collection etiquette

Be Kind to the Collection Counters

By Mary Frances McCarthy
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the Issue of 8/17/06)

The offerings go in the baskets. What next?
Each week, at every parish, collections are taken up for the needs of the church. But it is not as if the parish can pay its bills directly out of the collection plate. The weekly offerings have to be sorted, counted and deposited each week by teams of counters, often members of finance councils or Knights of Columbus committees.
Collections are sorted into categories — first collections, which cover parish needs; second collections, which are taken up as needed for special circumstances like the upcoming Hurricane Relief collection; and special intentions, which are made as needed. Counters also count money from poor boxes and candle offerings.
Counters sort collections into their respective categories. They separate offerings from their envelopes, saving the envelopes for the parish so that the amounts can be recorded. The checks and cash are then counted and deposited into the intended account.
The job of counting a collection can be made easier if a few steps are followed by parishioners.
— Use envelopes as often as possible. If you move, inform the parish so that you continue to receive envelopes.
— Envelopes are designed the way they are for a reason. Yes, they look a little funny, but they are easier for the counters to open.
— To seal an envelope, lick and stick. Do not staple, scotch tape, duct tape or glue them closed.
— Fill in the amount line on the envelope. This is how the parish knows how much money was in the envelope after the money is deposited. If this line is not filled out by the donor, the person emptying it has to fill it in.
— Do not fold, roll or ball up checks or cash before inserting them into the envelope. Anything done to the money before it is put into the envelope has to be done to it once it is taken out again.
— While waiting for the collection plate to reach you, please resist the urge to create an origami swan out of your contribution or fold it in any other way. While God may think it is beautiful, the person counting it who will have to unfold it may not.
— The poor box is not a trash can. Try not to deposit pocket lint, gum wrappers, or anything other than money.

Mary Frances McCarthy can be reached at mmccarthy@catholicherald.com.