Coronavirus closures slow offertory collections but not parish costs

No Masses during the COVID-19 pandemic could mean several weeks without offertory collections and this has many pastors worried. As they focus on ways to reach out to their parishioners, they are also reminding them to continue their donations to the church.

“Your faithful and ongoing contributions enable us to continue to do what we do, in good times and in bad,” Jesuit Father James Casciotti said in a video for his parish, St. Ignatius in Mount Vernon.

Like many pastors, writing in emails, posting on social media and sending actual letters, he noted that envelopes may still be mailed to the parish office or contributions may be made through online giving.

Kim Montgomery, regional director in the archdiocesan Department of Development, said she has seen many such communications to parishioners helping them adjust to the current crisis.

“I’m amazed how the priests are embracing technology and social media right now,” she said.

The communications from pastors have been gentle – because they understand the faithful have a lot on their minds during the COVID-19 closures and quarantines.

“People most likely are not thinking about giving,” said Teresa Brashears, senior director of development for marketing and administration for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

She acknowledged the worries about health and isolation and the ever-changing news about the coronavirus.” We’re all concerned about keeping this under control,” she said.

In the meantime, parish staffs are trying to keep their doors open, she said.

“Please don’t forget about your parish,” she asked. “They really depend on your support at this time.”

Even without an offertory collection basket, parishioners may still mail in or drop off their envelopes. Now, Brashears said, might be a good time to sign up for online giving.

Almost every parish offers online giving through their websites, she said. This enables donors to schedule weekly or monthly gifts to their church.

Ashley Conley, director of parish and school finance, reports that about 40 parishes don’t use some form of electric giving. “Having electronic giving could greatly help parishes today weather this crisis,” she wrote in an email.

She recommends Faith Direct, Give Central or Onlinegiving.org, though some parishes accept donations through Venmo or PayPal.

“One of the important aspects of an electronic giving system is that it has a good enough infrastructure to give the locations details regarding who the money came from and why,” she said.

In the meantime, she said, her staff is helping parishes get online. “Our big to-do right now is to get those parishes that don’t have electronic giving working on setting it up.”

Brashears said, “That way, the parish can count on the income.”

The Archdiocese of Baltimore, in partnership with CentralGiving, launched a new platform March 26 that gives users the opportunity to donate to their parish online even if the parish does not offer online giving. Users simply choose their parish from a menu and make a contribution online, which gets forwarded directly to their selected parish.

In a letter sent March 16 to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s 1,500 parish families, Father Paul Sparklin asked his Crofton flock to drop off their offertory envelopes during business hours or to sign up for online giving at GiveCentral.

“As the pastor, I worry about money,” he wrote. “I need to make sure that the bills and the staff are paid.”

Father Sparklin told the Catholic Review that he frequently asks parishioners to sign up for online giving but without offertory collections, it’s more important than ever.

In the letter to parishioners, he acknowledged the difficulties the pandemic has caused. “If we are not able to make the sacrifice of gathering for Mass at this critical time, we can know that through our sacrifice, we are helping to save lives – perhaps not down the street – but in the neighboring city or state or country. We are brothers and sisters!” he wrote.

Father Mark Bialek, pastor of St. John Parish in Westminster, said his staff is working out a way to register on Facebook so people can contribute through social media during livestreamed Masses. For those uncomfortable giving online, the parish plans to install a locked mailbox for parishioners to drop off envelopes.

Only one-third of his parishioners donate online, Father Bialek said. With cancellations possible for eight weeks or more, “our income is going to be affected significantly,” he said.

Online giving would help. “It’s the safest, most reliable way parishioners right now can support their parish,” Father Bialek said.

In Annapolis, Father Jeff Dauses, pastor of St. Andrew by the Bay, said more than half of his parishioners participate in online giving. But even with that steady income, he’s worried. “My concern is for the staff,” he said, noting that they rely on their salaries for their families. Already he has cut unnecessary services such as janitorial, bulletins and dumpsters. “I’m hoping not to have to do layoffs and furloughs.”

Offertory collections tend to go down during difficult times. “That’s why we think online giving is so important,” Montgomery said.

At St. Joseph’s in Eldersburg, the staff is meeting to figure out how to cut costs, according to Karen Spivey, director of mission support, who noted that layoffs or reductions of working hours could be considered.

“We are sensitive that people are losing their jobs right now. We want to be very sensitive to that,” she said.

For information about parish giving, click here. 

For more on the Archdiocese of Baltimore response to the coronavirus pandemic and for resources and other information, visit www.archbalt.org/coronavirus. 

Copyright ©2020 Catholic Review Media. This story was updated March 27. 

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