Our Parish of Saint Patrick, Roxbury

10 Magazine Street, Roxbury MA  02119

Rectory: (617) 445-7645  Convent: (617) 442-0980

Parishioners often ask if there are guidelines in place with regard to offertory giving at Saint Patrick Church. We make the following suggestions, and explain why each one is helpful to you, our church, and the entire parish community.

There are several ways that we can reach our 2008 Offertory Goal of $3,500 each Sunday:

• If each parishioner gives an additional $1 every Sunday. This sounds good, but can place an unfair burden on children or those of lower income who would then be paying more than their fair share of parish expenses, and others would be giving less;

• Plan ahead! Consider your offertory giving as part of your yearly budget of expenses, like rent, cable, heat, car repair, etc. Do not look upon your offertory as a gift after other expenses are met and you have some money left over. (For example - budget your giving for the entire year, divide by 51 Sundays, and give that amount each week. If you can give $1,500 a year to the parish, that would amount to $30 each Sunday.);

• Compare what you spend on 'extras' with what you offer to your parish. How much extra do you spend on cable television or satellite providers for channels you never watch? How much do you spend on coffee, soda, sweets or amber-colored beverages that may not be good for you? Or what about things like plasma televisions, fancy manicures, or the very latest cell phone? You get the idea!

• Give each Sunday of the year - even when you can't be at Mass. More and more parishioners are doing this, and are making a big difference. If you plan, our offertory will increase;

• Of course, those of us who can give more should do so to make up for others who can afford only a little - or nothing at all. We are the Body of Christ in which each member makes the Body whole according to its capability. 

Please make sure you are registered with the parish and are using offertory envelopes. The Archdiocese has recently reminded us as to why use of the envelopes is so important!

Due to recent changes in federal tax laws for charitable contributions, at the start of 2007, parishioners who itemize their deductions on Schedule A of their tax returns will no longer be able to deduct contributions to the parish unless they maintain a bank record or receive a written contribution statement from the parish. Cash contributions that are not in a parish envelope cannot be tracked by the parish and will not be included in the year end contribution statement. Additional questions should be directed to your tax advisor.

To ensure that your offertory to the parish is tax deductible, the following payment methods are recommended:

• The use of envelopes provided to you by the parish;

• A written check made payable to the parish; OR

• A direct deposit to the parish from your bank account. 

Finally, it is suggested that we lead by example, and teach our children that this is one way of participating fully in the Mass. Colorful white children's offertory envelopes are available, and should be used by children to make a donation to the parish. Our recent observations would suggest that most children are not contributing. This misses a wonderful teaching opportunity with regard to how important it is for all of us to share responsibility for our parish.

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