Church offerings

Folks,
The "Autumn Offerings" envelopes for the priests of the parish came in the door - what is a standard contribution for this?

Not a regular church goer ...

... I only just realised that the church offerings go to fund the schools in the parish too ... worth bearing in mind when deciding what to put in.

Re: Not a regular church goer ...

what is a standard contribution for this?

My standard is €0.

Re: Not a regular church goer ...

You can always ask the collector how much of the money donated will go to paying recompense to the victims of institutional abuse at the hands of the RC Church over the years, and make a payment in light of that.

I'd concur with the €0 donation.

Re: Not a regular church goer ...

for the Church, my standard offering would be €0
for the schools in the parish, well I pay taxes.

Dont Ask for Money

Should this forum be renamed "Dont Ask for Money"

Re: Dont Ask for Money

for the schools in the parish, well I pay taxes.

Which mostly go to institutions:

Ownership of primary schools

The vast majority of primary schools in Ireland are privately owned and supported by the different churches. The state pays the bulk of the building and running costs and a local contribution is made towards the running costs.

Changes were introduced in 1999 in the way the building costs of new schools are paid.

National schools are privately owned - in general by the relevant church authorities. In the case of Catholic schools, the owners are usually the diocesan trustees; the same is true for Church of Ireland schools. Other denominational schools usually have a board of trustees nominated by the church authorities. Multi-denominational schools are usually owned by a limited company or board of trustees.

Gaelscoileanna may be denominational and come under the same patronage as Catholic schools but some have their own limited company.

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Re: Dont Ask for Money

I have never seen such a shower of miserable bast**ds, you have no problem going to the pub and paying exorbidant prices tax etc, paying car tax, paying bin charges, paying €50 or €60 into Croke Park or Landsdown Road so why do you shirk from giving money to the Church or School. Many of you have lost religion because you are too lazy or hungover to go to Mass on a Sunday, yet you use the fact that a vast minority of priests have been charged with sexual misdemeanours as a reason not to go to Mass. Cop on your children come first, look to the Church & school to educate your children and not rely on handouts from people to keep you in the lifestyle you are accustomed to.

Re: Not a regular church goer ...

I have never seen such a shower of miserable bast**ds
Miserable? - I'm happy
you have no problem going to the pub and paying exorbidant prices tax etc, paying car tax, paying bin charges, paying €50 or €60 into Croke Park or Landsdown Road
I do have a problem with most of the above. I don't go to the pub any more, I go to the dump instead bin charges. I'm forced to pay car tax and I have no interest in sport.
so why do you shirk from giving money to the Church or School.
The Church has enough money as it is. I disagree with many of their ideals. Why shouldn't there be women priests, what's wrong with gay people etc... etc... It wouldn't make sense for me to support something I feel strongly against.
Many of you have lost religion because you are too lazy or hungover to go to Mass on a Sunday
I regard going to Mass on a Sunday as a cop out. You toss a few coins onto the collection plate, and that's your 'duty' done? Most people seem to be half asleep at mass anyway. Why don't they go out and do something worthwhile instead? Indoctrination.
yet you use the fact that a vast minority of priests have been charged with sexual misdemeanours as a reason not to go to Mass.
No. See above reasons for why I don't go to Mass. I do aspire to be a Christian, but not necessarily through the apostolic, Catholic Church.
Cop on your children come first, look to the Church & school to educate your children and not rely on handouts from people to keep you in the lifestyle you are accustomed to.
I don't have any children. I do believe I'm paying enough towards the next generation through taxes.

Re: Dont Ask for Money

look to the Church & school to educate your children

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Why?

Re: Dont Ask for Money

will you go away out of that leatherarse? surely, you're old enough now to put aside that jeezus mumbo jumbo. it's ok to entertain small children with stories about god and santa and fairies and such but you're expected to grow out of it.

