Why do they pass the basket more than once?

[Anathama_Sit]

Greetings to Catholic Answers Forum,

I was recently visiting some relatives in the United States of America and they invited me to go to Mass with them. I went with them. It was a wondeful Mass. This was an OF Mass. The offering was taken up before the Offertory, and quite used to that I made an offering. Yet, in this particular Mass the offering baskets were passed around two other times. Why was this done? I have never seen this done before. Is this done predominantly in the United States of America? I usually attend EF Masses, and have not observed this going on.

I was wondering if anyone else out there had observed this as well.

I did not know what forum to post this under, and so if a Moderator thinks this needs to be posted under another forum, please by all means move my post to the appropriate forum.

Thank you for taking the time to read and answer this question.

God bless you all.
Anathama Sit

 

[puzzleannie]

there are special collections for various reasons several times a year

there is one Sunday collection each week to pay the ongoing expenses of the parish. That collection is taxed to the bishop anywhere fom 9-12% to pay ongoing expenses of the diocese–salaries, overhead etc.

Some parishes may have a capital campaign going on to build a new church, hall, school etc. that is a separate collection because that money has to go into a separate account and is not taxed.

Some parishes have regular second collections for St. Vincent de Paul or other apostolate or charitable works of the parish.

The diocese may have a special collection during the year for such things as a bishop’s appeal to cover special projects he has in mind. For instance our recent annual collections have been for the seminary, retirement housing for priests, our new Catholic high school, and a diocesan newspaper. Some dioceses have an annual collection to support Catholic Charities or other ministries of the diocese.

In addition the US Bishops have special collections. It is optional for a parish or diocese to participate, but they should all be collected on the same designated day, and that money sent to the proper place, and not be mingled with the regular Sunday collection. Some examples:
Catholic Communication Campaign
Catholic Relief Services
Retirement Fund for Religious
Mission Sunday (supports foreign missions, you may have a missionary priest give a sermon about his work)
Vocations

they try not to have more than one a month

some parishes only take up one collection, but expect you to use the designated envelopes provided on that day, or in your regular packet, for the indicated purpose

some just have a donation box in back of church on the days for special collections.

 

[Anathama_Sit]

Greetings Puzzleannie,

Thank you so much for your detailed answer.

God bless you.
Anathama Sit

 

[Rudolfo]

Puzzleannie gave the formal, official and nicely dignified answer. It is a very good answer with some important facts, and I respect it, and it seems most Catholics do since they keep filling up those baskets.

My answer is the short version, equally valid and true:

They want to get as much money out of us as possible.

That is why they use baskets, because of the psychological pressure to put something in when your neighbors are watching. It would be much more efficient to use direct-deposit, online banking, electronic funds transfer, or even just drop your envelope in a slot in the vestibule entering church. But the drama of those ushers shoving that basket under everyone’s nose has been proven to generate more donations.

I don’t believe it is disrespectful to say this, we all know Bishop’s have development committees and employees, etc. If you don’t agree fine, but I am entitled to my opinion.

 

[Prague]

I don’t think most of us are paying any attention to what the person next to us is putting in the collection basket!
We have some people that pay by the month or direct deposit.
It isn’t anyone’s business, and it shouldn’t be yours either.
Give what you can when you can.

 

[agnes_therese]

Puzzleannie gave the formal, official and nicely dignified answer. It is a very good answer with some important facts, and I respect it, and it seems most Catholics do since they keep filling up those baskets.

My answer is the short version, equally valid and true:

They want to get as much money out of us as possible.

That is why they use baskets, because of the psychological pressure to put something in when your neighbors are watching. It would be much more efficient to use direct-deposit, online banking, electronic funds transfer, or even just drop your envelope in a slot in the vestibule entering church. But the drama of those ushers shoving that basket under everyone’s nose has been proven to generate more donations.

I don’t believe it is disrespectful to say this, we all know Bishop’s have development committees and employees, etc. If you don’t agree fine, but I am entitled to my opinion.

Yes, you are entitled to your opinion. But in all these years, I’ve never seen baskets “shoved” under anyone’s nose, and I’ve never seen anyone taking particular notice of what others put in.

 

[Joan_M]

Greetings to Catholic Answers Forum,

I was recently visiting some relatives in the United States of America and they invited me to go to Mass with them. I went with them. It was a wondeful Mass. This was an OF Mass. The offering was taken up before the Offertory, and quite used to that I made an offering. Yet, in this particular Mass the offering baskets were passed around two other times. Why was this done? I have never seen this done before. Is this done predominantly in the United States of America? I usually attend EF Masses, and have not observed this going on.

