The parish priest of Saint Senan's parish in Shannon in County Clare has questioned the role of Church gate collections. Speaking after a meeting with Shannon Pastoral Council, Fr Tom Ryan said that he has undertaken to engage with parishioners and members of the public in Shannon on the whole question of Church gate collections.
In a statement this week he said, “Church gate collections have played an important role in the fundraising activities of many local, national, charitable and political groups over a long number of years. It is a known fact that the Irish give more to charities than many of their international counterparts and that many charitable and sporting organisations depend crucially on these fundraising activities for their organisations to survive.”
“Whilst many charities and community groups benefit from the holding of church gate collections, strictly speaking, many of these do not fall within the remit of the church since they involve the receiving of a permit from the Gardaí for a street collection.”
Citing a recent example Fr Ryan added, “on a recent weekend in the month of May a diocesan-wide census of Mass attendance was taken throughout every parish in the Diocese of Killaloe. It found that 1,565 people attended mass in Shannon on the weekend of May 21/22. These church-going people are perceived as an easy target as they require very little organisation or personnel on the part of the fundraisers.”
“Whilst the vast majority of church gate collections are for excellent causes the fact remains that some are not related to the purpose for which people assemble at mass.”
Fr Ryan also stated that some questions needed to be asked about the way collections are conducted, saying that any collection should not be undertaken within twenty-five metres of the church.
He claims that some people now feel collections take place too close to the church.
Fr Ryan has asked his parishioners to contact him up to June 30 at the Parish Office in Shannon with their suggestions.
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