Ashbourne Parish relies on the financial contributions of parishioners living in both Ashbourne and Donaghmore faith communities to maintain, sustain and develop its mission. All monies it receives are spent on itself and it gets no assistance from the state, diocese or wider church. On this page we explain the different ways you and others can contribute to Ashbourne Parish. We outline the various collections that take place in our churches annually and how and when the Parish Finance Committee publish the Annual Income and Expenditure Sheet. We conclude this finance section by thanking all those who give financially to our parish.
5 Ways of Giving and Supporting
Ashbourne -Donaghmore Parish
1. Envelope Box
Firstly, people can support our parish by using the weekly parish envelopes. The envelopes have served the parish well since their introduction. 190 boxes of envelopes are distributed at the end of January each year to parishioners who contribute by leaving their contribution in a numbered envelope. There are 64 envelopes in each box: one for each Sunday and twelve envelopes for specified collections when a second collection normally takes place. The envelopes are returned at the Offertory Collection or the secure donation box inside the main door of Ashbourne Church. If you would like to donate to your parish in this way, please contact the Parish Office and we will be glad to forward you a box of envelopes to help your planned giving.
2. Standing Order
Secondly, parishioners can also donate to us by means of a Standing Order. One of the easiest and best ways to make an ongoing donation to our parish is by setting up a Standing Order. You decide the amount and how often you would like to make an offering- it can be weekly, monthly, quarterly, half yearly or annually- whatever suits yourself. Over 150 of our parishioners use this means to give to the parish. In this way both you and the parish can see what you are giving. In order to set up a Standing order please call in to Ashbourne Parish Office and we will give you a form called a Standing Order Mandate which you fill in and take to your bank. You can also set up a standing order using your bank app if you are familiar with using this technology. Paying by this means has a double benefit: it enables accurate record keeping and helps the Parish Finance Committee with its budgets.
3. Cheque or Cash Donation
Thirdly, parishioners can write a cheque or make a cash donation through the Parish Office or by placing it in in the secure donation box inside the main door of Ashbourne Church. If giving to our parish by cheque, please write the cheque to ‘Ashbourne Parish’.
4. Bank Credit Transfer
Fourthly, if you wish to make an online donation you can do so by Credit Transfer. Ashbourne Parish Bank Account is Bank of Ireland, Frederick Street, Ashbourne, Co. Meath, A84 E043.
IBAN: IE72BOFI90318995175224
BIC: BOFIIE2D
Please put your name and address in the reference section when doing the bank transfer so that we can properly record your offering if you wish for that to happen.
5. Leaving a Legacy
Lastly, you might consider remembering Ashbourne-Donaghmore parish in Your will. As you prepare your will, you might remember the place where you worship and leave a small amount or small percentage of your holdings for works to be done in your faith community in your name.
Our parish has benefited from the generosity of at least three donors in the past twenty years helping to get works done in the churches in Donaghmore and Ashbourne. There are always works needing attention in our parish campus and people’s whose faith needs financial investment, and it is one of the better ways to leave a lasting legacy to your local community.
Church Donations and Offertory Collections
Recommended Weekly Donation Amount
We are often asked and sometimes you may wonder what an appropriate weekly contribution to is the parish. This of course depends on a person’s means and circumstances. By way of guidance since 2014 the Parish Finance Committee suggest a weekly contribution of between €7 and €10 to the collections.
Offertory Collection Explained
The Offertory Collection at Mass in Ashbourne and Donaghmore Churches are an integral part of the Sunday liturgy. It is the primary means by which the parish receives financial support from parishioners, and it is an expression of thanksgiving to God for graces bestowed. The money collected on the offertory plate goes to the day to day running costs of the parish enterprise. While the money collected in the envelopes goes towards the ‘Parish Development Fund’ all other monies are earmarked for the regular funding of a parish. Each week in our newsletter we publish the total received in the Offertory Collection and thank our parishioners.
Parish Development Fund Explained
The monies collected through the parish envelopes marked ‘Parish Development Fund’ supports the repair, maintenance and enhancement of parish buildings. Any new capital projects are also funded through the Envelope Collection. All parish property and especially Ashbourne’s places of worship need to be cared for on a going basis and this fund is the most helpful and practical way you can support this work. Each week in our newsletter we publish the total received in the Envelope Collection and thank our parishioners.
Special Collections
Six Offering Days in Support of The Priests
On six occasions during the year a collection is taken for the support of the priests of the parish. These collections happen on six designated Sundays and take place as a second collection at these Masses with the exception of Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. Priests Offerings ensure that our parish can pay the basic monthly salary of €1,200 to each of our priests and help pay for the upkeep of the parochial house and presbytery. Alongside Christmas and Easter Offerings there are priests offering days in our parish in the months of February, June, August and November.
