Parish in debt.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

My brother is running our farm now, and this morning he recieved a letter from our parish, signed by the parish priest, informing him that the parish was in a lot of debt and in order for them to try clear the debt, they were writing to farmers in the parish to see if they were willing to participate in a scheme where the church buys a young calf and the farmer rears it until its to be sold and then they're given the money for it.

Didn't think things were quite so bad! Maybe it's time the parish priest stopped changing his car every year

Edit: link
http://tinypic.com/r/14cg0hi/8

Satts

I hope the Parish Priest has better luck at making a profit from it.

galwayredgirl

LexieOnRale wrote: »

My brother is running our farm now, and this morning he recieved a letter from our parish, signed by the parish priest, informing him that the parish was in a lot of debt and in order for them to try clear the debt, they were writing to farmers in the parish to see if they were willing to participate in a scheme where the church buys a young calf and the farmer rears it until its to be sold and then they're given the money for it.

Didn't think things were quite so bad! Maybe it's time the parish priest stopped changing his car every year

What a load of Bull!

What did your brother make of this?

Duckworth_Luas

That would be an ecumenical agricultural matter

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

mariaalice wrote: »

What did your brother make of this?

I don't know to be honest. I doubt he'd go for it, he's not exactly the charitable kind

eviltwin

If you go to mass and use the services of the church you should probably contribute something, if you don't they can feck off.

blaze1

Write back to the priest telling him you've switched to Hindu and cows are sacred and not to be used for profitby the Catholic church.

KungPao

So, a small branch of a huge eye-wateringly rich organization is low on bananas and sniff around the community for some soft touches to hand over profits to them?

Chancers.

The Peanut

Coincidentally, I am just reading our parish a/cs dropped in courtesy of my in-laws; rural spot.

Debts of €300,000 - mainly church restoration and running costs - have been cleared in 5 years. Good businesses would struggle to achieve this.

Offertory collection, building fund collection and donations are over 200K for last year. Whatever the church is doing wrong, they know how to gather money.

Mind you, it's primarily down to a very likeable, progressive and hard-working parish priest.

mickdw

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

That would be an ecumenical agricultural matter

So they are basically asking the farmer for a few hundred euro out of his pocket?
Id write back with the address for the Vatican and request that they contact them for all future funding matters.

Birneybau

Fcuk 'em.

biko

I'm an atheist but tbh churches are a part of the Irish community and so I'd probably help out (and also I wouldn't have to attend church because I did my bit already .

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

6 months ago we bought a plot in this parishes graveyard. 500 euro for a single plot, and 100 euro to open it. Two more people can be buried in the plot we bought, and everytime it's opened the church charges 100 euro.
Robbing bastards

hereford

chancers is right why have the priests got massive gaffs that the parishioners have to pay for
tell him to ask bishop brennan

MagicIRL

LexieOnRale wrote: »

6 months ago we bought a plot in this parishes graveyard. 500 euro for a single plot, and 100 euro to open it. Two more people can be buried in the plot we bought, and everytime it's opened the church charges 100 euro.
Robbing bastards

Buy a shovel. 10e. Job done.

awec

biko wrote: »

I'm an atheist but tbh churches are a part of the Irish community and so I'd probably help out (and also I wouldn't have to attend church because I did my bit already .

The church has loads of money. It's most likely the wealthiest organisation on the planet. Definitely not short of a few quid.

KungPao

LexieOnRale wrote: »

6 months ago we bought a plot in this parishes graveyard. 500 euro for a single plot, and 100 euro to open it. Two more people can be buried in the plot we bought, and everytime it's opened the church charges 100 euro.
Robbing bastards

Gotta love those nice round numbers...it's almost as if they pulled them out of their asses.

Sir Arthur Daley

A parish church in debt me hole, what a load of shit. They probably will get loads of donations now from elderly and vulnerable people.

Valetta

hereford wrote: »

chancers is right why have the priests got massive gaffs that the parishioners have to pay for
tell him to ask bishop brennan

Admit it.

You're just afraid you'll be sold to raise funds for the church.

Tokyo

LexieOnRale wrote: »

6 months ago we bought a plot in this parishes graveyard. 500 euro for a single plot, and 100 euro to open it. Two more people can be buried in the plot we bought, and everytime it's opened the church charges 100 euro.
Robbing bastards

Church doesn't charge for the use of the graveyard - the Co. council does. I maintain the records for the local graveyard here - they would be fixed charges across the county (possibly country), and cover the price of the plot, graveyard maintenance, etc.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

biko wrote: »

I'm an atheist but tbh churches are a part of the Irish community and so I'd probably help out (and also I wouldn't have to attend church because I did my bit already .

