Parish priests in the Cork and Ross diocese have been instructed to introduce an extra quarterly collection, to help plug a €300,000 deficit in their finances.And despite most recession-hit parishioners having less cash to spare than ever before, Mass-goers have been urged to dig deep to ensure pastoral duties can continue.
Bishop John Buckley said two collections would be needed every three months from now on, to ensure the diocese had enough funds to carry out its day-to-day duties.
He said although none of the extra funds would be used to compensate abuse victims, monies raised would be used to help fund child-protection training across the parishes.
Calling on parishioners to help cover the losses, he said: "I know that many families and parishes are feeling the pressure of these times. In introducing this collection, I am very mindful of that context and I assure you that costs are being kept to a minimum. However, best practice and current realities dictate that we must focus on areas of need without losing sight of the pastoral and evangelical mission of the local church."