Mass donation.

[Sam_777]

On my last visit to one Catholic Church abroad I attended the last Sunday Mass before the Christmas and once the Pastor started that Mass he said “Remember that next Sunday is a double Mass because of the Christmas day so make sure to bring two donations with you” and he was saying it in a serious tone!

To be honest with you, I did not like that, I don’t like religious people asking for money, and even I did not like saying it in some sort of an order.

Does that usually happen in other Catholic or non-Catholic Churches? because that incident bothered me, specially that I consider Catholicism to be the most authentic sect in Christianity.

 

[FLGreg]

I don’t know where you attended Mass; but, here in the United States it is customary to announce something like, “next Sunday there will be a second collection for [insert reason: vocations, Peter’s Pence, Catholic Relief Services, retired clergy, ect.]. Is this what you are referring to?

Every Christian church that I’ve ever attended “passes the collection plate”.

As Christ’s faithful, we have an obligation - written in both canon law and in Precepts of the Catholic Church, to “assist with the needs of the Church so that the Church has what is necessary for divine worship, for the works of the apostolate and of charity, and for the decent support of ministers” . This “duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, [is] according to his abilities”.

I believe it is also one of the “Five Pillars of Islam” (Zakat).

The Precepts of the Church

Code of Canon Law (Can. 222 §1)

 

[odile53]

Every church or religious body solicits donations. Some of them do it in more graciously than others. Some of them do it in more tacky ways. But they all do it. Whether it’s called a collection, a free will offering, a love offering, or whatever. It’s part of supporting something that you believe is nurturing your relationship with God.

 

[Samuel63]

Collections are a requirement to run an organization like a church. A church just plain needs money to operate.

However, I estimate over 50% of the money collected is being wasted on everything from liturgical abuse, to lukewarm catechetical books, to that new age guest speaker. It is not this bad in all parishes but suffice it to say, you can feel perfectly free to find that orthodox parish or religious order to give your money to.

If your local parish is operating under management that is influenced by the wayward modernist and liberal “spirit of vatican ii”, then you can give just the minimum amount to operate the utilities and feed and clothe the pastor.

When the pastor asks why your tithes have changed, tell him the truth with charity.

 

[MtnDwellar]

To be honest with you, I did not like that, I don’t like religious people asking for money, and even I did not like saying it in some sort of an order.

You don’t like hearing it and they don’t like saying it. Some pastors, being aware of the financial circumstances of the parish, feel compelled to request donations.

Depending on how they ask, it usually inspires some folks to make additional donations and others are put off.

 

[Joannm]

The situation this year was that CHristmas fell on a SUnday. There is usually a good collection taken on CHristmas but without the regular SUnday collection the contributions would be down.

For example, on a regular Sunday a parish might take in 18,000. On Christmas they might take in 35,000 since many people make bigger donations for CHristmas and also all the cash from people who don’t usually come during the year. So with Christmas being on Sunday, if the regular collection is not done a parish could be out 18,000 for the year which would greatly impact their budget. Some parishes can handle that, some cannot, so they would ask for a double collection on that day.

 

[Bob_Aliano]

The situation this year was that CHristmas fell on a SUnday. There is usually a good collection taken on CHristmas but without the regular SUnday collection the contributions would be down.

For example, on a regular Sunday a parish might take in 18,000. On Christmas they might take in 35,000 since many people make bigger donations for CHristmas and also all the cash from people who don’t usually come during the year. So with Christmas being on Sunday, if the regular collection is not done a parish could be out 18,000 for the year which would greatly impact their budget. Some parishes can handle that, some cannot, so they would ask for a double collection on that day.

Are you saying that the donations for Christmas go somewhere other than the parish coffers? Where? Our parish announces the previous week donations in the bulletin and listed the Christmas donation as if it was a regular Sunday.

 

[w_s_s]

In some places, the Christmas collection is reserved for some special purpose, which would then necessarily suffer if people gave only a regular Sunday offering on Christmas.

For example, if the Christmas collection is regularly donated to St. Vincent de Paul, and people toss the Christmas envelope because they figure they’re doing enough by giving the regular Sunday offering, then St Vincent de Paul loses.

 

[Texas_Roofer]

Are you saying that the donations for Christmas go somewhere other than the parish coffers? Where? Our parish announces the previous week donations in the bulletin and listed the Christmas donation as if it was a regular Sunday.

I think the issue maybe this : 52 Sundays plus 10 Holiday Days = 63 standard collections. If the Holiday Day falls on Sunday the number of collections falls which will create a shortage unless the people place 2 collections in the basket when the Mass is BOTH (double) a Holiday Day and a Sunday

 

[Phemie]

I don’t know about anyone else’s but my box of envelopes contained both an envelope for Sunday, December 25 and one for Christmas. I agree that if your budget is based on an extra collection in December (Christmas) then having people only give what they would normally give on a Sunday or only on Christmas is going to hurt. In my parish it will be the difference between breaking even and being in the red.