Understanding the Six Special Collections
On six designated Sundays there are special collections for a specific purpose. These collections take place after the distribution of Holy Communion during the closing rite of Sunday Mass. The six collections are called Diocesan Cess; Insurance; Vocations Sunday; Peter’s Pence; Retired Priest’s Fund and Mission Sunday Collection. These collections are restricted as the money is lodged to the parish account and forwarded to the diocese for the stated purpose.
The diocesan cess is the payment of a set contribution made from each of the 69 parishes of Meath Diocese to meet the cost of the services provided at diocesan level. These include marriage preparation, pastoral development, support for clergy, the teaching of religion in schools and a contribution to the Irish bishop’s national conference. The Sunday collection goes towards defraying the annual contribution of €9,923 to this cause.
In March the second collection goes towards payment of the parish insurance premium. Ashbourne has three buildings with protected structure status and the cost of paying our premium is a significant responsibility on our parish. On the fourth Sunday of Eastertide, we have a second collection to support students studying for the priesthood in our diocese.
The Peter’s Pence Collection at the end of June is a collection offered to support the work of our Holy Father’s outreach to those in need. The Retired Priests’ Fund Collection supports the ongoing care of sick and retired priests in Meath Diocese and helps make provision for the payment of significant medical expenses and care in Nursing and Residential Homes. The Mission Sunday Collection supports new missions across the world in establishing religious communities, churches, schools, hospitals and orphanages.
Benefits of the Tax Rebate Scheme
As part of a registered charity the Revenue Commissioners allow tax relief on donations of over €250 per year made by parishioners to our parish funds. If an individual donates €250 or more to his or her parish in a year, that parish can claim a refund of tax paid on that donation at a specified rate, currently 31%. In the case of a donation of €500, this equates to an additional benefit through a tax refund of €224 at no additional cost to the individual and would bring the total value of the donation made to €724.
For the parish to benefit from a donation under this scheme we need to be able to show proof of a parishioner’s voluntary contribution, so it is always best to give us your name when gifting to the parish. While some parishioners always like to give anonymously, and that is perfectly acceptable, it is of benefit to us to be able to trace donors.
Each September CHY3 Forms relating to the previous year are distributed to those whom we know have managed to contribute €250 or more to our collections. Be assured the completion and return of this form does not affect an individual’s tax position in any way nor come at any extra cost. If you need any more information on this scheme or wish to check your donations in any given year, please contact the Parish Office.
Yearly Presentation and Summary of Accounts and Projected Expenditure
At Masses on the last Sunday of January each year the Parish Finance Committee makes a presentation on parish accounts to parishioners. As the new envelope year begins the committee thanks parishioners for their contributions during the previous year and gives a draft presentation of the Income and Expenditure for the financial year just ended. The committee also outline projected spending in the year ahead and any plans for the parish moving forward.
Accountability and Record Keeping
Governance and The Parish Finance Committee
Canon 537 of the Code of Canon Law requires that each parish is to have a Parish Finance Committee to help the parish priest in the administration of the goods of the parish. Ashbourne Parish has had a finance committee since 1990, and membership is made up from the priests of the parish and lay people from the parish faith communities who help ensure church financial controls and related processes are followed and enacted. Each committee has a five-year term and follows the financial guidelines laid down by Meath Diocese. Meetings are minuted and held four or five times a year at which various aspects of the financial remit of the parish are discussed.
Transparency
Ashbourne Parish strives to be fully accountable with all of its finances. It keeps both a written and computerised record of all transactions coming in to and leaving our parish. Any parishioner who would like a receipt of their donation or who wishes to check their contributions to the parish can do so by contacting the Parish Office. Our parish secretary and parish priest will be glad to help. All contributions given to the parish are kept confidential and records of donations are kept for a seven-year period as specified by Irish law. The computerised accounts system used by our parish is SORP (Statements of Recommended Practice) which is a standardised accounting methodology used by charities in Ireland.
The parish follows government directives on good financial practices and follows Church procedures on financial transparency. Each year at the end of January the Parish Finance Committee publishes a draft of the previous years ‘Parish Income and Expenditure’. As a constituent of St. Finian’s Diocesan Trust the accounts of Ashbourne-Donaghmore Parish are submitted to the diocese and are audited as part of this charitable trust. In June each year the Parish Finance Committee approves and publishes on the church noticeboards of Ashbourne and Donaghmore the official Annual Statement of Accounts. This statement details the Income and Expenditure from the year previous with comparison to the preceding year.
Thank You to Everyone Who Donated!
The priests and people of our faith communities thank everyone who contributes faithfully and generously to the various parish collections. We thank the counters, those who bank the money, those who administer the accounts and all who give of their time to help out in any way with this aspect of parish life. Your generosity enables our parish to meet all ongoing expenses, to support the priests of our parish, to maintain our protected churches for worship and prayer, and to build vibrant faith communities in Ashbourne and Donaghmore.