I was wondering if anyone else out there had observed this as well.

I did not know what forum to post this under, and so if a Moderator thinks this needs to be posted under another forum, please by all means move my post to the appropriate forum.

Thank you for taking the time to read and answer this question.

God bless you all.
Anathama Sit

These are, most likely, parishes that are not Stewardship parishes. When a parish becomes a Stewardship parish it is usual that it commits to, from there out, only have one collection at each Mass. This is because the experience has been that the one collection far exceeds the total of the numerous collections that took place prior to the parishioners internalizing the spirituality of stewardship. That has been our experience, too, here in Trinidad, W.I.

 

[puzzleannie]

Puzzleannie gave the formal, official and nicely dignified answer. It is a very good answer with some important facts, and I respect it, and it seems most Catholics do since they keep filling up those baskets.

My answer is the short version, equally valid and true:

They want to get as much money out of us as possible.

That is why they use baskets, because of the psychological pressure to put something in when your neighbors are watching. It would be much more efficient to use direct-deposit, online banking, electronic funds transfer, or even just drop your envelope in a slot in the vestibule entering church. But the drama of those ushers shoving that basket under everyone’s nose has been proven to generate more donations.

I don’t believe it is disrespectful to say this, we all know Bishop’s have development committees and employees, etc. If you don’t agree fine, but I am entitled to my opinion.

many if not most dioceses and parish also have and encourage alternate methods of giving, especially those with stewardship campaign, and strenuously try to get people to use them.

but yes there are still people who prefer the Sunday basket method. Whether or not that is influenced by their perception of “what the neighbors think” I cannot say. But I will say there must be some reason why 20 dollar bills and higher go on top, crisp and flat, while dollar bills are crumbled and pushed to the bottom.

The Federal Reserve as you know collects torn worn out money from banks and incinerates it, replacing it with newly issued money. As the bills were in line for incineration they reflected on their lives. The $100 said I am ready to go, I have had a long and full life, went to the finest restaurants, world famous casinos, have been on luxury liners and hotels, met all the A-list people.
The $20 said, I am ready to go, I have had a good life, bowling, movie and a pizza every week, camping vacations with my families, was usually able to buy what was needed, I am ready to go.
The $1 just muttered: church . . . church . … church

 

[maryjk]

Puzzleannie gave the formal, official and nicely dignified answer. It is a very good answer with some important facts, and I respect it, and it seems most Catholics do since they keep filling up those baskets.

My answer is the short version, equally valid and true:

They want to get as much money out of us as possible.

That is why they use baskets, because of the psychological pressure to put something in when your neighbors are watching. It would be much more efficient to use direct-deposit, online banking, electronic funds transfer, or even just drop your envelope in a slot in the vestibule entering church. But the drama of those ushers shoving that basket under everyone’s nose has been proven to generate more donations.

I don’t believe it is disrespectful to say this, we all know Bishop’s have development committees and employees, etc. If you don’t agree fine, but I am entitled to my opinion.

So why does our parish do both? :shrug:We have automatic debit and we use baskets. The automatic debit is for those that don’t want to worry about an envelope and the envelopes are for those that don’t want automatic debit.

I have never seen an usher shove the basket under anyone’s nose. Nor have I have I seen anyone watch what others are putting in.

 

[Corki]

I think the multiple baskets are a bit of a hang over from the “good old days” when you could do your taxes and include cash donations. It let people contribute ‘real money’ and still designate part of it to a specific cause.

Now that the tax law changes made it basically mandetory to have your contributions either as check/debit or in an envelope, there is no real need for the second collection. But it has become the custom. It still helps call attention to the additional cause, whether its the diocisan appeal, retirement care for religious or a mission appeal.

 

[puzzleannie]

So why does our parish do both? We have automatic debit and we use baskets. The automatic debit is for those that don’t want to worry about an envelope and the envelopes are for those that don’t want automatic debit.

I have never seen an usher shove the basket under anyone’s nose. Nor have I have I seen anyone watch what others are putting in.

because some people want to keep to their established giving habits no matter how hard we try to make it more convenient.

newsflash: nobody cares what you do or do not do when the basket passes you

in my former parish the priest hated second collections usually done after communion, the worst possible time, so he announced he purpose of the collection before Mass and encouraged everyone to put all donations in one collection, using the special envelopes provided in the pews. He then instructed those who count the collection to put all the loose money, as well as the designated envelopes, toward the special.

actually if people would use their envelopes, mailed to free to them but at significant expense to the parish, second collections would not be necessary but that also is a losing battle.

