The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1918-01-19
GIVES ACCOUNT OF STEWARDSHIP.
Financial Statement Rendered by Rev C. M. Chambon,
Pastor of Ascension Church, Shows Many Substan-
tial improvements Accomplished During His Regime.
Liquidation of Standing Debt Proposed

/
Liquidation Of Standin!
1t is self evident truth that religi-
GUS corporations, like any social or
CARNATIONS, need money to remain
in existence. They all do, and differ
on this point only by the various ways
and means their financial support is
assured.
Some churches (mostly Protestant)
raise the money they need through a
yearly or monthly tax imposed on
the families or individuals. Other
churches (mostly Catholic) depend
entirely upon customary donations Of
| fered at certain times of the year,
| (pew rent, debt fund.-, or on the &C.
casion of some religious ceremonies
5sSunday mass, baptism, marriages,
funerals.
Both systems have their advantages
and imperfections. The system of
taxation is preferable to the ministers
of religion because they know in ad-
lvance on what income or salary the-.s
have to live. The system of dona-
tions, while annoying to the minis
ter who has to deal with paltry
amounts at time, is more popular, as
it leaves the faithful free to contri-
butte whatever amount they think
themselves able to give for the sup
port of their religion. In fact, even
in the best Catholic parishes, no more
than half of the families are yearly
contributors to their church budget,
and the average donation (per capita)
| is lower in our churches than in any
other denomination (about 80 cents
per capita).
N. B. Particular attention must
be paid to the word donation" be-
cause. too many through ignorance or
malice say that we sell the sacrements
and buy the prayers. It is the duty
of the Catholics to protest against
this Infamous calumny. If priests
were in the world for money they
would enter a civil profession after
their studies; there is none better pre-
pared to succeed in the world and
with a more solid and complete edu-
cation than the young man who has
studied for the priesthood. Till the
end of his studies he is free to go
back to the world and is left under no
obligation whatsoever even it he has
been educated at the expense Of his
| diocese.
These never-too-much-known prin-
ciples elucidated, I beg to call your
attention to the financial condition Of
our local church and corporation OF
which I am, as its rector, secretary
and treasurer ex-officio, as well as
manager, in collaboration with two
laymen who are church directors and
under the supervision of the Arch
bishop and the Vicar General of the
diocese.
Sources Of Church Income.
The church ncome is derived from
double source that we could term
ordinary and extraordinary.
The ordinary income originates
from the pew rent, the collections,
and the customary offerings made at
the occasion of baptisms, marriages
and funerals.
The extraordinary income pro-
ceeds from ahe; plaarch fairs, enter
tainments, donations or subscrip-
lions.
The ordinary income Of our church
| is not any more what it used to
be. Owing to The financial mis-
| fortune of many people of this sec
ton, and also to the lessening of the
Catholic population, many families
having moved away and the territory
on the left bank of both the bayou
and river having been detached from
| this parish; owing, as stated, to these
| two important causes, the regular In
come Of our church has decreased by
two-thirds during the past ten years:
At the same time, the expense OF
upkeeping and insuring the several
buildings and extensive grounds that
belong to the church has not diminish
| ed in proportion, but rather increased!
because of the higher cost of material
and labor
It is fortunate that the extraordi-
nary income of the church, far from
shrinking as could have been expect
ed, is rather increasing, due to the
fact that more and more Catholics,
so far Indifferent to the management
of their church affairs, realize their
duty to contribute according to their
means to our common budget.
There lies the secret of the material
welfare and financial prosperity of q
congregation. There are churches
attended by millionaires with q
financial situation that is everything
| but fiourishing, and there are churches
frequented only by laboring classes
that are at all times on a good finan-
cial basis.
Again the key Of success is found
in the cooperation of all, and if this
statement should only cause few
of my still delinquent parishioners to
do their share as they think they are
able to, will have neither lost my
time nor wasted my money in con-
verting these remarks into print.
Through this extraordinary source
Of income the following improvements
| mr. T. m ~