fosses)

GOD’S PLAN

TO SUPPORT

HIS CHURCH

(5=^

JENNINGS

SULLIVAN

MULLER



Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2016

https://archive.org/details/godsplantosupporOOjenn



God’s Plan To

Support His Churc

Jennings-Sullivan-Muller

Printed with ecclesiastical approval

OUR SUNDAY VISITOR PRESS

Huntington, Indiana



Table of Contents

Part I

GOD’S PLAN TO SUPPORT HIS CHURCH

PREFACE By Rev. J. Jennings 3

CHAPTER I Success of Tithing in Alabama 8

CHAPTER II History of Tithing 11

CHAPTER III Why Don’t Catholics Tithe? 15

CHAPTER IV 5% 21

CHAPTER V Motives for Giving 24

CHAPTER VI Morality of Church Support 27

CHAPTER VII Effects of Tithing 31

Part II

HOW TO START A PARISH TITHING

INTRODUCTION 33

Remote Preparation 35

Proximate Preparation 37

Twelve Suggestions 40

Part III

SERMON OUTLINES

SERMON NO. I 43

SERMON NO. II 44

SERMON NO. Ill 46

Deactdftted



Preface

by Rev. Joseph Jennings

God the Father created the world He set up a plan for its

continued existence. Thus from the smallest insect through

every grade and species of creation there is an ordered pattern

for existence and survival. When God the Son established His

Church, He likewise had a plan for its continued existence. To

claim less would be an insult to Divine Wisdom and to our under-

standing of the mind of God.

This plan provides not merely for the survival of its teachings

and spiritual influence but for its actual existence in brick and

stone and wood. It is not merely a good thing but it is necessary

that we find out what this plan is. It can and should be traced

and known. It can be learned—and therefore taught—by those
to whom the other commitments of the Deposit of Faith are given.
The Bible refers to this plan as tithing .

On the occasion of the establishment of a new parish — the
spreading further of the frontiers of Christ’s Kingdom—it is nec-
essary to make the people, then and there, aware of this plan.

Their first concern in extending God’s Kingdom is building their

own parish. Four years ago when the Parish of St. Pius X,

Mobile, was established the people sought to find and follow this

plan. As pastor, I reviewed for them what the project involved.

From the outset, I was convinced—and I still remain con-
vinced—that the work of God goes begging when it depends on
a nefarious system of fund-raising gimmicks that have become

the trademark of Catholic support, especially in America.

I am sure of one thing, that God never intended His Church
to depend on the outcome of a raffle or a bingo game for its sur-

vival or advancement.

I cannot feel convinced of the need of professional schemes.

Their growing network of fund-raising establishments is simply

an indication of our own inability to reach the potential of which

our people are capable.

3



These means of meeting church and school debts have sent

many a pastor to an early grave and have often brought the

blast of criticism rightfully on our heads. They are cold, earthy,

uninspirational, unrewarding, irksome, tried and tired and in-

adequate. They exist because people have failed to learn their

important part (or because we have failed to teach them the part)
that God Himself expects them to play in this work.

We have been using the technique of always asking, of
• having appeal overlapping appeal with the result that the people

feel burdened, not because of what they give, but with the man-

ner of their giving.

I would never want a parishioner to feel a burden in his

giving. I would not ask from anyone more than what God ex-

pects, but I will not settle for less.

In practice let us face these facts:

1. God’s work is worth more than a mediocre effort.

2. It should be done not by the privileged few, nor by the

surplus of the wealthy, but by every member according to his

means.

3. There must be some way to define the limits of this obli-
gation besides the broad interpretation of the Fifth Precept.

4. There is one way—and only one—that is mentioned in
the Bible and that is tithing.

5. Tithing is mentioned forty-six times in the Scriptures.

The practice of tithing goes back to the time of Abraham and
beyond. It was a sacred practice to Jacob. It became an estab-

lished law under Moses. It was the reason for God’s strong

words through His Prophets, Aggeus and Malchias, when people

neglected the support of His work.

“For from the days of your fathers you have departed from

any ordinances and my laws. Return to Me and I will return to
you and you say ... in what have we afflicted Thee? ... In tithes
and in first fruits and you are cursed with want even the whole

nation of you. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there

may be meat in My house, and try me in this, saith the Lord, if I
open not unto you the floodgates of my mercy and pour out a
blessing unto abundance upon you.” (Mai. 3:7-10).

In Matthew 23:23, we have the approval of Christ on the
practice. Also in I Corinthians 9:13, the prescription that those

who served the altar should live by the altar was so adequately

observed that the early Christians had no need of special laws to

remind them.

In the course of time, however, as the Church expanded and

its institutions arose it became necessary to make laws to insure

4—



their adequate support. The payment of tithes was adopted from

the Old Testament and early writers speak of it as a “divine or-

dinance and an obligation binding in conscience.
,,

The earliest positive legislation on the subject comes from the

Bishops’ Meeting at Tours in 567, and later from the Council of

Macon in 585. Later on in 1179 the Third Lateran Council cor-

rected some wrong notions as to who could receive the tithe.

Perhaps this short script from Soglia (Instit. Can. 11-12)

sums up the mind of the early Church better than any other. “The

law of tithes can never be abrogated by prescription or by custom,

if the clergy have no suitable and sufficient provision from other

sources, because then the natural and divine positive law—which
can neither be abrogated nor antiquated—commands the tithes to
be paid.”

These references to the practice of tithing as being both wide-

spread and approved give some idea of the attitude of the Church

in the early centuries.

Today in the twentieth century the needs of the Church re-

main just as pressing. The grounds for tithing are as legitimate

as they ever were.

(1) We have to build churches for worship in proportion to
the growth of our members.

(2) We must establish missions in places where some years
ago Mass was never celebrated.

(3) We have to support seminaries for the present and future
needs of our country.

(4) We have to provide the facilities of a Catholic Education
for our children.

(5) We have not only to erect and maintain the Church, the
seminary and the school house, but we have to found hospitals,
homes for the aged, orphanages—in a word, the litany of provis-
ions that our religion forbids us to neglect.

Are not all these—or any one of them, a more weighty rea-
son for invoking the law of tithing than the mere requirement of
suitable provision for the clergy as mentioned in the Code?

From this cursory review of Scripture, history, Church decree
and widespread practice we find basis for our approach and pre-
sentation of the subject to our people. We have found them re-
markably receptive to the program and we have reasonably cred-
itable results from the systems which in brief I outline below.

Because of the many other demands on them, like school
tuition, Catholic Charities, special collections, United Fund, etc.,

we suggested that the people would set aside 5 per cent for their

o—



parish and the remaining 5 per cent for these public works of

Charity. Thus the twentieth century wage earner complies as

strictly with the law of tithing as any Christian in early Christian

times.

We insist that their offering is part of their worship, that
God always demands the best, and that we must give Him the
first fruits, not the left-overs.

God rebuked the priests and people of the Old Law for
daring to sacrifice sub-grade offerings from their flocks, and

later chided the priests for their attempt to find excuses for the

people — that they had heavy burdens to bear and could offer
no better. God told them they were there to see that His law

was carried out, not to question its prudence.

We put all these facts before our people and the majority
adopted the plan with the understanding that there would not be

any further demands or even requests made on them for parish

undertakings. They were given to understand, of course, that all

Diocesan projects would need their continued support, and only at

the request of the Archbishop would we take up a second col-

lection on Sunday.