 

[maryjk]

because some people want to keep to their established giving habits no matter how hard we try to make it more convenient.

Sometimes I think it can be a generational thing. I love direct debit, but my mom always used the envelopes.

I even have my Catholic Charities donation taken out of my parish paycheck. I love it.

 

[zab]

Our pastor does not like second collections. So collections other than the main parish collection, including returning pledge envelopes for the Diocecean Annual Appeal all go into the one collection. Collections other than the parish collection must be specifically marked in a separate envelope. But there was at least one exception. We had a Maryknoll priest here one Sunday and he made known to the pastor that he wanted a separate second collection so the pastor gave in. The missionary priest was a very good speaker and gave an excellent homily on the readings. He asked for donations for his mission work in China but he told the congregation that if they were going to have to make a choice between which collection to put their money in- put it in the parish collection!

 

[promethius]

My answer is the short version, equally valid-] and true/-]:

They want to get as much money out of us as possible.

Presupposing a malicious intent to manipulate people is contrary to the Catechism and Catholic teaching on making rash judgements. You can’t say, with certainty, that this personal assertion is true.

That is why they use baskets, because of the psychological pressure to put something in when your neighbors are watching.

Again, presupposing a malicious motive when you cannot… I do believe this also falls under the category of detraction and calumny

It would be much more efficient to use direct-deposit, online banking, electronic funds transfer, or even just drop your envelope in a slot in the vestibule entering church. But the drama of those ushers shoving that basket under everyone’s nose has been proven to generate more donations.

No it hasn’t. I direct deposit far more than I ever put into the basket because, simply put, I never carry that much cash on me.

As to my dear sweet grandparents, none of them even know how to turn a computer on, much less to set up a direct deposit or a funds transfer. They LIKE the option to do things the simple, old fashioned way.

We might also note that the collection is a part of the mass and has been since the very beginning of Christianity (and, actually, we inherited this as a part of the Jewish Liturgy as well). We can’t axe the collection because it would axe a part of the liturgy… so perhaps you should tone down your judgement on this one.

I don’t believe it is disrespectful to say this, we all know Bishop’s have development committees and employees, etc. If you don’t agree fine, but I am entitled to my opinion.

We are all entitled to opinions. And we are all entitled to point out when those opinions represent rash judgement, and when voicing them is calumny and detraction. Especially when we voice our suspicions as TRUE when we can’t or don’t have certainty to do so.

Recommended reading: the Catechism section on “Offenses against truth”

 

[PatriceA]

Sometimes I think it can be a generational thing. I love direct debit, but my mom always used the envelopes.

I even have my Catholic Charities donation taken out of my parish paycheck. I love it.

That would be my mom as well. She doesn’t even own a computer anymore, because she just didn’t like it. So for the older generations, the basket continues.

 

[catharina]

Puzzleannie gave the formal, official and nicely dignified answer. It is a very good answer with some important facts, and I respect it, and it seems most Catholics do since they keep filling up those baskets.

My answer is the short version, equally valid and true:

They want to get as much money out of us as possible.

That is why they use baskets, because of the psychological pressure to put something in when your neighbors are watching. It would be much more efficient to use direct-deposit, online banking, electronic funds transfer, or even just drop your envelope in a slot in the vestibule entering church. But the drama of those ushers shoving that basket under everyone’s nose has been proven to generate more donations.

I don’t believe it is disrespectful to say this, we all know Bishop’s have development committees and employees, etc. If you don’t agree fine, but I am entitled to my opinion.

Hmmmmmmm … fascinating, or something along those lines.

If most parishes decided to depend on ‘direct deposit’ for collections,
they would run into a long dry spell with most parishoners, IMO.

Do I know how to do the “tech thing” to make deposit happen for my parish?
No.
Do I want to learn it?
No.

Do I imagine my neighbors are watching me at collection time?
No.
Am I watching them at collection time?
No.

Please do share your statistical basis for the claim that “the drama of those ushers shoving that basket under everyone’s nose has been proven to generate more donations.”

Guess I missed that statistical analysis.
Where did you find it?

 

[catharina]

Presupposing a malicious intent to manipulate people is contrary to the Catechism and Catholic teaching on making rash judgements. You can’t say, with certainty, that this personal assertion is true.

Again, presupposing a malicious motive when you cannot… I do believe this also falls under the category of detraction and calumny

No it hasn’t. I direct deposit far more than I ever put into the basket because, simply put, I never carry that much cash on me.

As to my dear sweet grandparents, none of them even know how to turn a computer on, much less to set up a direct deposit or a funds transfer. They LIKE the option to do things the simple, old fashioned way.

