The diocese’s Office of Stewardship and Development is helping island parishes weather the pandemic’s economic storm
By Patrick Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
In this age of Amazon, a dollar dropped into a wicker basket didn’t really cut it as a robust revenue-generating model … even before the pandemic.
Now, the coronavirus has been a financial wakeup call for many Hawaii parishes.
With the collection basket no longer being passed, it feels like there is no going back, that a paradigm has shifted.
Helping parishes ride out the fiscal storm is the diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development. Its director, Mark Clark, has been offering them advice and resources since March, when churches began to shutter.
“We encouraged online giving and the importance of promoting the stewardship of treasure via their various communication channels,” he said in an interview with the Hawaii Catholic Herald.
“About 70% of Hawaii parishes already had an online-giving option on their websites” before the pandemic, Clark said. But online revenue, on average, accounts for only 20% of the offertory. Even the most successful parishes see only about 50%, he said.
Now is the time to boost the impact of online giving.
And perhaps diversify. Clark noted that parishes also receive income from rent, special events and funds, capital campaigns and one-time gifts.
To further help parishes, the diocesan Finance Office created an easy-to-use “universal giving page” — catholichawaii.org/offertory — which channels online donations to parishes. So far this site has generated over $20,000 from more than 200 donors.
Clark’s office supplies parishes the raw materials to assemble ways to communicate with parishioners — sample letters, emails, donation cards and scripts for phone trees.
With the pulpit and bulletin temporarily gone, many pastors would be muted if not for websites, emails, phone apps and other forms of social media, Clark said.
“Honestly, this has been the biggest wake-up call for many of our parishes,” he said.
Many parishes have computer parishioner databases and lists, but some are out of date and in need of maintenance and fresh applications, Clark said. The coronavirus has provided parishes “an opportunity to update their various databases.”
Clark said the crisis has actually improved communication between many ministry leaders and their parishioners, by making it more “frequent, creative and strategic.”
Not only has it sharpened the focus of parish communicators, it as “sharpened the pencils” of parochial bookkeepers who are “taking a closer look at expenses — something most everyone is doing more of these days.”
HCH file photo of Mark Clark, director of the diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development.
Parish collections had already been seeing a “slight decline” in the months before the coronavirus hit. So what the current months’ numbers have in store will not be a “total surprise,” he said.
“It will reflect more of the new reality we face,” Clark said. That demands fresh thinking, from how donation envelopes are used, to a closer look at online giving.
“Some parishes have been blessed with generous parishioners who have stepped forward,” he said. “In fact, one parish received a one-time offertory gift of $20,000.”
It is time to return to the basics and face evangelization head-on, he said, “to learn to be missionaries in an online world.”
“We cannot let limited resources stop us,” he said. “We have no choice.”
For example, he said, who would have thought that, in the course of a few weeks, most of our priests would be livestreaming liturgies.
“I would encourage everyone to visit their parish website to stay informed,” he said, and yes, “consider setting up an online giving account.”
“Please be generous,” he said, “the need is real and your contributions will be much appreciated.”
“God loves a cheerful giver,” he added.
Clark is also hoping contributors to the Bishop’s Circle, Bishop Larry Silva’s annual mail appeal, will increase their donations. Donations are “tracking a little behind” the previous year in the number of donors and funds received, he said.
“We’ll need a big push from our faithful donors to reach our four-year average of raising $300,000,” Clark said.
“Donations support all diocesan ministries and in turn, our parishes, schools and social services,” he said.
To make a contribution — or to add to your initial gift — mail your donation check today to Bishop’s Circle, 1184 Bishop St., Honolulu, HI 96813, or give online at CatholicHawaii.org by or before June 30.
Clark offers a “big mahalo” to all for their “stewardship of time, talent and treasure during these trying times,” quoting from St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians, “So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all, but especially to those who belong to the family of the faith.”
