Parish donations available online

Cork parishioners can now donate online or use a standing bank order to financially support their parish in light of Covid-19.

The new facilities were outlined in a leaflet and accompanying letter sent to parishioners by the Diocese of Cork and Ross.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic forced churches to close their doors, parishes met their budgetary needs via traditional methods such as the weekly offertory collection.

However, during the lockdown, parishioners were unable to maintain their usual levels of support, resulting in a substantial reduction in parish incomes.

Thanks to these new facilities, coupled with existing methods, the public can now support their local parish and provide an income for their priests.

To facilitate online donations, the diocese and parishes have engaged a professional service and have added a donate button to their websites.

The public have been assured that the new facility is a safe and confidential method for making one-off or recurring donations to their parish, diocese or local clergy.

In addition to the online donation facility, parishioners can now also establish a standing bank order using a form enclosed in the leaflet.

These can be filled in with the relevant account information and handed into a bank or to the parish. In the accompanying letter, penned by Fr John O’Donovan and Fr Damien O’Mahony, the public is being invited to join the Church in “acting and thinking differently” in facing present and future challenges.

A passage from the letter reads: “These are difficult and challenging times for all of us. The old ways, the traditional ways, of doings things and of making them work have disappeared.

“We thank you for your ongoing support and generosity down through the years. We now ask you to help us look at different ways of supporting this parish.”

The public can make donations directly to the Diocese of Cork and Ross, or to a specific parish, by visiting corkandross.org.