DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Why do Catholic Churches in Philly have two weekly collections?

**JulietOreira** · 03-21-2012, 09:41 AM

First, you're not REQUIRED to PAY anything...it is a free will offering. You chose to attend, so you should give something. You get nothing in life for free. If you want them to stop existing, then be prepared to lose a lot of social services which they offer in the City and surrounding Counties that is oft unnoticed by the Media and the average person. CSS serves beyond the scope that any government run social service agency does, and they do it far better.

Second collections generally are Archdiocesean collections, as stated, either for various missions abroad or charitable works within the archdiocese. For the "in house" Archdiocesean collections, they started over 20 years ago, as the numbers of religious persons diminished and people had to be hired to do their work (social work, elder care of the religious, etc.)

Once monthly, your former home parish (and many others) has a collection for the Utilities, which helps offset the ever higher cost of keeping the place lit and heated/airconditioned througout the year. For St. Will's, to fill the oil tanks for the buildings which are heated (2 schools, kindergarten, convent, rectory, hall and JUST the Lower Church) can cost upwards of $15,000. Depending on how cold a winter, than can happen 2 to 3 times in just a few months. The Upper Church can cost $12-14,000 ALONE to heat in just one winter season, hence why we don't use it much any more.

Most parishes are being drained dry by operating schools, since they are required by diocesan rules to subsidize each catholic child's education by 18%....that comes from Sunday collections. So, if you have a child in school, yes you are required to contribute, or you will be handed a bill at some point in the year to pony up.

For a school like St. William, we have about 150 catholic kids in a school with 280 enrolled and the Parish subsized their reduced tuition last year by over $124,000.

So, if there are 150 Catholic kids in the school, and 1,200 coming to mass on Sundays lets subtract 75 of those attendees as actual school parents, that leaves $124,000 / 1,125 people ='s $110 that each person coming to Mass is contributing to your childs and their classmates education, giving you a $500-900 a year discount, even though they themselves have no kids in school. Talk about a tax?

Finally, read your Parishs' weekly bulletin. Most if not every parish, puts in the second collection notices a week or two in advance. It helps if people read things that are given to them. Causes less frustration in the end.

03-21-2012, 09:41 AM	#17
JulietOreira Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 584 Senior Member	First, you're not REQUIRED to PAY anything...it is a free will offering. You chose to attend, so you should give something. You get nothing in life for free. If you want them to stop existing, then be prepared to lose a lot of social services which they offer in the City and surrounding Counties that is oft unnoticed by the Media and the average person. CSS serves beyond the scope that any government run social service agency does, and they do it far better. Second collections generally are Archdiocesean collections, as stated, either for various missions abroad or charitable works within the archdiocese. For the "in house" Archdiocesean collections, they started over 20 years ago, as the numbers of religious persons diminished and people had to be hired to do their work (social work, elder care of the religious, etc.) Once monthly, your former home parish (and many others) has a collection for the Utilities, which helps offset the ever higher cost of keeping the place lit and heated/airconditioned througout the year. For St. Will's, to fill the oil tanks for the buildings which are heated (2 schools, kindergarten, convent, rectory, hall and JUST the Lower Church) can cost upwards of $15,000. Depending on how cold a winter, than can happen 2 to 3 times in just a few months. The Upper Church can cost $12-14,000 ALONE to heat in just one winter season, hence why we don't use it much any more. Most parishes are being drained dry by operating schools, since they are required by diocesan rules to subsidize each catholic child's education by 18%....that comes from Sunday collections. So, if you have a child in school, yes you are required to contribute, or you will be handed a bill at some point in the year to pony up. For a school like St. William, we have about 150 catholic kids in a school with 280 enrolled and the Parish subsized their reduced tuition last year by over $124,000. So, if there are 150 Catholic kids in the school, and 1,200 coming to mass on Sundays lets subtract 75 of those attendees as actual school parents, that leaves $124,000 / 1,125 people ='s $110 that each person coming to Mass is contributing to your childs and their classmates education, giving you a $500-900 a year discount, even though they themselves have no kids in school. Talk about a tax? Finally, read your Parishs' weekly bulletin. Most if not every parish, puts in the second collection notices a week or two in advance. It helps if people read things that are given to them. Causes less frustration in the end.
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