What Tithing Means:

(a) TO THE PARISH

Tithing means a newly erected parish can set a goal because

it can set a budget.

It means an established parish can call an end to the multiple

fund-raising gimmicks and with enough for operating expenses,

and more help than is now being given the missions.

It means a parish spirit resulting from the solidarity which

always spring from sharing a common cause equally. No social

ties of friendship woven from spaghetti dinners, rummage sales,

cake displays, or church suppers could ever beget the type of

parochial good will that a system of equalizing the burden can

effect. The greater the sacrifice the burden entails, the greater

the feeling of accomplishment.

(b) TO THE PARISHIONERS

A man who believes in God and in his own eternal future
should be prepared to work for God and that future.

Nowhere is this lesson more effectively taught and learned

than when people are suddenly made aware of how much God
depends on them for His cause to be made known.

If a wage earner cannot set aside 5 cents out of every $1.00.
— 6—



25 cents out of every $5.00, $5.00 out of every $100.00 for God on

Sunday, then he has but a vague idea of his importance in God’s

plan.

I don’t overlook the standard argument about the other de-

mands made on that dollar — and the other nickels that must
come out for pressing demands. Yet my answer is still the same

to priests and laymen — we don’t dare put God’s work on a level
with the TV, the washing machine, the automobile, and the deep

freeze.

God simply does not belong in the lineup awaiting His share.

If one gives to God after all other demands are met, then such a

person has a wrong concept of his obligations and a complete mis-

understanding of God’s plan in his life. God demands, and must

get, the first fruits of one’s labor — not the left-overs.
For the person who adopts this plan we can promise an

amazingly satisfying reward, spiritually, on the strength of God’s

promise; materially also, because God has yet to be outdone in

generosity.

In a word it does much for the parish and the parishioner.
Every pastor has the right to have his conviction about the special

quality of his parishioners. It is a good thing and a proper show

of paternal care.

For my part I believe it has helped our people to develop
a parish spirit of cooperation that may be equaled but seldom
surpassed and I think God has blessed our efforts with success
because God has the No. 1 place in our homes, not just in night
prayers or grace before meals, but when the family budget is
being worked out each week. That is where concern for God’s
work belongs and how His work will be done effectively and
“with honor to the husbandman.”

— 7—



Part I

God’s Plan

To Support His Church

Chapter 1

Success of Tithing in Alabama

IN the past few years God's Plan For Church Support has been

introduced and proven successful in the diocese of Mobile-

Birmingham. The movement and happy success of twenty some

odd parishes in Alabama and Florida can be traced back to five

years ago when His Excellency, Archbishop Toolen created the

new St. Pius X parish. Father Jennings, the pastor, was given his
territory of parishioners, Church land and the customary burden

of every pastor, the raising of money to finance parish buildings.

Like any other American pastor, Father Jennings had spent

his time as an assistant running bingo games, directing church

festivals and fighting desperately to make sure enough tickets

were sold before the raffling of cars, washing machines and

TV sets. These occupations had already consumed too much of
his priestly time and given him too much concern and worry. At

the same time who can deny the absolute need for money when

there are no parish buildings. After presenting the problem to his

people, the pastor of St. Pius X found his people with a similar
distaste for the periodic approaching of friends to buy their

tickets. He proposed to them a new way. Each wage earner could

give a certain percentage of their wage each Sunday to God. If

each wage earner in the parish would give five cents of every

dollar he earned, one dollar from every twenty dollars, or five

per cent of his earnings, the parish finance problems would be

solved.

They accepted his plan and did their part to insure its suc-

— 8



cess. A beautiful multi-purpose building was erected which was to
be used temporarily for the church. School rooms, convent and

temporary rectory have been built and all in accordance with

what is befitting God’s Church.

The reader might well muse to himself at this point: That

is all well and good and seemingly prosperous for a new parish.

It is feasible for a new pastor to introduce a new system in his

new parish. The people accept it as part and parcel of the new

pastor. But what about existing parishes and pastors with exist-

ing practices of fund-raising. Our answer is that it works as

successfully as in a new parish.

Father Sullivan, pastor of St. Thomas parish for four years,

watched and encouraged Father Jennings for he had the same

convictions regarding Church support. A few months after the
new St. Pius X parish started with this new plan, Father Sullivan
pioneered in converting his already bingo-running, ticket-selling

parish into what became known as a five per cent parish. He

simply told his people what they really wanted to hear: The

parish had raffled their last car. They played their last bingo

game and the people would no longer be bothering their friends

with the buying of tickets. He found the people most willing to

exchange these cumbersome money raising projects for a certain

percentage of their weekly income.

The five per cent plan went over because of spiritual motives,

a promise of relief from the sickening task of selling tickets and

the general obligation people have and feel of supporting their

parish. This plan worked in every case as more and more parishes

tried it. Unconsciously these parishes were so very close to God’s

own plan for Church support. No wonder these parishes were

meeting with successs! But then why not use God’s plan which is
known at the Tithe? There are so many spiritual and material

rewards promised in the Bible for those who tithe. And is not
God’s Church indisputably deserving of more gracious support

than the proceeds from bingo games and raffles?

The giving of five per cent on the part of the people to the

Church is one half of their tithe to God. We like to think the
average Catholic gives the remaining five per cent of his earings

to God through Catholic School education, Community Chest,

Red Cross, and other public appeals of Charity.

Close to thirty pastors in our diocese have introduced and

enjoyed the success of their people tithing their salary. God

demanded tithes from the Jews and for hundreds of years the

Church legislated on the obligation and necessity of her members

complying with the God-given plan for financial support.

— 9—



The very pastors who two and three years ago thought tithing

was something relegated to the era of pre-Christian times and

erroneously adopted by the Protestants are now preaching tith-

ing on their annual “Finance Sunday.” They have been relieved

of money raising schemes and are astounded to study a budget

which balances as it never did before.

When so many parishes in one diocese adopt an entirely
different financial system, which five years ago was virtually un-

known, there must be a great deal to be said in its favor. This is

not a fad nor a financial novelty among pastors. It is a plan un-

consciously hungered for by the people and given to us by God

for the support of His Church.

God’s plan has begun to diffuse itself in this diocese with

such rapidity and increasing favor that this year alone has seen

the financial conversion of ten more parishes. The system has the

virtue of constant and reliable success which we would like to
share with the parishes throughout the nation.

— 10—



Chapter 2

History of Tithing

LJISTORIES sometimes possess a small element of boredom.

But this history is brief, giving only the important and inter-

esting facts of tithing through the centuries. To understand

God’s plan of Church support, you must know a little of its his-

tory.

Old Testament:

The practice of offering part of your earnings to God is

practically as old as the human race. Scripture tells us how Cain,

who was a farmer, offered up the fruits of the field. Able, on the

other hand being a shepherd, offered the best from his flock to

God. God then had them actually burn their sacrifices. God did

this to show them that He didn’t need their offerings, but they

needed to offer things to God.

Abraham gave tithes to the priest Melchisedech. As we read

further on in the 14th chapter of Genesis we see that Melchise-

dech offered to give them back to Abraham. But note this: Abra-

ham refused to take it back. You don’t take back an offering made
to God.

Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, (Genesis 28) very solemnly

promised to pay tithes of all that the Lord will allow him to earn.