Realistically there isn't a lot to be made from farming. Buy a calf for
300 euro, have the animal on the farm for two years. So that's 2 herd tests, if the animal gets sick you've the vets bills and medicine bills, water charges, dosing the animal for fluke, worms, ect. Then of course you'll need to feed it. Silage, ration/nuts, store it in winter. You'd sell it on then for between 800-1100 (depending on how well it did and gender). It's also taking up space when you can have one of your own on the farm instead.

P_1

The PP is chancing his arm if you ask me. Tell him to get onto HQ in either Dublin or Rome if he's stuck for a few bob

Grayson

If they hadn't given up this calf they'd have money lying around

Jeefff

My local church had a complete restoration, new roof, windows, pews, flooring, the lot.. They chucked perfectly good pews out to buy plastic ones..
They then demanded 3,000 quid from each household in the parish, which is a tiny place, if the payments weren't made to them, you were asked to use another church, which alot of people did..
There's a bigger church not five miles from it, but a different parish..

Absolute arseholes, the vatican is sinking with money, ask them..
I'm a non believer anyway so the letter was chucked away

catallus

This sounds like an communist plot from an anarcho-atheist infiltration into your local parish; alert your local postman immediately. I'll be in the pub, let me know what he says.

StudentDad

Grayson wrote: »

If they hadn't given up this calf they'd have money lying around

Not a golden calf by any chance?

SD

Sir Arthur Daley

The money counters or the priest are pocketing a percentage of the church collections or in a case i heard a bit back the parish priest had racked up a huge phone bill which was gone in the four figures. It was found out he used watch alot of late night tele and phoning up pretty women.

The Diabolical Monocle

Time to set up PAMA

P_1

catallus wrote: »

This sounds like an communist plot from an anarcho-atheist infiltration into your local parish; alert your local postman immediately. I'll be in the pub, let me know what he says.

I'll have some of whatever this chap is on, sounds like great stuff

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Sir Arthur Daley wrote: »

The money counters or the priest are pocketing a percentage of the church collections or in a case i heard a bit back the parish priest had racked up a huge phone bill which was gone in the four figures. It was found out he used watch alot of late night tele and phoning up pretty women.

Feck it, at least it wasn't kids he was up looking at

DEFTLEFTHAND

mike_ie wrote: »

Church doesn't charge for the use of the graveyard - the Co. council does. I maintain the records for the local graveyard here - they would be fixed charges across the county (possibly country), and cover the price of the plot, graveyard maintenance, etc.

I hear Dublin plot prices are crazy altogether, somebody was telling me you could up to five grand in some cases.

Tokyo

Jeefff wrote: »

My local church had a complete restoration, new roof, windows, pews, flooring, the lot.. They chucked perfectly good pews out to buy plastic ones..
They then demanded 3,000 quid from each household in the parish, which is a tiny place, if the payments weren't made to them, you were asked to use another church, which alot of people did..
There's a bigger church not five miles from it, but a different parish..

Absolute arseholes, the vatican is sinking with money, ask them..
I'm a non believer anyway so the letter was chucked away

I'd support the local church as biko mentioned above, not necessarily out of obligation, but out of a sense of the fact that it's a part of the community and it's where many family events have taken place. But the above is taking the piss. Imagine the local pub doing the same.

"right lads, we want €3,000 from everyone for a renovation, we want new windows, bar and barstools. And if you don't like it you can drink at the pub down the road instead...."

:rolleyes:

SterlingArcher

Tell them if they officially let me leave the rcc. And allow me not be used as one of their statistics. I'll drop a g on it.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Sir Arthur Daley wrote: »

The money counters or the priest are pocketing a percentage of the church collections or in a case i heard a bit back the parish priest had racked up a huge phone bill which was gone in the four figures. It was found out he used watch alot of late night tele and phoning up pretty women.

The collections are for the Priests, that's how they make money, each Parish is supposed to be self sufficient.

Obviously they shouldn't be squandering it on late night chatlines.

P_1

mike_ie wrote: »

I'd support the local church as biko mentioned above, not necessarily out of obligation, but out of a sense of the fact that it's a part of the community and it's where many family events have taken place. But the above is taking the piss. Imagine the local pub doing the same.

"right lads, we want €3,000 from everyone for a renovation, we want new windows, bar and barstools. And if you don't like it you can drink at the pub down the road instead...."

:rolleyes:

To be honest I'd advocate taking the German approach to religious funding

awec

Let him know the international calling code for Vatican City is +379.

