Stewardship Form to Register

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Slovensko42

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My wife and I just moved to the United States from Slovakia. We are Catholic all our lives. We sought to register at a parish and we’re sent a form to pledge tithing. This form was a part of registering. My wife was horrified by this. We always tithe beyond what is normal but she found this so bad mannered she refused to register and wanted to find another parish. The second one it was the same.

So is this a normal practice? To start off a membership with a parish with financial commitment? Or perhaps just a cultural difference?
 
This was a genuine Catholic Church and not one of the schismatic groups, such as Old Catholics, or the Polish National Catholic Church?

One of the 5 precepts of the Catholic faith is to support the Church. Yet, to petition you for support before allowing registration goes beyond the pale. What about the other 4 precepts?

I would call the Archdiocese and make certain this parish is true Catholic and then ask if this is a general practice there.
 
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Yes both being parishes of the Diocese of Evansville in southern Indiana. Thank you for your suggestions.
 
Was it maybe an online giving form? In many large parishes people want to give via automatic bank draft instead of using envelopes and writing checks.

Maybe they are sending out the online enrollment form with registration info packet so people know it’s available or because they get asked for it a lot?

I’d ask about it.
 
Did they ask for a percentage, or simply that you offer your support? Remembering that support can be your time, your talent, or your treasure.
 
Most parishes don’t do this. However, I have run across a few parishes that do. I saw one just the other day when I was looking for a parish doing Candlemas candle blessings that I could drive to, and found one parish with a bulletin that had in small print at the bottom, “We Are a Tithing Parish”.

I found it rather annoying because for one thing, I’d like to know how they would know how much I make in order to know if I’m tithing, and for another thing, I might wish to give ten percent but not give it all to them and instead give some to other charities, or to Catholic orders, or even other parishes if I attend them sometimes.
 
This is very popular in my diocese.
It has nothing to do with the Church wanting to know how much money you make or the traditional 10% tithe you hear about in Protestant communities.

In my diocese, when it is done, it’s called “Commitment Sunday” and it usually happens when the parish is setting it’s budget for the next year. It is a way for the parish to get an idea of what kind of income they will be working with. No one is “held” to their commitment, especially if their is a change in status- financial or otherwise.
 
I am familiar with this. It’s not really a prerequisite to registering so much as the parish would like to financially plan their year because most parishes in the area are operated “in the red.” You should be able to skip it, fill in a minimal amount and go beyond, fill in a huge amount and give nothing. (OK, don’t do that last thing. That’s just rude and deceptive, but hopefully, you get my point.)
 
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