The whole of Chapter 22 in the book of Exodus is law. It is

the continuation of the Ten Commandments that God gave Moses

on Mount Sinai. Here is the 29th verse: “Thou shalt not delay

to pay thy tithes and thy first fruits.” The law not only says

give God what is His due — but don’t hesitate and postpone your
giving.

When the Jews had finally completed that 40-year trek
across the desert and began to inhabit the Promised Land, God

again gave them orders. He told them the very places where

they were to offer sacrifice. They were to ravage the pagan tem-

ples with their altars and in their place they were to erect their

own temple. “You shall offer in that place your holocosts and

victims, the tithes and first fruits of your hands ...” (Deut.
12 : 6 ).

— 11—



The years rolled into centuries and Jewish devotion reached

a low ebb. In the schooling process God was giving His people

He was quick to punish their disloyalty and they were overcome

by their enemies and carried off into the captivity of Babylon.

After 70 years God through the hand of Cyrus allowed his

people to return to the land of Palestine. It taught the Jews a

small lesson and they went back home closer to God.

The people were gathered together in a great multitude and

received a “refresher” course on God’s law. It was seven full days

of study for all. They did penance and repented for their sins and

the sins of their fathers. And the leaders all promised for their

people that they would obey God’s law.

In the 2nd Book of Esdras (Chapter 10) the people specifi-

cally promised to obey the law of tithes and first fruits. The

priestly tribe, the Levites, would receive the tithes from all

earnings in every city of the Jews.

These good resolutions started the wherewithall for the

building of the temple in Jerusalem but when a little opposition

hit the Jews through trouble with the Samaritans, work was

stopped. Aggeus was the prophet sent by God to revive the

religious spirit of the Jews at this stage of their history. In these

words God rebuked the Jews through His prophet: “You have

sown much and you have brought in little; you have eaten but

have not had enough; you have drunk but have not been filled

with drink; you have clothed yourselves but have not been warm-

ed. And he that earns wages puts them into a bag with holes.”

God asked them why. And then He told them the answer. Be-

cause they were not building the house of God. The implication of

their falling away from tithing is obvious here. Had they been

tithing the temple would have been built. (Note the graphic

words of God which hold for every generation and for all time:

To keep God’s share it is like putting your money into bags

with holes in them.)

Then around 400 years before Christ, God scolded the people

again because of their lack of tithing properly. Chapter 3 (7-10)

in the book of Malachias is an eloquent sermon preached by God

to the people through the mouth of the prophet. It deals with the

rewards God promises for tithing: “For from the days of your

fathers you have departed from my ordinances and have not
kept them: Return to me, and I will return to you, saith the

Lord of hosts. And you have said: Wherein shall we return? —
Shall a man afflict God? For you afflict me, and you have said:

Wherein do we afflict thee? In tithes and in first fruits. — And
you are cursed with wants

,

and you afflict me, even the whole

— 12—



nation of you. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse that

there may be meat in my house: and try me in this, said the Lord,

if I open not unto you the floodgates of heaven and pour you out

a blessing even to abundance.” Here God shows the people what

an important part of the law is tithing. The phrase “return” used

in the above passage does not mean come back to Me and I will

come back to you. “Return” means give back as we can see from

the context. Give to Me and I will give to you!

Under the reign of the Machabees the Jews were also re-

minded of God's law of tithing. It was ever kept before the minds

of the people and its history with the Jews is a very active one.

The paying of tithes was not some unique trait of the Jewish

people. But all ancient people tithed. The Catholic Encyclopedia

mention how the pagan peoples in Lydia, Arabia, and Carthage

tithed.

New Testament:

In the time of Christ tithing was so popular that we find

mention in Scripture of the Pharisees even tithing on the herbs

from their gardens.

Christ was probably brought up in a tithing home. His

mother, Mary, and His foster father, Joseph, were devout Jewish

people. We can assume Jesus watched his mother and foster
father pay their tithes regularly to the temple. In the Gospel ac-

cording to St. Matthew (23:23) Christ is talking about the Phari-

sees. He mentions how they tithe and mentions it is something

they should do; but complains about the things they are leaving

undone.

For the early Church tithing was a small amount for their

generous hearts. They gave all their extras to the Church for the

support of the poor and the needs of the Church.

After several hundred years the decree of Constantine the

Great put a stop to all persecutions and allowed the Church to

build and worship in the open. A great number poured into the
Church. All of the new converts weren't so strong as the early
Christians (and not so generous). And within time the Church
found the need to remind the people of God's law of the tithe.

Churches had to be built.

We find positive Church legislation on tithing (which the
Church maintained was simply reminding the people of the exist-

ing divine law), in a letter of the Bishops assembled at Tours in

567. It was mentioned again in the Council of Macon 585.

Gregory VII (the famous Hildebrand) in the 11th Century

severely condemned those who refused to pay tithes. He called

— 13 —



it sacrilegious and said it incurred the danger of eternal dam-

nation.

Just as almost anything can be abused, so there was unfor-

tunately an abuse of tithing in the Church at this time. One of the

evils of lay investiture was the fact that laymen were collecting

the tithe. In the feudal system the tithe and first fruits were given

to the particular landowner, whose land the serf worked. In about

half the cases in some countries, the landowner was a bishop of

the Church. When the grants of land were passed on to lay land-
owners, the serfs were still paying their tithes to the landlord.

One could hardly say that God was receiving His fair share. A
laymen can collect property rent, but not the tithe given to God.

This abuse was recognized and dealt with at the 3rd Council

of the Lateran (12th Century).

In the 15th and 16th centuries people were losing the sense

of obligation of tithing their earnings to God. The main reason

for this was the lamentable wealth of the clergy.

The poor with perhaps an outlook of “occult compensation”

felt there was no need to give tithes. It was to come back to them

as the poor anyway. What was lost with this was the spirit of

giving to God. To help correct this neglect of tithing the Council

of Trent insisted on the payment of tithes (Session 15).

As the years passed on into centuries we see that, especially
in Europe, parishes were supported by endowments. And where

parishes had a good endowment the Church didn’t ask for the

tithe.

As late as 1868 the Fourth Council of Quebec declared that

the payment of the tithe binds in conscience on the faithful. (For

the aspects of the morality of not tithing we refer you to Chapter

6 .)

In our own country especially, the Protestant denominations

see tithing as God’s law today. Their churches are beautiful and

their missions well supported because they tithe.

We hope the second half of the 20th century will see the re-
turn of tithing in our Catholic Church.

— 14—



Chapter 3

Why Don't Catholics Tithe?

^OD is the Creator and Architect of the whole universe. He not
^ only has designed the world and its operations, but He sus-
tains and provides for its continued existence. He has a plan for

everything He made from the orbits of the planets to the lowest

worm in the field. God has great plans for the masterpiece of His

creation, the human race. The plan is that we live as long as

God lives with Himself in the happiness of heaven. And since the

time of Christ the medium of salvation is the one true Church

started by Christ Himself. The Church plays a tremendous role in

God’s plan for the salvation of the human race. Our Lord has

such deep love for His Church that Scripture tells us this Church

is the Bride of Christ.

Wouldn’t it be inconceivable that God would have a plan for

feeding the birds of the air and clothing the lilies of the field,

but would have no plan for the support of His Church? Christ told

us to go out and preach the Gospel — missionary work. It would
be unreasonable to think that God had no plan for the sup-

port of His missionaries. It would be fantastic that God, Who has
a plan for the existence of the lowly worm in the field, would
have no plan for the building and operating of a school to teach

little children about Himself.

