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COMMENTARY
Frank McConville of VOTF Boston,
MA shared the following idea that is a fairly user-friendly
way to approach
the beginning of financial accountability on the parish
level.
Protecting Parish Finances
This is a major issue upon which VOTF and the Financial
Accountability Committee have been working for some
time. This model has been mandated at the parish level
throughout the Hartford, CT diocese; it is the use
of Tamper-Evident Sunday Collection Bags. I witnessed
this practice at my son’s parish, St. Margaret’s,
in Madison, CT and followed up with the pastor and
business manager for more information.
Within the Archdiocese of Boston and most other dioceses,
there is no systematic control of the financial offerings
and receipts from the parishioners. Typically, Mass
collections/offerings are taken up by the ushers in
baskets and dumped into a larger basket and placed
in a closet in the back of the church or carried forward
and placed on the altar. What happens afterward is
uncontrolled. Presumably the receipts are placed in
a rectory safe and subsequently counted by designated “counters” and
deposited in a bank.
For tax purposes, a committee of trusted senior parishioners
count the receipts; envelopes, checks, and cash are
recorded for tax accounting at the end of the year.
Under the best of circumstances, there is no accountability
based on the timing of each Mass or 1st and 2nd Collections
or Special Collections. The cash is “open” to
whomever handles it until it is deposited in the bank;
parishioners, church workers and clergy.
The proposed Cash Control Accountability System uses
disposable, tamper-evident bags. Each bag, with a unique
identifying number, is pre-labeled by Mass time and
1st, 2nd and Special Collections. The collection is
placed in the bag with a minimum of two parishioners
as witnesses. After each collection, the bag is tamper-evident
sealed, later placed in the rectory safe and opened
by the parish counting committee early in the week.
It is counted and recorded by Mass, 1st , 2nd collections,
etc., by parishioners and then deposited in the bank.
The benefit is a tightly controlled, cash management
system, avoiding the temptation to steal or misreport;
it is transparent as the process is evident to the
parishioners at the Masses. Minimally, this builds
financial institutional trust and confidence. It is
not cost prohibitive at about 35 cents a bag. One supplier*
is A. Rifkin Co., 1400 San Souci Parkway, PO Box 878,
Wilkes-Barre PA 18703-0878 or call 1-800-458-7300.
* VOTF does not endorse any particular supplier. We
welcome, however, information about suppliers in the
interest of sharing several options with our readers.
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