Re: Dont Ask for Money

I personally concur with everything that XXXAnother PersonXXX says above as it happens. The only exception is that I myself certainly would not "aspire" to being a Christian since I don't believe in the divinity of This post will be deleted if not edited immediately. I never "lost" religion because when it came down to it I never "had" it in the first place. Naturally I wouldn't expect others to necessarily agree with these views and would not force them on anybody else.

and not rely on handouts from people to keep you in the lifestyle you are accustomed to?

What handouts do you mean?

Marion :hat

To respond to horse's question of what is a suitable contribution to the support of whatever religious group one belongs to - traditionally this is "a tithe" (one-tenth of your income) since the beginning of the Judao-Christian religion.

A number of posters have made the point that the Catholic church is already wealthy beyond belief and don't need/deserve any more "tithes". Whilst that may be true in Ireland and in other parts of Europe this does not hold for the rest of the world (and it is a global church). In many parts of the world (e.g. Brazil and El Salvador, East Timor) Catholic religious are deeply involved in social and political change advantageous to the poor and disenfranchised of whom there are many millions outside of pampered, complaicent Europe.

Priests in Ireland are paid a weekly salary (a very modestl one!) and their accommodation and domestic services are provided to them free of charge but remain the property of the Church. Many priests who invest their lives working in inner-city parishs have very narrow means and few options when they retire. Does anyone know if priests pay N.I.contributions towards pension? I understand (but you should check this out with your local priest/parish priest) that all running-costs of the church itself - heat, light, cleaning, printing, maintenance - are covered by contributions by parishioners and this is what the "envelopes" are about. Other specific expenses (e.g. training future priests, "the missions" etc.) are identified during Sunday worship and an "extra plate" goes round.

From my observation on what is "on the plate" from collections in the Procathedral, from my "local" church in Dublin, and from the Catholic church here in Colchester it would not appear that the wealth of the Catholic Church is increasing exponentially!

A rule of thumb might be to give in accordance with what you feel you receive from Church membership in terms of spiritual dimension to your life experience and comfort in bearing life's loses and hard knocks.

Can't argue with Marie's balanced contribution.

Actually started attending again here.



Must admit it's more for the music than anything else.



M

" what handouts do you mean?"

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Why should the ordinary Church goer with no children at school be asked to foot the bill for the education of other peoples children who for one reason or another dont attend church or school fund raising events, but still gain the benefits. This is a Dublin culture which I have noticed creeping into rural Ireland in recent years.

As a parent of five children I had no problem paying for their way through school and it has paid off tenfold.

Horse , pay what you feel comfortable with. These offerings go to covering a priests day to day expenses (food, utility bills etc.)

Why should the ordinary Church goer with no children at school be asked to foot the bill for the education of other peoples children who for one reason or another dont attend church or school fund raising events, but still gain the benefits.

You obviously missed this key point that I posted earlier (underlining is mine):

The vast majority of primary schools in Ireland are privately owned and supported by the different churches. The state pays the bulk of the building and running costs and a local contribution is made towards the running costs.

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Personally I would be in favour of secular schools owned, funded and run by the state owned open to all, with those who prefer to have their children taught under a particular religious ethos/regime opting out and sending them to private (fee paying if necessary) religious schools.

Horse , pay what you feel comfortable with. These offerings go to covering a priests day to day expenses (food, utility bills etc.)

Leatherarse, please could you forward me a couple of hundred Euros to keep me going? This offering is to cover my food, utility bills etc. If you like, I can even send you a little envelope so you can post your contribution. Pay what you feel comfortable with.

Priests in Ireland are paid a weekly salary (a very modestl one!) and their accommodation and domestic services are provided to them free of charge but remain the property of the Church.

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Do they get hit for BIK on their accomodation, domestic service and 'company car'?

Why should the ordinary Church goer with no children at school be asked to foot the bill for the education of other peoples children who for one reason or another dont attend church or school fund raising events, but still gain the benefits.

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Surely that's a question you should be directing to your Church?