Sir Arthur Daley

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

The collections are for the Priests, that's how they make money, each Parish is supposed to be self sufficient.

So a priest keeps 100% of the weekly collections?

Fr_Dougal

Hmmm...wouldn't be surprised if they were expecting farmers to donate the calf too.

dirtyden

LexieOnRale wrote: »

My brother is running our farm now, and this morning he recieved a letter from our parish, signed by the parish priest, informing him that the parish was in a lot of debt and in order for them to try clear the debt, they were writing to farmers in the parish to see if they were willing to participate in a scheme where the church buys a young calf and the farmer rears it until its to be sold and then they're given the money for it.

Didn't think things were quite so bad! Maybe it's time the parish priest stopped changing his car every year

Edit: link
http://tinypic.com/r/14cg0hi/8

This priest has it all wrong. Never ask farmers for money as they will never admit to having any. He needs to mobilise the old biddies of the parish they will have the debts cleared double quick with the promise of some time off in purgatory or whatever.

gctest50

Sir Arthur Daley wrote: »

The money counters or the priest are pocketing a percentage of the church collections or in a case i heard a bit back the parish priest had racked up a huge phone bill which was gone in the four figures. It was found out he used watch alot of late night tele and phoning up pretty women.

Thats another reason they should be allow marry - they have someone to give them a hand running affairs n stuff

(*non-believer btw - may not be long "finding religion" if they allow that though - handy number

..............i found her in rags

http://i.imgur.com/rHX3coh.jpg

............ living in an attic

http://i.imgur.com/iv81SMN.jpg


.

KungPao

Jeefff wrote: »

My local church had a complete restoration, new roof, windows, pews, flooring, the lot.. They chucked perfectly good pews out to buy plastic ones..
They then demanded 3,000 quid from each household in the parish, which is a tiny place, if the payments weren't made to them, you were asked to use another church, which alot of people did..
There's a bigger church not five miles from it, but a different parish..

Absolute arseholes, the vatican is sinking with money, ask them..
I'm a non believer anyway so the letter was chucked away

They'd be lucky to get a 20 cent coin from me. Two 10c if the basket goes around twice.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Sir Arthur Daley wrote: »

So a priest keeps 100% of the weekly collections?

It goes towards the upkeep of church grounds, buildings and priests living costs.

SpaceTime

Jeefff wrote: »

My local church had a complete restoration, new roof, windows, pews, flooring, the lot.. They chucked perfectly good pews out to buy plastic ones..
They then demanded 3,000 quid from each household in the parish, which is a tiny place, if the payments weren't made to them, you were asked to use another church, which alot of people did..
There's a bigger church not five miles from it, but a different parish..

Absolute arseholes, the vatican is sinking with money, ask them..
I'm a non believer anyway so the letter was chucked away

3 grand ?!? They must have thought the Celtic Tigre was still in full swing. People don't have that kind of money to be throwing around on pews!

Michael2107

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

I hear Dublin plot prices are crazy altogether, somebody was telling me you could up to five grand in some cases.

And that would be lower end of scale, certain plots are close to twenty grand, a single plot in Kildare is €1250, while a double is €2500. And there is a fee to open aswel to council, and that doesnt cover the physical opening which would be close to an extra €500.

Knasher

I'm just glad we don't have anything like the chancel laws they have in the UK, where the churches can legally force some landowners to pay for any repairs the church undergoes.

Tokyo

Sir Arthur Daley wrote: »

So a priest keeps 100% of the weekly collections?

It's been a long time since I served mass, but I'm fairly sure that's not true. If I remember correctly a certain amount of that was for the priest to support himself - some was set aside for the local church, and some was deposited in the church's coffers.

Sir Arthur Daley

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

It goes towards the upkeep of church grounds, buildings and priests living costs.

Does the priest not lodge the collection money along with station dues and all other monies that he earns into an account that is overseas?

miss no stars

LexieOnRale wrote: »

6 months ago we bought a plot in this parishes graveyard. 500 euro for a single plot, and 100 euro to open it. Two more people can be buried in the plot we bought, and everytime it's opened the church charges 100 euro.
Robbing bastards

Good value down your way

The_Minister

LexieOnRale wrote: »

6 months ago we bought a plot in this parishes graveyard. 500 euro for a single plot, and 100 euro to open it. Two more people can be buried in the plot we bought, and everytime it's opened the church charges 100 euro.
Robbing bastards

Those all sound like perfectly reasonable fees to me; probably undercharging if anything.

Sleepy

That fella really needs to read his bible... Matthew 21:12 springs to mind. Then again, it does any time I think of the Roman Catholic Church or the Vatican...