Donation to Church

Saysay19

Hi everyone,

I’m a bit confused about how much to pay the church and how much to the priest.

The priest has told us it’s a donation but I’m just wondering what’s the average people give?

Thank you

splinter65

Saysay19 wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I’m a bit confused about how much to pay the church and how much to the priest.

The priest has told us it’s a donation but I’m just wondering what’s the average people give?

Thank you

Do you contribute financially regularly to this church?

Cakerbaker

We gave €250 to the priest though that was because he had to travel from another parish and did it as a favor as the parish priest in my childhood parish wasn’t available that day. Would probably have given €200 if it was the local priest.

The local priest told us there was no need to make a donation for the use of the church as it was my childhood parish (my parents still live there). Maybe check to make sure donations for the use of the church are expected / the done thing in the church your using. From talking to people I know when organizing our wedding it seemed to be 50/50 as to whether a church donation was expected. In some cases it depended on whether it was your home/ local parish or if you were using a church you had no links to.

lazygal

The parish office or sacristan should be able to tell you.

splinter65

Cakerbaker wrote: »

We gave €250 to the priest though that was because he had to travel from another parish and did it as a favor as the parish priest in my childhood parish wasn’t available that day. Would probably have given €200 if it was the local priest.

The local priest told us there was no need to make a donation for the use of the church as it was my childhood parish (my parents still live there). Maybe check to make sure donations for the use of the church are expected / the done thing in the church your using. From talking to people I know when organizing our wedding it seemed to be 50/50 as to whether a church donation was expected. In some cases it depended on whether it was your home/ local parish or if you were using a church you had no links to.

I think if it is a priest and a church that your/oh family has not been contributing too then €200 is the minimum you could give. There’s quite a bit of work associated with weddings, for the priest the sacristan and the alter servers.
Around €100 if it is a church your attached too.
It’s traditionally the best mans responsibilty to hand over the envelope.

Cakerbaker

splinter65 wrote: »

I think if it is a priest and a church that your/oh family has not been contributing too then €200 is the minimum you could give. There’s quite a bit of work associated with weddings, for the priest the sacristan and the alter servers.
Around €100 if it is a church your attached too.
It’s traditionally the best mans responsibilty to hand over the envelope.

We also made donations to the sacrastin and the altar boys (€50 and €20 each I think). We just didn’t have to donate anything for the use of the building.

LynnGrace

lazygal wrote: »

The parish office or sacristan should be able to tell you.

This is what I would suggest also. Contact the parish office if there is one, (smaller parishes may not have one) or the sacristan.

Saysay19

Thanks everyone it’s the parish I grew up in. I was thinking 250-300 myself.

People we know was giving us different opinions!

Again thanks for all your replies

mcgiggles

We got married in my parents church and the priest told them that a donation would suffice as they pay their envelopes every week.. We gave 150.. No sacristans or altar servers at our wedding! (or most i have been to!)

splinter65

mcgiggles wrote: »

We got married in my parents church and the priest told them that a donation would suffice as they pay their envelopes every week.. We gave 150.. No sacristans or altar servers at our wedding! (or most i have been to!)

You don’t see the sacristan. The sacristan gets the whole church tidied up for your wedding, goes around the pews afterwards picking up all the discarded mass leaflets and tissues etc puts the church back in order, has to sweep up all the ciggie butts out in the yard!
Mostly sacristan snow are on a CE scheme so it’s nice to leave them a tip.
There’s at least 1 alter server at every wedding in our large local church.
The alter servers are on a rota and are allotted to weddings.
Your contribution was very fair if one of the parents at least are up to date with envelopes.

mcgiggles

splinter65 wrote:

You don’t see the sacristan. The sacristan gets the whole church tidied up for your wedding, goes around the pews afterwards picking up all the discarded mass leaflets and tissues etc puts the church back in order, has to sweep up all the ciggie butts out in the yard! Mostly sacristan snow are on a CE scheme so it’s nice to leave them a tip. There’s at least 1 alter server at every wedding in our large local church. The alter servers are on a rota and are allotted to weddings. Your contribution was very fair if one of the parents at least are up to date with envelopes.