Of course, God has a plan and it is known as the tithe. It is

a plan whereby every Catholic wage earner gives the first tenth

of his earnings back to God.

We can see from the previous chapter on the history of tith-
ing that the practice of the support of the Church in some

countries is that of endowments. And in other countries the
Church is supported by the obligation of the fifth precept of the

Church.

In our great country the endowments are by far not enough.

And strangely enough the fifth precept doesn’t motivate the
people to support God’s Church sufficiently. Ever since the doing

away of trusteeism in our country, Church financing plays a

major part in the worries of a pastor. It is a time consuming

struggle for the pastor. Few pastors can forsee a time in the

— 15—



future when there will be enough financial support. This situa*

tion is as tragic as the unbuilt temple in Jerusalem complained

about by God in the Book of Aggeus.

In our country the one true Church of Christ — The Bride
of Christ — depends greatly on bingoes, church raffles and lawn
parties for its support. Is this worthy of God’s Church? Is this

really the way God wants it? What is God’s plan for the support

of His Church? The mind of God has been revealed to us by

Scripture and by the traditions of the Church. God’s Plan is the

tithe!

The inadequacies of the present system are becoming all too

apparent to the modern American pastor. Here are some of the

reasons why:

(1) It helped to bring in a little money but it never

brought in enough. It left the pastor bewildered as to how to

meet the increasing demands of the parish.

(2) It is a system that overburdens the priests. It con-

sumes his time from buying paper plates for the church suppers

to delivering tickets for the next lawn party. It is consuming

time he could have spent on the spiritual needs of the parish.

(3) Ticket selling is an aggravation to the people. Basic-

ally, the people dislike this type of system. It leaves them with

the idea that Father is always talking about money — always
talking up the next financial project.

(4) The most important deficiency in this system of raf-

fles, etc., is that though the people donate, they get little or no

spiritual profit. When you buy a ticket on an automobile you
have your reward. You certainly can’t expect a reward from God.

When a man pays for three chances on a ham at a church bazaar,
he’s looking forward to the ham. It is not a complete giving of the

money to God. You give the money if you lose the raffle; but

you want to win the raffle! In many cases people use religion

to excuse a little desire to gamble.

(5) There is a natural need of an individual to give to God

a percentage of his first earnings. God really doesn’t need money,

but people need to give. This is to help the creature keep con-

stantly in his mind the fact that everything he has comes from

God. Our present system does not answer this inner need of the

individual to admit to himself that God comes before everything

else.

(6) Another seriously great flaw in the present system is

that our missionaries do not have all the funds they could use

to spread the knowledge of the one true Church.



On the other hand, if Catholics in this country would tithe,

we would be blessed with these advantages: (1) There would be
enough for parish needs. (2) The priest would have more time

for the things for which he was ordained. (3) The people would

be relieved of the selling of tickets and working on fund raising

schemes. Once they tithe, they would like it better than anything

else. (4) The people would receive tremendous spiritual and ma-

terial benefits from God. (5) It would be a means for the people to

admit their dependence on God. (6) The average parish would be

able to give more than twice as much as they give now to the mis-

sions. It would answer deficiencies of the old system. (7) There

will be the grace of only one collection on Sunday. There will be

no collection at the novenas or any other Church service. (8) The

people won’t hear money sermons except once a year. (9) The

spirit of the people will be far better. They will feel closer to the

parish and to God. (10) It will settle once and for all in the minds

of many Catholics, just how much they should give to God.

Will the Average Catholic Tithe?

The answer might sound amazing; but from experience we

say: “Yes.” Tithing and the spirit of tithing must be taught to the

people. It can be introduced to the people successfully in one

or two well-given sermons. (Cf. sermons No. 1 and No. 2 in the

last chapter.)

It makes no difference if the individual is rich or poor. The

rich must admit exteriorly by tithing that what they have comes

from God. The poor man (and at times the middle class man)

might say: “I can’t afford to tithe The answer is: He can’t

afford not to tithe! He can’t pass up the material and spiritual

rewards God promises the man who tithes.

We know innumerable cases of people who used to give what
they thought was a generous 50 cents and now give $5.00 weekly.

They tell us how much happier they are. So many tell us the way

God has taken care of them. As I’m writing a parishioner of St.

Pius X walked in the rectory with a $100.00 check. It was his
tithe of his unexpected Christmas bonus of $990.00. The people

have grown to love giving to God. It’s storing up treasures in

heaven. As the saying goes: “You can’t take it with you, but you

can send it ahead of you!”

A reasonable man knows he can’t outdo God in generosity.
Putting most or part of that tithe in the bank, just in case God
won’t come through is like (as God once said) putting your
money into bags with holes in it. In the Book of Malachias God
asks to be tried. He says “try Me in this (tithe) and if I open

— 17—



not unto you the floodgates of heaven and pour you out a bless-

ing in abundance.”

The pastor who actually questions the workability of the tithe

is unknowingly insulting God. The system was instituted by God

and hence it is sacrilegious to question its wisdom — to ask if
it will work. If there somehow is a failure in it, the fault is with

the way it was taught to the people. Remember, God gives

enough grace to the people. He takes care of that.

Don’t underestimate the faith and generosity of your people

—

nor the grace God gives them.

Apart from the success mentioned in our first chapter we

point to the many Protestant denominations where it works so

admirably and efficiently. The Seventh Day Adventists contribute

$205.00 per member annually. This means the average member

gives $4.00 every Sunday. Then there are the examples of men
like John D. Rockefeller. He claimed if he hadn’t tithed the

first $1.50 he earned he would not have been able to tithe on a

million dollars later on. William Colgate, Heinz, of the 57 Varie-

ties, Kraft of Kraft Cheese, and Hershey are just a few of the

wealthy who tithe.

Catholics don’t tithe today because they don’t know the his-

tory nor the origin of tithing. In a class of 40 Catholic high

school boys not one of them knew what the word “tithe” meant.
The average Catholic on the street has no idea of what tithing is.

Catholics don’t tithe because they simply do not know about it
and have not been even remotely exposed to it by their pastors.

The time is so ripe for the Church to ask for the tithe due

her by divine law that in this time of harvest, professional fund-

raisers (laymen) are doing a tremendous business. There are a

number of these organizations throughout the country. They send

a campaign director to your parish who stays for the duration and
directs the program. It amounts to a parish drive for a specific

period. These companies profit from the campaign—their “cut”
of the take. The reputable ones work on a fixed sum, not a per-

centage. An example of the latter is found in Information
Magazine (December 1958). For raising $153,000.00 the company

received $5,000.00. We don’t think professional fund raisers are
in God’s original plan for the support of His Church.

Here are the flaws in the system of professional fund raisers:

Giving to God is a spiritual thing and hence it is under the domain

of the pastor. A layman may by the study of the science have
“know-how” of fund raising. Still he’s not really qualified.

Money giving to God has spiritual overtones, and if there is noth-

ing spiritual about the money given to God, it isn’t given to God.

— 18—



A layman can’t write the “money sermon” for the pastor. This
pamphlet will teach you more than any professional fund raiser

ever know about the support of God’s Church.

Then, too, when the “professionals” come into the parish

their program is for the people to give a certain amount for a

certain period of time. This is wrong. The people should give

regularly to God His fair share as long as they are earning a

salary.

