Chai Brady
A Dublin priest who is embracing technology has said parishes that set up online sites facilitating online payments could encourage young people to make donations.
Spearheading the Archdiocese of Dublin’s new initiative that allows parishioners to make card payments in Church, Fr John Bracken of Dundrum parish said to further tackle declining donations an online facility is a good way to make contributing to the diocese and parish easier.
“It’s difficult to get young people, young families, to make commitments particularly long term like the family offering,” said Fr Bracken.
“We’re hoping for something like being able to pay online as well, people can make one-off contributions and aren’t committed to something long term.”
In a landscape of declining offerings, particularly as less people are going to Mass, Fr Bracken suggests if a parish decides to make it possible to donate online they must publicise it adequately “using social media, newsletters and discreetly but clearly shown in churches”.
He added that in one case when his parish were calling for donations for church related repairs, a third of the offerings they received came from online payments.