We might also note that the collection is a part of the mass and has been since the very beginning of Christianity (and, actually, we inherited this as a part of the Jewish Liturgy as well). We can’t axe the collection because it would axe a part of the liturgy… so perhaps you should tone down your judgement on this one.

We are all entitled to opinions. And we are all entitled to point out when those opinions represent rash judgement, and when voicing them is calumny and detraction. Especially when we voice our suspicions as TRUE when we can’t or don’t have certainty to do so.

Recommended reading: the Catechism section on “Offenses against truth”

Lovely presentaion.
I do thank you.

 

[revert_jen]

They want to get as much money out of us as possible.

That is why they use baskets, because of the psychological pressure to put something in when your neighbors are watching. It would be much more efficient to use direct-deposit, online banking, electronic funds transfer, or even just drop your envelope in a slot in the vestibule entering church. But the drama of those ushers shoving that basket under everyone’s nose has been proven to generate more donations.

Many parishes in our area use EFT. It is more efficient, but less immediate. When our pastor introduced it, he wasn’t entirely in favor of it. It wasn’t because he wanted to “get as much money out of us as possible.” It was because our contributions to the Church are a spiritual benefit to us, and more so if they don’t happen automatically. However, it became so convenient for the parish not to have to handle so many checks and cash, that he seems to have softened toward it.

Personally, I hate EFT and online banking. Most of my work experience has involved writing some software. I’m not a poor granny that can’t turn on a computer. (Most grannies I know can in fact use the computer anyway.) I like direct control over my money, and my experience with EFT has been that people can take out more money than they are entitled to (due to clerical errors) and it is a pain in the neck to get it back. Plus if my computer goes down, I can still write checks.

But of course since EFT is available, even if anyone were so petty and nosy to notice whether someone else put something in the basket, not having put something in wouldn’t mean anything. Anyway, I just write one check a month, except for second collections, so if someone is going to judge me on that, whatever. Why would I care?

To the OP’s point: I have never personally attended a Mass with more than two collections. I guess we have second collections 1-2 times a month. It is just different per parish and diocese, I guess.

–Jen

 

[catharina]

Many parishes in our area use EFT. It is more efficient, but less immediate. When our pastor introduced it, he wasn’t entirely in favor of it. It wasn’t because he wanted to “get as much money out of us as possible.” It was because our contributions to the Church are a spiritual benefit to us, and more so if they don’t happen automatically. However, it became so convenient for the parish not to have to handle so many checks and cash, that he seems to have softened toward it.

Personally, I hate EFT and online banking. Most of my work experience has involved writing some software. I’m not a poor granny that can’t turn on a computer. (Most grannies I know can in fact use the computer anyway.) I like direct control over my money, and my experience with EFT has been that people can take out more money than they are entitled to (due to clerical errors) and it is a pain in the neck to get it back. Plus if my computer goes down, I can still write checks.

But of course since EFT is available, even if anyone were so petty and nosy to notice whether someone else put something in the basket, not having put something in wouldn’t mean anything. Anyway, I just write one check a month, except for second collections, so if someone is going to judge me on that, whatever. Why would I care?

To the OP’s point: I have never personally attended a Mass with more than two collections. I guess we have second collections 1-2 times a month. It is just different per parish and diocese, I guess.

–Jen

Ditto. I appreciate having the use of computers -
even though I never touched one until 1999.
My adult son taught me the mechanics.

However, doing money stuff online?
Thanks, but no thanks. Totally NOT my preference.

 

[quiet52]

many if not most dioceses and parish also have and encourage alternate methods of giving, especially those with stewardship campaign, and strenuously try to get people to use them.

but yes there are still people who prefer the Sunday basket method. Whether or not that is influenced by their perception of “what the neighbors think” I cannot say. But I will say there must be some reason why 20 dollar bills and higher go on top, crisp and flat, while dollar bills are crumbled and pushed to the bottom.

The Federal Reserve as you know collects torn worn out money from banks and incinerates it, replacing it with newly issued money. As the bills were in line for incineration they reflected on their lives. The $100 said I am ready to go, I have had a long and full life, went to the finest restaurants, world famous casinos, have been on luxury liners and hotels, met all the A-list people.
The $20 said, I am ready to go, I have had a good life, bowling, movie and a pizza every week, camping vacations with my families, was usually able to buy what was needed, I am ready to go.
The $1 just muttered: church . . . church . … church

As someone who has unfolded those one dollar bills in the collection basket, I thank you for my laugh for the day!
I’m going to have to print out the last paragraph to share with our parish money counters, lol.