YOUTH—If Catholics are going to tithe—if the next genera-
tion will see American Catholics tithing their earnings—the youth
of today must receive their training now. The reason the youth of

today is so important is because they are the adults of tomorrow.

It is while they are still young that their characters are developed.

Character traits are deeply and impressionably formed and de-

veloped at an early age. St. Ignatius used to say: “Give me a
child until he is seven years old. You can have him after that.”

Age has no bearing in God’s plan for the support of His

Church. Tithing pertains to anyone earning money. This very

definitely includes youth. A national survey, just completed, re-
veals that the average teen-ager has more than $8.00 a week for

spending-money. Nearly half of the boys interviewed relied on

jobs for their money. It is granted that the only source of income

for many teen-agers is an allowance. But in most cases this al-

lowance is for chores done around the home; and hence in a sense

is earned. How much does the average youth give to God from his
earnings? Next to nothing. Youth should be taught not only that

they should give to God, but how they should give. They should

be taught to tithe their earnings. And in the case of youth the full

10% must be given to the Church unless he gives to mission

drives at school. The importance of this cannot be stressed

enough.

The ordinary Catholic youth has never heard the word “tith-

ing” in his life. I spoke to religion classes at the local Catholic

High School and the boys were absolutely amazed that God had

such a wonderful plan for the support of His Church. They were

struck with the fact that tithing is mentioned 46 times in the

Bible and they hadn’t heard of it. After my talk, the boys wrote
compositions on the subject and what they thought about tithing

in their personal lives. The compositions only proved how im-
pressionable youth is and how generous. They were convinced
that no matter how poor a person is and no matter how much he
may think that he can’t tithe, he is foolish not to tithe. It’s so
simple. You can’t outdo God in generosity. One student wrote
about giving God the left-overs. He continued—“how could any-
one dare do that?”

— 19—



Tithing should be learned and begun far earlier than the

teens. All children of “allowance-age” in the elementary grades

should be taught about tithing. They should be taught to divide

by ten as soon as possible. If they get 30 cents a week, 3 cents

goes to God. If they get 50 cents a week, a nickel every Sunday

is giving God His fair share. And if they get a dollar, ten cents

belongs to God. The Church doesn't really need the nickel or

dime, but that child needs to give his tithe. If he tithes all during

his youth, he will tithe as an adult.

Children and teen-agers should not only be taught to tithe

but to use the envelopes. Children's envelopes are a must . And

they need the reminding and the example of their parents until

they are in the habit of using their envelopes every Sunday. If

there is a week of no work for a working teen-ager or a held-

back allowance for a child, it is a good idea to have them use their

envelope anyway. Tell them to put in the empty envelope.

And with it would go the prayer: “If I had it, Lord, you would

get the first tenth.'' If they put in the empty envelope with that

prayer three or four Sundays, when they did get an income, they

would certainly give God His share.

There is no reason at all to exclude the youth from God’s pro-

gram. Besides the fact they absolutely need the early training,

they are earning something in most cases and are just as much
bound by the obligation as any other rational creature of God.

We hope the fruits of this work will be that pastors will be
using God's Plan of Church Support instead of the undignified

method of bingoes, raffles and church bazaars, nor can we see any
justification for fund raisers.

— 20—



Chapter 4

5 Per Cent

NJOW that we have dealt with the tremendous advantages of
^ tithing, let’s give it a serious look in terms of putting it into

the practical lives of our people.

First let’s admit that some people are afraid of tithing and

yet some of these very people are unknowingly practicing it.

Then there are those who are very close to tithing. And lastly,

there are those who are devoid of any knowledge of giving to God.

Unfortunately the people who are so close to tithing are missing

the spirit of tithing.

How do we apply God’s law of tithing to the individual Cath-
olic? The tithe is: 10% of one’s salary given to God . Everything

is clear in that definition. We could, however, explain the phrase
“given to God.” The obvious interpretation is that money given

to the Church, tuition for a Catholic education, donations for spe-

cial collections during the year, and donations to public charitable

organizations is money given to God. Money spent on a Catholic

education is very definitely given to God. It is given simply be-

cause of a man’s belief in God—his desire to please God by having
his children learn about God. Charitable organizations which

feed and clothe the poor, and care for the orphans and aged are

doing God’s special work.

Take the man who makes $100.00 a week. Ten dollars of that
goes to God. If he has children in school his tuition could be

$8.00 a month, which is $2.00 a week.’ That is 2% of his tithe.
He might average a dollar a week to charitable organizations

(United Fund, etc.) That counts for 1%. About $2.00 a week

might go to the St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities or a spe-

cial collection ordered by the Bishop. That would be another 2%
of his tithe. All of this will total 5% of his earnings. The re-
maining 5%, or in some cases 6% or 7%, will be put into the Sun-
day collection.

— 21—



A diagram of tithing for a particular family.
(It will be different in individual cases).

Salary $100.00 a week

Catholic school tuition $

Charitable organizations $

Bishop’s special collection, St. Vincent de Paul ....

$

2.00 a week

1.00 a week

2.00 a week

Total $ 5.00 a week

Sunday Mass Offering to the parish $ 5.00 a week

The tithe to God weekly 10.00

This is the way thousands of Catholics tithe in the diocese of

Mobile-Birmingham.

Tithing in a few parishes is erroneously known as the 5%
plan because in most cases with heavy school tuition, it is about

5% given to the parish on Sunday.
There are two ways to have the people give the 5% on Sun-

day. The one way is just another scheme for fund-raising with

telling the people the needs of the parish and having a yearly par-

ish drive for 5% of their earnings. It entails the promise of no
other fund-raising activities and only one collection on Sunday.

In starting a new parish especially it gives the people the feeling

that they own part of the parish. It is their Church and school

since they financed it outright, and not through the medium of

bazaars and raffles. Naturally, this has a great parish unifying

force.

The second way to collect 5% for the parish is through using
God’s own plan of tithing. It has all the advantages of the first

way—and far more. It gives them the great rewards God has
promised to those who tithe. Tithing makes them spiritually bet-

ter people and that should be a pastor’s main interest.

It must be emphasized, too, that the tithe is not any tenth

of one’s salary; but the first tenth. Families that have a budget

put a certain amount away for the house payment, a certain

amount for the groceries, for the insurance payments, for God,

and for clothes. It’s like having pigeon holes for the various

payments. But that first pigeon hole is for God. This is the true

spirit of tithing.

The 10% of one’s earnings is on rare occasions calculated as

10% of the net earnings, otherwise known as the “take home

pay.” We have extreme difficulty considering this as God’s fair

— 22—



share. It is the gross pay—his actual earnings—from which the
Lord should get His tithe. Perhaps in the chronological order the

State gets its part of a man’s salary first, but in the real order

God comes first. You don’t tithe after you pay income tax, social

security, and pay for part of a U.S. Savings Bond.

The idea of tithing on “take home pay” is simply not tithing

on your complete earnings. It is not giving God His “fair” share.

