraiser on Saturday, April 24, 2021 at First United Methodist Church in Bangor. In the background, Donna Leland and Rachel Wilfon (right) package slices of pie.
For decades, churches in Maine and the Northeast have seen their memberships shrink.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, they worried that without being able to pass collection plates at services, or to hold fundraisers such as suppers and craft fairs, they would be forced to close their doors forever.
Thanks largely to an influx of approximately $20 million in federal loans that hundreds of Maine religious organizations received, and because of reduced operating costs from shutting down buildings and offices, most of Maine’s houses of worship have survived.
Maine churches ease restrictions; deaths up slightly in MA
May 22, 2021
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Early-rising visitors to Acadia National Park await the sunrise on the summit of Cadillac Mountain, Sunday, May 16, 2021, near Bar Harbor, Maine. Gov. Janet Mills is is eliminating most outdoor distancing requirements imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic as the tourism season begins to kick into gear.Robert F. Bukaty/AP
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Coronavirus developments around New England:
MAINE
Maine Catholics will soon return to churches with greatly relaxed restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Diocese of Portland is changing its guidance for the 141 Catholic churches in Maine just as the state is preparing to eliminate mask requirements in most settings. Maine s indoor mask order goes away on Monday.