Sorry yeah getting my terminology mixed up.. But in my case my brothers in law did the dismantling of everything we had brought in and tidying up of everything (right after the ceremony as we were getting photos) as there was a christening or something on just after the wedding :-)

bee06

We gave 200 Euro to the priest and 50 Euro to the sacristan. It was my local church.

laoch na mona

how much if its a church you don't contribute to?

We're getting married in my home parish but we are the births, deaths, and marrgaes kind of catholics

lazygal

Ask the priest after the next time you go to mass.

splinter65

laoch na mona wrote: »

how much if its a church you don't contribute to?

We're getting married in my home parish but we are the births, deaths, and marrgaes kind of catholics

Well you’ll have the church for a few hours and you’ll expect it to be clean and warm and welcoming to you and your guests. The sacristan will have to clean up after you and put everything back and the priest will probably bring a couple of alter servers for the ceremony.
If you consider how much your paying your photographer and your florist then would you agree €200 is fair?

laoch na mona

lazygal wrote: »

Ask the priest after the next time you go to mass.

so on the wedding day?

Mollyb60

laoch na mona wrote: »

how much if its a church you don't contribute to?

We're getting married in my home parish but we are the births, deaths, and marrgaes kind of catholics

When we were getting married a church in meath (not our local) asked for a non-negotiable €500 "donation" to use the church. Just for the building, didn't include tips for anyone else.

So we got married in the hotel.

splinter65

Mollyb60 wrote: »

When we were getting married a church in meath (not our local) asked for a non-negotiable €500 "donation" to use the church. Just for the building, didn't include tips for anyone else.

So we got married in the hotel.

How much did the hotel charge you?

Mollyb60

Nothing. It was included in the price of hosting the reception there.

splinter65

Mollyb60 wrote: »

Nothing. It was included in the price of hosting the reception there.

Why were you even enquiring about the sacrament of matrimony at all then in the first place if the only consideration was the cost?

Mollyb60

splinter65 wrote: »

Why were you even enquiring about the sacrament of matrimony at all then in the first place if the only consideration was the cost?

The OP asked a question and I answered it. There's no need for the interrogation.


Not that it's any of your business but my husband wanted to get married in a church which is why we enquired. When he heard that price he called them 'money grabbing bastards' and agreed that we would just get married in the hotel instead which suited me fine. Money was not the issue. It was the fact that it was described to us a "donation" but we weren't given the choice about whether to pay it or not.

splinter65

Mollyb60 wrote: »

The OP asked a question and I answered it. There's no need for the interrogation.


Not that it's any of your business but my husband wanted to get married in a church which is why we enquired. When he heard that price he called them 'money grabbing bastards' and agreed that we would just get married in the hotel instead which suited me fine. Money was not the issue. It was the fact that it was described to us a "donation" but we weren't given the choice about whether to pay it or not.

But how much would you expect to pay for using a building for an afternoon that you expect to be heated and clean, that will need cleaning up after you and having the attention of a celebrant who you will expect to be free to rehearse with you before hand and make the preparations for your ceremony as well as officiate at your ceremony?
So €500 for the celebrant and the use of a building which is privately owned.
Did the celebrant who conducted your wedding at the hotel do if for free too?

Mollyb60

splinter65 wrote: »

But how much would you expect to pay for using a building for an afternoon that you expect to be heated and clean, that will need cleaning up after you and having the attention of a celebrant who you will expect to be free to rehearse with you before hand and make the preparations for your ceremony as well as officiate at your ceremony?
So €500 for the celebrant and the use of a building which is privately owned.
Did the celebrant who conducted your wedding at the hotel do if for free too?

We of course were going to contribute to the church. Stop putting words in my mouth. As I've already said, making a donation to the church was perfectly fine. It was that it was presented to us as a strict figure rather than a donation. We were providing our own priest so that wasn't an issue. Even the priest who was going to carry out the ceremony said that it was outrageous and that he would never give a couple a figure like that for a ceremony.

Again, none of your business but we got officially married in city hall the day before and had a blessing by a friend at the wedding. The City Hall ceremony cost £180. Our friend who blessed us wouldn't accept any money or gift.

Please stop trying to make an argument here out of nothing. A question was asked, I gave my experience.