Is it bye-bye to Catholic envelopes?

4/12/2007
Our Sunday Visitor

Not just yet.

If electronic giving becomes the norm, what will happen to the envelope system? Well, it’s likely that envelopes will be around for the foreseeable future since older parishioners ‚Äì and some younger ones as well ‚Äì are not ever going to sign up for electronic giving.

Still, there will eventually be a dramatic decrease in the number of envelopes needed, something that resonates with Our Sunday Visitor, which is the largest producer of offering envelopes in the country.

The company’s founder, Archbishop John Noll, started the envelope-giving process years ago after seeing the method used in Protestant parishes.

Kyle Hamilton, president of Our Sunday Visitor’s Envelope Division, explained that he sees electronic giving as “complementary” to offering envelopes, which are a “communication tool between the pastor and the person in the pew” and not just a fundraising tool.

“One of the major concerns with pastors is the possible separation of the act of giving from the Mass. It’s making it more of a financial transaction as opposed to the spiritual process of supporting the parish,” Hamilton said, admitting, however, that Our Sunday Visitor expects that over time electronic giving will have the net effect of reducing the number of offering envelopes used.

“I would say that we have not seen a wholesale shift [to electronic giving] but the pace seems to have picked up in recent months,” Hamilton added.
http://www.catholic.org/printer_friendl … on=Cathcom