Why do they pass the basket more than once?

[Anathama_Sit]

Greetings to all who have particpated in this thread and or reading this thread,

Thank you for your participation. You have answered the question and given me some interesting things to think about.

God bless you all.
Anathama Sit

 

[odile53]

I like the envelopes, because at tax time my parish very graciously sends me a statement of my contributions. It’s all in one place, I don’t have to go through twelve months of bank statements and highlight debits for my parish, and copy them to a new document, print it out, yadda, yadda. Also, I suspect that the IRS likes to see statements provided by parishes better than they would like my own documentation. My bank doesn’t give me actual checks back anymore.

 

[CB_Catholic]

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.

Actually, this is not true. We have all of the above–the electronic transfer, online banking, and it is promoted by the parish, because when people go on vacation, etc., the parish still receives the money each week. However, very few use the service. They like their baskets and envelopes. It’s tradition. And we pass the basket, we don’t have those long-handled things.

 

[Anathama_Sit]

Actually, this is not true. We have all of the above–the electronic transfer, online banking, and it is promoted by the parish, because when people go on vacation, etc., the parish still receives the money each week. However, very few use the service. They like their baskets and envelopes. It’s tradition. And we pass the basket, we don’t have those long-handled things.

Greetings CB Catholic,

Those long-handled things can be dangerous at times. I nearly got whacked on the head with one visiting a parish church in the United States of America. Are they really more convienent to use than the traditional baskets? Why are they used? Are they not more distracting then the traditional baskets when second collections are taken up after Communion. It is hard to mediate upon the Eucharist when you see the pole snaking in front of you or behind you if you should choose to remain kneeling during this time.

God bless.
Anathama Sit

 

[CB_Catholic]

Greetings CB Catholic,

Those long-handled things can be dangerous at times. I nearly got whacked on the head with one visiting a parish church in the United States of America. Are they really more convienent to use than the traditional baskets? Why are they used? Are they not more distracting then the traditional baskets when second collections are taken up after Communion. It is hard to mediate upon the Eucharist when you see the pole snaking in front of you or behind you if you should choose to remain kneeling during this time.

God bless.
Anathama Sit

I don’t know why they use them. My parish does not, but I have belonged to parishes that do. I think it is just as easy to pass a basket. Also, in my parish we only have second collections about twice a year. Once for the missions and once for the religious retirement. The rest of the time we use special envelopaes and put them in the regular collection.

 

[zab]

I don’t know why they use them. My parish does not, but I have belonged to parishes that do. I think it is just as easy to pass a basket. Also, in my parish we only have second collections about twice a year. Once for the missions and once for the religious retirement. The rest of the time we use special envelopaes and put them in the regular collection.

As I recall, the ushers used the long handled baskets when I was a child. The parish that I am in now, still has the long handled baskets in the closet but they have not been in use for many years. I don’t see any problem with using them, but maybe they find it easier to pass the baskets.

 

[PatriceA]

Greetings CB Catholic,

Those long-handled things can be dangerous at times. I nearly got whacked on the head with one visiting a parish church in the United States of America. Are they really more convienent to use than the traditional baskets? Why are they used? Are they not more distracting then the traditional baskets when second collections are taken up after Communion. It is hard to mediate upon the Eucharist when you see the pole snaking in front of you or behind you if you should choose to remain kneeling during this time.

God bless.
Anathama Sit

I guess you’ve never been witness to a child grabbing the basket as its passed along the pew and had all the contents dumped out on the floor.

 

[catharina]

I guess you’ve never been witness to a child grabbing the basket as its passed along the pew and had all the contents dumped out on the floor.

Got a chuckle out of that.

Yes, I grew up in the days when nearly all families had a minimum
of six children, most had seven, eight, nine, ten, etc… Long-handled
baskets with a storn adult keeping it stable was probably ideal. Passing
a simple basket from one person to the other? CHAOS!!!

 

[Anathama_Sit]

I guess you’ve never been witness to a child grabbing the basket as its passed along the pew and had all the contents dumped out on the floor.

Greetings PatriceA,

Actually I have not witnessed such a thing, but I know that such a thing does happen. I attend the earliest Masses or the Latin Masses and those things just do not occur, yet if they do, I do not notice it as I am in the pew that is the closest to the altar.

I have heard of Catholics making change out of the basket though at times.

God bless.
Anathama Sit

 

[Anathama_Sit]

As I recall, the ushers used the long handled baskets when I was a child. The parish that I am in now, still has the long handled baskets in the closet but they have not been in use for many years. I don’t see any problem with using them, but maybe they find it easier to pass the baskets.

Greetings Zab,

I was just remarking in this thread that I had heard of Catholics making change in the Offertory basket, perhaps the long handled baskets discourages this practice.

God bless.
Anathama Sit

 

[PatriceA]

Greetings Zab,

I was just remarking in this thread that I had heard of Catholics making change in the Offertory basket, perhaps the long handled baskets discourages this practice.

God bless.
Anathama Sit

Don’t know what kind of parishes/churches you’ve heard that is the custom, but in the 44 years I’ve been Catholic, never seen such a thing. Might be more charitable to think that is just an urban legend than to repeat it as a fact.

 

[Anathama_Sit]

Don’t know what kind of parishes/churches you’ve heard that is the custom, but in the 44 years I’ve been Catholic, never seen such a thing. Might be more charitable to think that is just an urban legend than to repeat it as a fact.

Greetings PatriceA,

The reason I said that is because my relatives do extensive traveling in the United States of America too and they observed it happen in a couple of parishes that they visited. I do not doubt their word, hence the wording of my post, “I had heard…” I am sure all denominations are guilty of someone who does this behavior.

However your point is duly noted.

God bless.
Anathama Sit

 

[catharina]

Greetings PatriceA,

The reason I said that is because my relatives do extensive traveling in the United States of America too and they observed it happen in a couple of parishes that they visited. I do not doubt their word, hence the wording of my post, “I had heard…” I am sure all denominations are guilty of someone who does this behavior.

However your point is duly noted.

God bless.
Anathama Sit

I wonder where they travelled.
I’m Catholic for 65 yrs and have attended Mass in
many parts of the country and I’ve never seen it either.
Until your post, I’d never even heard of it. I’m sticking with
the idea of “little children” as the logical reason for the long handles.

PS - Also I’ve never seen a third collection at any Mass.
When there will be a second collection, Father usually announces
the fact following the homily, telling all the reason for the collection.

 

[CB_Catholic]

I wonder where they travelled.
I’m Catholic for 65 yrs and have attended Mass in
many parts of the country and I’ve never seen it either.
Until your post, I’d never even heard of it. I’m sticking with
the idea of “little children” as the logical reason for the long handles.

PS - Also I’ve never seen a third collection at any Mass.
When there will be a second collection, Father usually announces
the fact following the homily, telling all the reason for the collection.

I am embarrassed to admit that I saw a relative do this once. In the second collection. However at least it was a fairly decent amount for a second collection–like he put in a 20 and took out 10 dollars worth of bills.

We only have second collections about twice a year, and they are always announced the week before that we will be having one, so people should be prepared and not have to make change from the basket.