The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-02-02
Hooley, Chronic Fault Finder with Priest Church
is Taught Lesson by Finnessy
Interesting Facts Relating Church Finances Which
Prove Instructive to Lax Laymen.
A Penny Sunday and Dollar Year Not Enough for
Liberal Young Man to Contribute.

They We're standing on the sidewalk
opposite the church discussing the
financial report of the church, says Il
writer in the Catholic Standard and
Times.
'"This years collection" says Hooley
to Finncssy, sis Il grand one, and
trust Well hear nothing more about
money from the altar for the next six
months I notice some very large
amounts have been contributed, and
so many names appear in the report
that 1 believe every person i'll the
parish has given his share Really it
seems to me the collection is big
enough to carry Oh the business of the
church for at least year"
''Hooley," says Finnessy, whether
you are in fun or in earnest, you are
talking through your hat, and you
make me tired. also have been look
ing over the contributions and adding
UP the amounts, and find you are ell
tirely mistaken. 1t is true there are
some few in the parish who have
given very generously, but there are
others who have given very poorly.
while there are very many who have
contributed nothing at all. There are
dozens of young men and women in
the congregation who are making
good money at their work and who
are ready to spend it for dress or blow
it in at a party or at the theatre, but
they have not donated cent to the
collection. Indeed, the number that
has given fifty OF twenty-five Or ten
or even live dollars is very limited.
but the two and one dollar contribu-
tiOns and the 'absentees' of the parish
would make a very long list. And,
coming down to common sense, what
is an annual contribution of one dol
lar from a man or woman who rents
no pew on seat and who, perhaps,
gives no other offering to the church
than a miserable penny on Sunday?
Does this amount from a well-dressed
person OF from any Catholic in COM
Portable circumstances comply with
the command of the church to support
religion? To my mind such insignifi-
cant offerings SAVIOR of contempt and
are more like excuses than contribu.
tions."
There are Catholics" says Hooley
who seem to value their church ac.
cOmmodations no higher. Fellows who
drop into mass when it is half over
and who form an unsightly fringe
against the front wall and who are
away Like shot at the end Of St
Johns Gospel shouldn't be asked to
pay much for the little they receive
AS they are easily pleased and give
little trouble, they perhaps consider q
small contribution sufficient"
IF they think so," says Finnessy
they are entirely mistaken, because
the church has to be kept up whether
they attend it or not. And you also
are completely at sea if you imagine II
an easy matter to satisfy Catholic
congregation. The Catholic people in
general, and this class in particular
are not as easily pleased as yor
imagine, and as a rule the less they
contribute toward the church the more
they expect and demand from it, Ac
tually some of them expect to receive
all the comforts of the church and al
the advantages of religion for nothing
and will be the first to grumble if they
don't get them. Like the converts ir
Rome and in Cuba, who are playing
hide and seek with their Protestant
evangelizcrs, they seem to demand
that the church should be built fol
them and that they should be paid fo1
attending the services. The pries
must be always at their beck and call
For their accommodation he must 81
for hours in the confession box; ht
must attend the family by day OF
night whenever any of them gets sick
for their use the church building mus
be kept neat and clean, well-ventilatef
in summer and warm in winter; tho
masses must be celebrated at convent
ent hours, and the music, if not up tt
the mark, will be severely criticised; I;
school house must be built regardles:
of expense, competent teachers mus
be engaged and all modern appliance:
must be provided for the education OF
their children-and they expect all this
can be done by their paltry penny or
Sunday and their dollar or two at the
annual collection! Col darn it, man
did you ever keep house or did yol
ever calculate how much it costs tt
run a large establishment like :
church?'