One of the authors was paying a series of visits to a Baptist

who showed some interest in the Church. She maintained that

tithing, giving $32.00 a month of her husband’s $320 salary, was

something she could not give up were she to accept the Catholic

religion. At the time her mother was sick and the good Baptist

woman wanted to visit her. She could have gone by bus for

$30.00, but couldn’t afford it. She told the author she would be

afraid to touch what belonged to God. It was simply God’s will

that she not go home. If God wanted her home, He would find a

way. Ten minutes later, while the writer was still in the house,

the phone rang. It was her husband. He told her the sudden

news of an unexpected Christmas bonus. It was 3 times the

amount needed for her to go home. Notice the spirit of tithing of

our Protestant friends!

A person might give God His fair share and wonder how
he’ll pay all the bills. God is and always will be all powerful.

People who give the first tenth of their earnings won’t have to

worry about unpaid bills. God has promised to open the flood-

gates of heaven with blessings in abundance on them. And you

know God isn’t a liar!

Teach the people about the tragedy of giving God the left-

overs. A Catholic high school student recently wrote this in a
composition on tithing: Our parents don’t give us the left-overs,

the crumbs from the table. God doesn’t give us the left-overs. He

has given us His own Flesh and Blood. How can anyone dare
give God the left-overs?

Instruct the people in the fact that the 4%-5% of the tithe
given to God through Catholic school tuition, charity program,

etc., must be given in the spirit of tithing. It is given to God as

part of God’s fair share.

The authors have tried both methods of collecting 5% for
Church support. As usual, nothing is as good as God’s own plan.

If you, as a pastor, put your parish on the 5% program with-
out the idea of tithing, it may work or it may not work. But if
you preach tithing from the pulpit, it can’t fail.

Experience has proven that more people will cooperate be-

cause it is God’s own plan, rather than because it is a bargain
made with the pastor for the end of bingoes and raffles.

— 23 —



Chapter 5

Motive for Giving

DARISHIONERS are God's rational creatures and they must

have a motive for giving. Some people give because it is em-

barrassing not to give. Other people out of force of habit, as a

secondary reflex, seeing the collection basket coming near them,

habitually dig into their purse or pocket for some change. These

are wrong motives for giving to God. It is your job to teach the

people the right motives of giving—the motives for tithing.
The fundamental principle behind tithing is: Realizing that

everything a person has comes from God. Most people realize this.

They say: Thank God for my house. Thank God for my family.
Thank God for my job. Why do they thank God? They thank
Him because He is the Giver of all things that we have. People
know this but they must be reminded of this in connection with

tithing.

Everything is as it were on loan to us from God. Who can
deny the fact that He can take anything He wants back from us

without asking? Supreme ownership pertains only to God. To

use the Biblical expression for it, a man is a steward, an overseer
of the things God has put under him for his use.

One of the main reasons God laid down the law of tithing is

to keep before the minds of the people the fundamental principle

that everything we have comes from Him. Giving God the first
tenth of our earnings is admitting this and is like saying: “Thanks

God, for letting me use the other nine tenths.

Tithing fits right in with the practice of the theological vir-

tues. In other words giving God His part of your earnings is a

way of exercising faith, hope, and charity.

First, consider the amount of Faith one must have to part

with the first tenth of his earnings—especially if there are lux-
uries being forgone and overhanging bills around. It is a mat-

ter of absolute faith in the existence of God and the truth of His

promises as found in Holy Scripture.

The virtue of Hope or trust is exercised and enhanced by the

practice of tithing. In the book of Malachias, for example, God

— 24—



asks people “to try” Him and this means “to trust” Him in giving

Him tithes. You are not boldly putting Almighty God to the test,

but you are simply trusting in His promises of spiritual and ma-

terial blessings. We know there is no one else in the world more
worthy of trust than God Himself.

Thirdly, tithing is an acid test of a person’s love of God. We
all know the people who mouth gushy prayers ... I love You,

God, so much ... I do love You more than myself—just as long
as God does not touch their pocketbooks. These people do not

really love God for it is a constant psychological law that if you

really love someone you want to give him something. It is vain

and empty to say you love God and not want to give Him the
first fruits of your earnings.

Not to be overlooked in our motive of giving to God is the

way we can see the money actually used for God’s work. The

people can see their very intimate part in the building and up-

keep of God’s Church and school.

The Catholic zeal for souls and concern for the needs of our

mission fields is another strong motive for giving one’s tithe to

God. We believe that an established parish that receives tithes
should give at least three times the ordinary amount to the

missions.

Tithing draws people very close to God, making them realize

that God comes first, and that nothing comes before God. God

comes before a new automobile, a better home; God comes be-

fore a new suit of clothes and before a new toy for the children.

Remember how the tithe came first for the good Baptist, even be-
fore a trip home to her sick mother.

Tithing also teaches and nurtures a spirit of detachment.

Think of the parable of the rich man who filled his barns. He
told himself he had security and would live for years. He would

eat, drink and be merry. God appeared to him and called him a

fool, because he was too attached to the things of this world, and

would stand before Him in judgment that very night. Consider
the sad case of Judas. The one sin which completely overcame

Judas was his lack of detachment from money. He is the only

man of whom God said: “It would have been better had that
man not been born!” Judas could not stand to watch $50.00 worth
of ointment poured on the feet of God Incarnate, when it might

be instead put in the purse he was carrying. Judas loved money

with a passion and it was this passion which made him betray Our

Blessed Lord. This is what a complete lack of detachment can do

for one. You can’t serve two masters. You can not love money

— 25 —

*



and at the same time love God. Tithing is a tremendous help for

a man to prove to himself that his one Lord and Master is God.

Our people must learn and practice the right motive in tith-

ing. Giving without the proper motive is worthless. It is like the

tragedy of suffering. Suffering itself is not a tragedy, but it is

suffering gone to waste that is a tragedy.

From our theology we have the realization of the importance

of the intention in the mind of a man.

It is the difference between a Sacrament and no Sacrament;

between merit and no merit; and between receiving God’s bless-

ings and not receiving God’s blessings.

If people Sunday after Sunday stuff their church envelopes

with dollar bills and have no thought of God, it is giving going to

waste. Why not short-change the envelope. Especially when
the budget is running close and it’s a sacrifice to put God’s share

into the envelope, these motives which we have mentioned should
be in the mind and heart of the people when they give.

A very negative and poor motive for giving to God is to
avoid the penalty of sin. This aspect of the moral obligation of

Church support will be discussed in the following chapter.

— 26—



Chapter b

Morality of Church Support

IT is an expression of the saints that Moral Theology alone will

not get you to heaven. You also need Ascetic Theology. Moral

Theology tells you just how far you can go before you are break-

ing God’s law in a small way; and how far you can go before

you are guilty of serious sin.

In the preceding chapter we spoke of the necessity of a high

motive for giving to God. Giving to God simply to avoid sin

is not the highest motive. But Moral Theology is necessary; and

for that reason we are here dealing with the moral obligation of

giving to God. There are two distinct laws on Church support:

The law of tithing and the Fifth Precept of the Church. We will
deal with each separately as regards their origin and to what ex-

tent they bind in conscience.

TITHING
Origin of the Law:

The law of tithing is of Divine-Positive law for the Old

Testament and also for the New Testament. In the holy Bible the
places are numerous to attest this fact in the Old Testament.

In the New Testament the fact is clear from Scripture and from
the teaching of the Church. Since we are living in the New Testa-
ment we will write out the reasons why we know tithing today is
of divine-positive law.

Scriptures:

The law of tithing was backed up by Christ when He talked

about the Scribes and Pharisees, saying: “Woe to you, Scribes

and Pharisees, Hyocrites! Because you pay tithes on mint and

anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of

the Law, right judgment and mercy and faith. These things you

ought to have done

,

while not having the others undone.”

