In response to changing technologies and in an effort to foster responsible financial stewardship, the Diocese of Rockville Centre is partnering with Faith Direct to launch a comprehensive electronic giving program that will be available as an option to all Long Island parishes.

Many Long Island parishes have been offering automated electronic giving for years, by which parishioners can make contributions to their parishes via automatic payment from a checking or savings account or credit card. Currently, more than 50 parishes are using or in the process of implementing the Faith Direct program.

St. Brigid’s Church in Westbury, where they have been using automated giving for almost five years, just switched to Faith Direct this month. “About six percent of our regular weekly collection comes from automated giving,” explained Rob Cammarata, parish business manager. For parishioners, automated giving “offers them another option as to how they will live out their financial stewardship commitment with their parish. For many people in our society, automating bills, payments and donations have become more normative than ever before. Look at, for instance, all the funds charities have generated from offering convenient ways for people to donate — text messaging, online giving, concerts and telethons. I know that for myself, at home, I’ve been doing most of my bill-paying and donations online or automated for many years. It’s a natural extension for me to do this with my spiritual home, the parish.”

Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport just started using Faith Direct in January and already has more than 40 families enrolled, explained parish finance committee member Bob Carillo. Because funds are automatically deducted each month, “parishioners don’t have to fumble around looking for and writing checks before going to church on Sundays. The program makes it easy on everyone’s hectic life style and is also in line with ‘keeping up with the times’ by (going) paperless.”

The diocese hopes the Faith Direct program will help give each individual parish a predictable cash-flow, since it allows parishioners to fulfill their financial stewardship commitment automatically even when they are not at Mass due to inclement weather, vacation or illness. Holy Name of Mary Church in Valley Stream has been using Faith Direct since February 2008 and pastor Msgr. Thomas Harold noted that since parishioners can give even when they can’t come to Mass, “it has dramatically increased collections.”

“Fifty years ago, it was unheard of for people to use a check in the collection basket,” said Cammarata. “I imagine that in (another) 50 years, it will be unheard of to use cash or checks in the collection basket. It’s high time we offer automated giving to our parishioners as one way to plan and execute their financial stewardship commitments. It just makes sense in today’s world.”

“Responsible stewardship teaches us that we, as Church leaders, must recognize and meet people where they are at in today’s world,” explained Laurie Whitfield, director of the diocesan stewardship office, which is coordinating the diocesan effort. “We ask people to give financially of their ‘first fruits.’ At one time people were paid in livestock, grain or wheat, then cash and checks. Where are many people at now? They are automated.”

“As a Church, we must continually be attentive to the signs of the times; whether it is by offering new ministries or rethinking the amount of time required to participate in ministry,” she noted. In this case, it is “offering an easier way to give. We must recognize that automated giving is not the future of giving; it is now.”

People can sign up for Faith Direct through their parishes and can find out more information about the program by contacting their rectories or the Office of Parish Stewardship at stewardship@drvc.org or 516-379-4055 ext. 3.

View original article here: http://www.licatholic.org/2010/02/021710/electronic_giving.html