 

[Joannm]

Are you saying that the donations for Christmas go somewhere other than the parish coffers? Where? Our parish announces the previous week donations in the bulletin and listed the Christmas donation as if it was a regular Sunday.

No, but it is sort of like the Christmas collection is (I’m stretching it here) like Black Friday for retailers. Black Friday is called so because for many retailers it is when they are out of the red for the year. Many parishes depend on a big Christmas collection, in addition to the regular Sunday collections, to break even or to have that extra money in the bank for unforeseen needs, like the boiler breaking or a leaky roof.

 

[Sam_777]

As Christ’s faithful, we have an obligation - written in both canon law and in Precepts of the Catholic Church, to “assist with the needs of the Church so that the Church has what is necessary for divine worship, for the works of the apostolate and of charity, and for the decent support of ministers” . This “duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, [is] according to his abilities”.

So that is considered to be “Tithe”?

I believe it is also one of the “Five Pillars of Islam” (Zakat).

Yes, but we give those money to poor people not to the Mosques.

 

[Sam_777]

If your local parish is operating under management that is influenced by the wayward modernist and liberal “spirit of vatican ii”,

Do Catholic Churches get any financial support from the Vatican?

 

[Sam_777]

You don’t like hearing it and they don’t like saying it. Some pastors, being aware of the financial circumstances of the parish, feel compelled to request donations.

Depending on how they ask, it usually inspires some folks to make additional donations and others are put off.

You spoke wisdom here , please accept my CAF befriend request.

 

[FLGreg]

So that is considered to be “Tithe”?

Technically, no, it’s not. “Tithe” comes from the Old English word, teogoþa, which means “tenth”. I suppose that if one gives 10% of their income to the Church it would be considered a tithe but we are only required to give according to our financial abilities. Perhaps we should strive to be more like the poor widow in Mark 12:41.

Yes, but we give those money to poor people not to the Mosques.

In your country, who collects the zakat? How do the mosques receive their material support? How do muslim clerics eat or clothe themselves?

 

[Phemie]

Do Catholic Churches get any financial support from the Vatican?

No. Each parish is supported by its members. If the parish is poor, at least in Canada, it applies for and often receives money from Missions Canada, but that is money that has been donated to that particular charity by wealthy patrons or bequeathed in people’s wills or raised through special events.

 

[Sam_777]

In your country, who collects the zakat? How do the mosques receive their material support? How do muslim clerics eat or clothe themselves?

Zakat is collected from businesses on yearly basis through the government, if you own any business here you would not be able to bid for any project unless you have certificate from them stating that you have already paid Zakat, but for the individuals you can live all your life without paying it and no one would notice.

For the Mosques, their Imams and all the staff working there are receiving monthly salaries through “The Minister of Islamic Affairs”, even it’s prohibited for any mosque to request or collect donations of any sort.

 

[Leon_Bloy]

He could perhaps have said it more diplomatically, but the parish needs its financial support. People forget that everything costs money - the host, sacramental wine that is used for consecration, water, bathroom supplies, lights, electricity, salaries for the secretarial staff, etc. etc. This adds up in most parishes to many thousands of dollars a week very easily.

Imagine if you didn’t get your paycheck one month. That’s what it would be like for the parish. The pastor is rightly concerned about it!

 

[FLGreg]

Zakat is collected from businesses on yearly basis through the government, if you own any business here you would not be able to bid for any project unless you have certificate from them stating that you have already paid Zakat, but for the individuals you can live all your life without paying it and no one would notice.

For the Mosques, their Imams and all the staff working there are receiving monthly salaries through “The Minister of Islamic Affairs”, even it’s prohibited for any mosque to request or collect donations of any sort.

Sam,

Thank you for the information. I wonder how mosques in countries (like the US) that do not have state-sponsored religions survive?

Have a Blessed Day!

 

[Sam_777]

I wonder how mosques in countries (like the US) that do not have state-sponsored religions survive?

They survive financially by Saudi Arabia government, read this report about mosques in US:

“In many examples, the Saudi link is readily apparent from the seal or name appearing on the cover of the publications of the Saudi Embassy in Washington, or of the Saudi cultural, educational or religious affairs ministries, or of the Saudi Air Force. While not all the mosques in the study may receive Saudi support, some of the mosques and centers, such as the King Fahd Mosque in Los Angeles and the Islamic Center in Washington, are openly acknowledged to receive official support by the Saudi king as recorded on his website.7 While some observers distinguish between funding from the Saudi state and donations made by individual members of the Saudi royal family, it should be noted that King Fahd makes no such distinction. His website asserts, “King Fahd gave his support, either personally or through his Government….” The website also asserts that “the cost of King Fahd’s efforts in this field has been astronomical, amounting to many billions of Saudi Riyals,” resulting in “some 210 Centers wholly or partly financed by Saudi Arabia, more than 1,500 Mosques and 202 colleges and almost 2,000 schools for educating Muslim children.” The King and his son donated millions of dollars to the King Fahd mosque.”

Source:
freedomhouse.org/uploads/special_report/45.pdf