(Matt. 23, 23).

A great proof of this fact from the Bible is that Christ said
He did not come to destroy the law; but to perfect it. (Matt. 5,
17). This is God Himself saying that the Old Law is not destroyed.

— 27—



There are some things of the Old Law which were abrogated in
the process of Christ perfecting the law.

Our Lord perfected the laws on marriage when He ruled out
the Mosaic Bill of Divorce. Christ perfected the law of Charity

when He said it is not only wrong to kill a man but even to get
angry with another. Christ perfected the Sixth Commandment

on Adultery, saying that a man is guilty, even if he commits adul-
tery only in his heart.

God by a special vision to St. Peter (telling Peter to eat puri-

fied food—Acts 10, 14) abrogated the many rites of purification.
Circumcision was abrogated by God through St. Peter because of

the more perfect means of justification, Baptism.

Some things in the Old Law were changed; others were not,
in the process of perfection. The Ten Commandments are not

enumerated in the New Testament; but bind us because Christ
did not destroy the Law. And Christ did not change or destroy
any ordinance of tithing but only backed it up.

The Church Teaches:

God speaks to people today in two ways, through the Bible

and through the teaching of the Church He founded. The Church

has taught that this is a matter of divine positive law. The fol-

lowing give us the mind of the Church:

(1) Early Christian writers taught that tithing in the New
Testament is of Divine-positive law.

(2) The Council of Macon in 585 says the Church looks upon

tithing as “of divine law, since tithes were instituted not by man
but by the Lord Himself. (Can. 14, X de decim. Ill, 30).

(3) In 1208 a profession of faith was written for the Walden-

sian heretics. The last part of it reads: “We believe tithes, first

fruits and offerings paid to the clerics, are ex praecepto Domini”

(4) The Theologian Soglia says: “The law of tithes can never

be abrogated by prescription or custom . . . because the natural

and DIVINE law, which can neither be abrogated or antiquated,

commands that the tithe be paid.” (Institut. Canon., 11, 12).

If this is of Divine-Positive law, is it binding under pain of

sin today? The Code of Canon law gives us the answer in Canon

1502 where it says: “Concerning tithing and first fruits, special

provisions and laudable customs to that effect should be main-

tained in each territory.”

So we are left with the Principle: Tithes are due to the

Church; but the Church need not demand their payment . It is

like a married daughter coming home with her husband to live

— 28—



with her parents. Rent is due the parents. However, if the par-

ents are living comfortably, they might not demand the rent. But

there would be nothing harsh or unjust if they did demand the

payment due them. Nor would the Church be acting beyond jus-

tice if she asked for the tithes as the Church did for centuries.

The Code makes it clear that the special provisions of a terri-

tory must be observed. A Bishop could make the paying of tithes
obligatory under the pain of serious sin if he had a good reason.

(There are many American Bishops whose financial needs consti-

tute this good reason).

The question has come up: How can the law of tithing for
the New Testament be of divine-positive origin if the Church
can say it is not binding in conscience (in most places). Here is

the answer: The sole end of this law is for the support of the

Church. And if the Church is at a stage where she feels she

doesn’t need so much, she need not use her divine-given right to

demand the full tithes from her subjects.

5TH PRECEPT OF THE CHUHCH

Origin of the Precept:

The obligation of supporting our pastors is one of natural law

because pastors being appointed by legitimate authority have a

right in justice and by implicit contract to be supported. (Davis).

The obligation is also one of positive divine law. We see this
easy enough from 1st Corinthians, 9, 14: “The Lord ordained that

they who preach the Gospel should live by the Gospel.”

Canon 1496 of the Code of Canon Law expresses the obliga-

tion in these words: “The Church has, moreover, the right, inde-

pendently of civil power to demand from the faithful the neces-

sary means for conducting divine worship, for the decent main-

tenance of the clergy and other ministers and for her other proper

purposes.”

The Third Plenary Council of Baltimore specified this to

mean that the faithful have the obligation to contribute to the

support of their parishes.

Binding in Conscience:

The obligation in itself is one binding seriously in conscience.

All moralists agree to this. But when it comes right down to the
extent of the support and when sin is committed, it isn’t a simple

matter of a specific amount to the penny. There are too many
unknown factors for a general law. Different parishes have differ-

ent needs. People make different salaries. In Moral Theology

by Jone-Adelman we find this opinion that nobody would be

— 29—



guilty of grave sin unless by his neglect the clergy would be in

grave need or the other parishioners would be greatly overbur-

dened.

A neglect to do one’s share to support the parish properly
without injury to the clergy and fellow parishioners would be a

venial sin.

How can a parishioner determine the amount of his share of
the parish support? The pastor in making a reasonable budget

for the year can thereby determine in round figures the obligation

of the average wage-earner in his parish. Naturally, an adjust-

ment in the amount is made for the above average wage earner

and the below average wage earner.

This summarizes the salient facts on the morality of Church

Support. We would like to add that Catholics do not have to be
bound under pain of sin to tithe. We have found them most will-
ing to give God His Share from the motives mentioned in the

previous chapter.

30—



Chapter 7

Effects of Tithing

“THERE are multiple effects of tithing and we find them all to be

benefits. To convey a comprehensive idea of the benefits we

divide them into four general categories: Those that concern (1)

the parish; (2) the diocese; (3) the missions; and (4) the tither.

Effects on the Parish:

Every parish that has adopted God’s plan for church support

has improved its spiritual and material status. If a substantial

number of parishioners give 5%, 6% or 7% of their income to the

parish there would be enough for all the necessary parish build-

ings. These would be buildings befitting the dignity of the

Church. After all, our Catholic churches house Our Lord’s physi-

cal presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

The parish would be able to pay decent salaries and living

wages to its employees—the housekeeper, school janitor, etc. How
can we preach social justice unless we practice it?

With the problem of the scarcity of Sisters there is an in-

creasing need for hiring lay teachers for our schools. All neces-

sary teachers can be hired and adequately paid.

Another effect is that the parish will be blessed with only

one collection. In so many of our churches the collection basket

goes around numbers of times and everytime the poor worshiper

turns a few pages of his missal the basket is under his nose once

again. It’s a distraction to the proper attendance at the Holy

Sacrifice. Tithing means only one collection at the Offertory of

the Mass, along with the true spirit of offering of self with the

Offering of Christ.

The bingo games and raffle wheels will be stopped because

their need will be eliminated. An annual church supper for
which each parishioner receives a free invitation is a great idea

for the sake of parish spirit. This has been most successfully done

at St. Pius X in the past two years. The purpose of this is to help
the parishioners get better acquainted, but never for the purpose

of raising money.

A very beneficial effect is that the parish priest will have

— 31 —



more time to worry about the people and their spiritual needs, in-

stead of the people’s money. These are the blessings which the

Lord’s way of financing bestows upon the parish itself.

Effects on the Diocese:

There are many diocesan projects with which the Bishops are
heavily burdened. The diocesan high schools have to be built

and maintained. Seminarians must be educated. Orphanages,

hospitals and charity bureaus have to be financed.

The sufficiency of the tithe for the parish will overflow and

will support these necessary diocesan projects in a better way
than previously.

