Parish Finance

A Brief Explanation of Parish Finance

What happens to the money that is put into the offertory baskets every Sunday?

The money that is put into the offertory baskets is used for the everyday running of the Parish. This includes wages, heating, lighting, and maintenance of the three churches, the insurance of all parish property, the diocesan levy, the primary schools telephone, equipment, bank charges, church requisites and stationary needs.

What is the Diocesan Levy?

One substantial expense, which the Parish annually incurs, is the Diocesan Levy. This is a contribution that every parish must make towards the administration of the diocese. In our diocese there are expenses such as: Education, Youth Ministry, Accord, Diocesan Mission, Cura, and the education of students for the diocesan priesthood. The current Diocesan Levy for Balyna Parish is €8,600.00 per annum. This payment is made to the Diocesan Office in two instalments, one in January and one in July.

Does the parish provide finance for the Primary Schools?

Up until recently the primary schools were a cause of significant expense for the parish. However, this is no longer the case. The ‘Local Contribution’ has now been done away with and a grant aid scheme for minor building works has been introduced. Consequently, the parish has now only to pay a percentage of all major building works that are carried out in the schools and this is capped at € 31,743.45.

What happens to the money people put into the weekly envelopes?

There are two kinds of envelopes in the box of envelopes?

1. The white envelopes marked ‘Weekly Offering’: The money donated to the ‘Weekly Offering’ collection is used to finance the day-to-day running of the parish.

2. The coloured envelopes: The money donated to the coloured envelopes is for the Priest’s Collections, Carlow College, List of the Dead, the Propagation of the Faith and Peter’s Pence.

Please explain how the priest benefits from the Envelope Collections?

There are seven special envelopes for the support of the priest: The June Collection, The Autumn Dues, The Easter Stations, The Easter Sunday Collection, The List of the Dead, The Christmas Stations, The Christmas Day Collection. It is only from these seven envelope collections that the priest benefits.

How can you help your Parish?

Contributions:

We depend on the voluntary contributions of parishioners for the running and development of our parish.You may contribute to the running and development of the parish in the following ways:

Plate Collection:

You may contribute to your parish by donating to the plate collection. This collection is taken up at all weekend masses. All money from this collection goes towards the day-to-day running of the parish.

Envelope Collection:

You may contribute to your parish by taking a box of envelopes. These are distrubuted to all homes in the parish at the beginning of every year. As well as the standard weekly white envelopes, the box of envelopes also contains a number of yellow and mauve envelopes which are for special collections. The box of envelopes also contains some blue envelopes which allow you to contribute quarterly, half yearly or annually. Envelopes can be returned at weekend masses in the boxes which are provided at the back of the churches. Alternatively, you may return your envelopes to the Parish Office. If, for whatever reason, you have not received a box of envelopes, you may obtain one from the Parish Office.

Standing Order:

You may contribute to your parish by arranging to have a Standing Order with your bank. If you choose to do so, you have the option of making a monthly, three monthly or yearly contribution. An application for a Standing Order may be made at your bank. If you decide to set up a Standing Order, please click below to download the Standing Order Form. The Parish Account is at Ulster Bank, Edenderry, Co Offaly. The Account Number is: 10197240, sort code: 98 56 40.

Click Here to download the Standing Order Form

Tax Refunds:

Assuming you have contributed €250.00 or more to the parish within the tax year, the parish can receive a tax-refund from the Revenue Commissioners, by completing the appropriate form, which is available at the Parish Office.

If you are self-employed, the tax refund is available to you. If you are a PAYE worker the refund is available to the parish.

Repayment of income tax under SN848A TCA 1997 for the tax year 2010 amounted to €5,126.21. _____________________________________________________________________

10th November, 2010.

Re: Weekly Box of Envelopes 2010

Dear Parishioner,

I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who subscribes to the parish collections.  Your contributions during 2010 have enabled the Parish Finance Committee to pay for the following: Training of the Parish Catechist, Diocesan Levy, Materials for Sacramental Programmes, The running of the Parish Office, insurance, staff wages, heating, electricity, telephone, stationary supplies, church requisites and general maintenance and upkeep of all parochial property.

I am happy to report that the return of envelopes this year is 31%, which is a small drop on last year.  I would like to acknowledge the continued generosity of all those who are subscribing, particularly given the financial and emotional strain that many people are suffering because of the current recession in the economy.  Nevertheless, it is still disappointing that the majority of parishioners do not contribute anything at all.

Our community is very blessed to have completed major building works to the three churches of the parish in the past four years.  The cost of all this building work was covered by the money realised from the sale of the Parochial House in Balyna.  When all auctioneering and legal expenses were taken out of the sale price, the amount left was €2,041,505.  This money was immediately invested with the Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin and realised €59,392 in interest.   The cost of the building works to Johnstownbridge and Broadford churches was €1,441.920.  In 2009 the parish had to pay a local contribution payment of €30,000 towards the renovation works to Clogherinkoe National School.  We were compelled to pay this from the Parish Development Account because the funds were not in the Parish Account.  To date €570,415 has been paid out for works to Clogherinkoe Church and approximately €70,000 is still outstanding to creditors.  I am using the word ‘approximately’ because we are awaiting final figures from the Quantity Surveyor.

Building works to Cadamstown Hall are progressing very well and should be competed early in the New Year.  Most of the cost of this building will be borne by B.A.S.L.A.  However, the parish has committed to a payment of €50,000 towards the completion of these works.   Unfortunately, we do not have this money in the parish funds so we had to take a loan of €50,000 from the Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin.

Please find enclosed a Parish Calendar for 2011.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Yours sincerely,

_______________________

Very Rev. Gerard Breen P.P.