Paying for Wedding masses?

[Sarabande]

I am a Music Minister…

when i came on board, the charge for accompanist/cantor was $300… I felt that was steep. I charge $125 to accompany and cantor weddings, or if i hire it out, $100 each for the accompanist and cantor (not too many of us can play AND sing any more!)

the church fee was and still is, $150

incidently, I charge nothing for funerals as I view them as a corporal work of mercy

That’s very nice and charitable of you. What a good person you are. Unfortunately, most musicians whose source of living and profession as a musician - especially mainly as a church musician - cannot afford to do that for everyone, even if they wanted to.

But it’s always nice to hear of people in any profession whether it’s music, medicine, law, plumbing, electric, etc. who has some other source of income to allow them to be so openly charitable. It’s even more laudable if a person does it without another source of income. That would really be impressive, although I probably would never hear of their charity unless someone else was singing their praises.

 

[PaixGioiaAmor]

That is weird. I didn’t pay a dime. I married in the Church, and donated food for the food pantry.

The sacraments are free (or at least they are supposed to be). “Use of the facility” is a lame excuse. The church is a facility specifically purchased for the Church to use for liturgical celebrations, most especially celebration of the sacraments.

The charge is for our counseling for having to deal with your insanity when you get married.

Not to mention cleaning fees when you trash the church - and don’t say that you will clean up. I’ve heard that thousands of times. Before the vigil mass I ALWAYS end up walking around cleaning up water bottles, kleenex, and Subway trays of salad dressing remnants.

I truly don’t mean to be rude. But I feel a bit passionate about this as I see our church basically get treated horribly by parishioners and non-parishioners alike week after week. Oh, any most don’t contribute before or after the wedding either. So as far as I’m concerned, if your only going to come around when you want/need something, you should pay.

 

[Kolbelover]

That’s very nice and charitable of you. What a good person you are. Unfortunately, most musicians whose source of living and profession as a musician - especially mainly as a church musician - cannot afford to do that for everyone, even if they wanted to.

Sarabande… my wife and I are Blessed in that we do not have to rely soley upon my income…in fact, my earnings are akin to a bonus. We could (and need to) look for ways to contribute MORE of my earnings to charitable causes… One thing i would like to do but have never been selfless enough to do is to give my salary back to our church during Lent…maybe next year!]