Second Collections

[Hare]

A parish with which I have connections has started taking 2nd Collections after Communion rather than at the door as people leave; the reason being to "catch" everyone, as those going for coffee leave by a different door. Is this a common practice? I have never come across it and dislike it with a vengeance on several counts!

[Nick Baty]

As I understand it, second collections are for specified purposes (defined at diocesan level??) and rather rare. Retiring collections are a different thing altogether – perhaps when you've had an appeal from a visitor. But I could be wrong.

[Hare]

In this case I am referring to any additional collection. The parish in question has a "2nd collection" every week for it's "development fund" if there is no mandatory (diocesan) one

[NorthernTenor]

We didn't get enough from the door, so we now have second collection after a due silence post-communion.

[Peter]

We take second collections during the recessional hymn*, i.e. after the notices, which follow a silence after Communion. On Passion Sunday, when we don't have a recessional hymn, we don't take a second collection† as we have found that trying to take it at the door as people leave doesn't work as well.

* I trust that this admission won't lead to sidetracks on this thread about the pros and cons of recessional hymns.

† On other Sundays in Lent we do take collections for charities when there is no mandatory collection specified.

[kerrezza]

It is the norm here too to take a second collection for the development fund if there is no diocesan one and has been for years; the collection is taken during the post communion hymn

[Nick Baty]

Must admit to being quite amazed that so many places have regular second collections. (Not criticising, I hope you understand, just amazed.) We have just the one collection each week – basket at the back following family fast days. And we don't have the "traditional offerings" (as my old PP used to call it) for the clergy at Christmas and Easter. Are we the odd ones out or does everyone have second collections on a regular basis?

[John Ainslie]

Though I remember them in the 1950s, we have never had a 'second collection' (i.e. after Communion) at my church for all the 30 years I have ministered in it. 'Retiring collections', yes, when required by diocesan decree or local special need. As appeals are always given at 'notices time', i.e. just before the dismissal, they do pretty well. We don't have a problem with people slinking out before the end, but maybe other churches do.

[Hare]

I may have clouded the issue - the PP in question calls "retiring collections" "2nd collections". I must confess to ignorance in not knowing that are different animals.

[Peter Jones]

And we don't have the "traditional offerings" (as my old PP used to call it) for the clergy at Christmas and Easter

Clergy "salary" schemes differ from diocese to diocese.

[Southern Comfort]

This weekend, the parish where I was present for three Masses had the second collection for the Catholic Education Service taken during the notices just before the final blessing. Quite an efficient use of time, I thought.

[FrGareth]

Methinks that a "2nd collection" is a "retiring collection" if, and only if, it is taken at the door rather during communion, notices, or recessional.

My parish's policy, at the strong advice of my Parish Council, is that baskets at the exit door are much preferred over disturbing the communion period with sordid wealth.

We have a monthly retiring collection for our heating installation debt; mandatory collections and a very limited number of parish projects result in there being an average of two retiring collections per (heating plus one other) per month.