Why regular giving matters more than one-off gifts

The diocese can plan its life on regular giving. It cannot plan on Christmas and Easter alone. A parish needs to know how much will arrive each month so the priest can be paid, the boiler can be fixed, the catechist can be trained, and the school chaplaincy can run through the term. A one-off gift of £100 in December is welcome. A standing order of £20 a month is more useful. The first is generosity. The second is stewardship.

The Diocese of Shrewsbury was built this way. For 175 years, ordinary Catholics have set aside a portion of their income for the parish each week, in cash, in envelopes, by Direct Debit, and now by tap of a card. The pattern has changed. The principle has not.

Standing Order, the most useful method

A standing order is an instruction from your bank to send a fixed amount to the parish or the diocese on a fixed date each month. It costs you nothing. It moves silently. It does not require you to remember an envelope on Sunday or carry cash. Once it is set up, it gives whether you are at Mass or away. For the parish or diocese, this kind of giving is gold, because it can be counted on.

To set up a standing order to the Diocese of Shrewsbury, write to the Planned Giving and Gift Aid Service at the Curial Offices and ask for a form. The address is Planned Giving and Gift Aid Service, Diocese of Shrewsbury, Curial Offices, 2 Park Road South, Prenton, Wirral CH43 4UX. You can also email Carol Lawrence directly at carol.lawrence@dioceseofshrewsbury.org. Most parishes can also issue you a parish standing order form if you would prefer your gift to go to your own parish.

The weekly offertory envelope

Many parishes still run an envelope scheme. Each registered giver receives a box of envelopes for the year, numbered to track their giving for Gift Aid purposes. The envelope goes into the collection at Mass each week. This is a fine method for those who like the physical rhythm of placing the gift in the basket. It also works well for those without a bank account or comfortable with online banking. Speak to your parish office to be added to the scheme.

Contactless and card giving

An increasing number of parishes across the diocese have a contactless giving terminal at the back of church. A tap of a card, a phone, or a watch makes a quick gift, often with the option to add Gift Aid. This is useful for occasional Mass-goers, for visitors, and for parishioners who no longer carry cash. The diocese's online giving partner is MyDona, which handles online donations, and many parishes use a similar terminal in person. Speak to your parish if you would like to suggest one for your own church.

Online giving through MyDona

The diocese accepts online donations through MyDona, its online giving partner. You can give a one-off amount or set up a recurring gift. Gift Aid can be added at the point of donation, which adds 25p to every £1 you give at no cost to you. The online portal is reached through the Support Our Work page on the diocesan website at www.dioceseofshrewsbury.org. Online giving stays in place permanently as a way for parishioners and well-wishers to support the diocese alongside the in-church options.

Direct Debit for named funds

Some diocesan funds, such as the Clergy Education and Training Fund and the Retired Priests' Fund, accept Direct Debit gifts. These are similar to standing orders but allow the diocese to vary the amount with notice if the appeal changes. They are well suited to those who want to support a specific work of the diocese alongside their parish offering.

Choosing your amount

Most Catholic dioceses do not publish a recommended amount, and Shrewsbury follows the same pattern. The figure is yours to discern. A useful approach is to think in terms of percentage of income rather than a fixed sum, because that lets the gift move with your circumstances. A common starting point is one or two per cent of net income, with a view to growing it over time. The figure that matters is the one that costs you something. The figure that does not affect your life is unlikely to be your real proportion.

What your gift pays for

Regular giving to the Diocese of Shrewsbury, registered charity number 234025, supports the formation of priests, the care of retired clergy, Caritas Shrewsbury, the safeguarding office, the catechetical institute, the cathedral, and the running of 89 parishes across Cheshire, Shropshire, parts of Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and Derbyshire. Parish-directed giving stays in your parish. Diocesan-directed giving is pooled across the works of the diocese. Most parishioners give to both, in different ways.

Setting it up today

The simplest next step is to email Carol Lawrence, the Financial Secretary, at carol.lawrence@dioceseofshrewsbury.org and ask for a standing order form together with a Gift Aid declaration. The Curial Offices switchboard is 0151 652 9855 if you would prefer to speak to someone. If you are setting up a parish standing order, your parish office will help. Choose a date a few days after pay day so the gift leaves first.