On 28 October 2020, the Diocese published its Annual Report and Financial Statements for the calendar year 2019. Covid struck while the report was being prepared and hence it includes sections on how the internet was now being used not only for the streaming of Mass but also for the raising of money. Read the full report here. Pages 9 and 22 discuss the subject of online payment.
"Since the COVID-19 pandemic, through the concerted efforts of
the Financial Development Office, over 80 Parishes have online Donate
facilities on their parish websites as well as on the main Diocesan website. It
is planned to roll out this facility to all remaining parishes by the end of
2020. Online giving is being encouraged
as it is expected the traditional collection baskets will not be utilised for some
time. The Charity [i.e. the Diocese] is very grateful for the online donations that it has
received to date. A sustained communications effort is under way to raise
awareness among parishioners of this new way of donating." (Annual Report, p.9)
Online donation, then, is now being offered here too as a way for parishioners to contribute to their parish. Payment in the traditional way by bank transfer is, of course, still very welcome. For the parishes' bank-account details see 'Parish Finances' on the left of this home-page.
And further changes may lie ahead. On p. 22 we learn that trials are being made on a new way of electronic payment to possibly replace the traditional collection basket:
"Tap and Go payment machines are being piloted in a number of parishes with the expectation that these machines will be rolled out to all parishes over the coming months to enable credit and debit-card donations for all collections."