Effects on the Missions:

It is scandalous how little we Catholics with the true faith

give to the missions in comparison to the Protestants who give so

generously to spread faith in the mission fields. The difference is

basically that our Protestant friends tithe and Catholics do not.

The Bishop of Kenya (Africa) turns away 50 seminarians a

year because he lacks the money to educate them. There are

schools in Nigeria where the children cannot be taught because

there is not enough money to pay the catechists. More hospitals

could be built; a greater number of orphanages kept up, and

there would be more missionaries in the mission field if there

were more funds. Many more souls could be sharing the true

faith in the world if we helped the missions more by tithing.

Effects on the Tither:

One thing tithing does for the individual is that it settles

once and for all that frequently puzzling question: How much
should I give to the Church? People are preached to “ad naus-

eam” on giving. They hear “be generous,” “be sacrificial,”

“give a little more.” But how often are they actually told exactly

what is God’s fair share? The one effect of tithing is they will

know what to give and their conscience will be perfectly at ease.

A greater effect is that tithing produces a spiritual transform-
ation in the tither. It gives a proper sense of values. It helps

him see things as they really are: That God comes first before

everything else, and everything he owns comes from God.

With the proper motive for tithing people will grow strong

in the virtues of faith, hope and charity. They will have a great-

er interest in their parish, their diocese and in the missions.

All of the marvelous effects of tithing can only be seen when

your parish is giving to God His fair share of their earnings.

— 32—



Part II

How to Start a Parish Tithing

Introduction

"THE tithing program was started by God, not just for a few but
1

for all. It makes no difference what kind of a parish you

have, large or small, rich, poor, or middle class, you can success-

fully put this program into effect. The following are the mechan-

ics of starting tithing in a parish.

Two items must be stressed from the very beginning. The

first is to have a personal conviction that this system is God's own

idea. Obviously you cannot give to others what you yourself do

not have. Priests, therefore, should familiarize themselves with

everything available on tithing. We believe that priests should
not only know all the theory of tithing, but they should put it into

practice in their own personal lives. This would show their own

sincere belief in the blessings promised by God.

The second and more important item is to pray for the suc-

cess of the program in your parish. Make this an intention in your

Masses and Office and ask the people to pray for this special in-

tention. Prayers for the good of souls have priority with God.

Furthermore, the plan is God’s own for the support of His Church,

and He has been known to favor the program 100%.

We find the use of the laity essential in one particular phase
of introducing the program into the parish. The pastor preaches

two sermons on the subject and diffuses his ideas by informal

talks, and a letter or two to his people. But on the appointed

Sunday one out of every five parishioners will go out and con-

tact his fellow members of the parish and bring them a pledge

card. It is not the job of the worker to explain all about God’s

plan of Church support. This was done in the pastor’s two Sun-

day sermons. The good example of the “worker” who has already

signed his own card is what counts a great deal. These workers

who make the rounds are not asking for a favor. They are doing

these people a favor. In many cases the busy pastor could not
make the rounds to all his people.

Our reasons for using the laity are basically the same as those

— 33—



that justified such marvelous organizations as the Legion of

Mary. Furthermore, experience has shown that the “workers”

have completely been won over to the program, and have signed

their own pledge cards before they ask it of others. This means

one-fifth of your parish has already accepted God’s plan.

The program can be put into operation anytime during the

year. However, it has been found that to begin the program in

the middle of December has decided advantages. In outlining the

technique we have used the calendar for 1958 as our basis.

Calendar Chart

REMOTE PREPARATION

Date Activity Page

Sept, and Oct. Parish Census 35

November (a) Preparation of all literature 35

(b) Parish Indoctrination 37

PROXIMATE PREPARATION

Date Activity Page

December 2nd (a) First Mailing 37

(b) Captains’ meeting 37

December 7th Sermon at all Masses 38

December 9th (a) Second mailing 38

(b) Workers’ meeting 38

December 14th (a) Second Sermon 39

(b) Signing of Cards 40

Visitation by workers 40

December 17th Final Workers Report 40

December 21st Pastor’s report at Sunday Masses

— 34—
40



Remote Preparation

September and October:

A complete census of the parish should be made about this
time. The aim of the pastor should be that no one should be over-

looked or omitted in this program. This is a parish-wide indoc-

trination and appeal for the use of God's Plan to Support His

Church. The census should be exact about getting unmarried sons

and daughters who are wage-earners and who are still living with

their parents. They, too, must be given the opportunity to bene-

fit from the practice of tithing.

November :

(a) Preparation of All Literature: There are three items

which should be worked on and completed during the month of

November. They are (1) Pledge cards; (2) First mailing mater-

ial; and (3) Second Mailing material. The following are a few

necessary points on each of these three:

(1) A sufficient number of pledge cards should be printed to
cover the parish. Below is a sample which has been used in and

of the Mobile parishes.

SAINT X CHURCH

Parishioner's Name

Address

I will return to God His fair share which T trust will express my thanks
and merit His continued blessings. I consider this offering as the first fruits
of my income and dedicate it to God’s service through my church.

MY FAIR SHARE 10% (—

)

5% (—

)

% (— ) weekly
SIGNED

Parishioner

Your offering may be made weekly or monthly according to your income.

Note that the words “Pledge" and “Promise" are deliberate-

ly omitted from the card, because of the unwillingness of some to

sign what they regard as promises. It is instead a simple state-

ment of fact, an expression of their willingness to give their fair

share to Almighty God.

There should be no fear on the part of the signer as to wheth-

er or not he can carry out his intention. Tithing is on the per-

— 35 —



centage basis and if his income decreases his obligation decreases.

(The converse will also be true: An increase of salary means
God’s share is increased).

The card requests the signer to estimate the amount of his

weekly contribution. The purpose of this is to give the pastor

an idea of his expected income per week for the coming year.

A final point about the pledge cards in November is that
after they have been printed, the names and addresses of each

wage earner should be written on each card.

(2) First mailing. This should be some general information

on tithing. Unfortunately there is not much available. However,

there are two ideal pamphlets for general mailing:

“Yes ... I Tithe
”
by Rev. Duane Theobald, and

“Greetings From Your Pastor ” by Rev. John O’Brien, avail-

able at Our Sunday Visitor Press. The pastor himself could com-

pose his own brochure as we have done in previous years. There

is ample matter in the first part of the book for the pastor to

write his own. A little folder written by the pastor could have
a personal touch for his individual parish.

(3) Second mailing material also should be prepared ahead

of time. It should be a specific letter from the pastor informing

his people that the program is being initiated in the parish. It

should present them with the spiritual and material effects on

the parish as well as on the tither. This letter, though prepared

ahead of time will not be sent out until a later date, after the

first sermon to the people on tithing. Below is a sample letter:

Dear Parishioner:

Last Sunday I explained to you the history of tithing and

the fact that it is God’s plan for the support of His Church.

Within the past few weeks I talked to some of our parish

societies to find out how you would feel about using God’s age-old
plan for the support of our parish. I heard many in agreement
and I heard no objections.

This system will eliminate all lawn parties, raffles and ticket

selling. The parish will be supported simply by giving God His
fair share every Sunday. It means that the parish will be sup-

ported in a manner befitting Almighty God and the dignity of
His Church.

This Sunday I will explain the mechanics of this system in
detail. It is necessary for every wage-earner to sign a card stating

that for the next year, he promises to give God His fair share,
in thanksgiving for all His blessings.

— 36—



I would like you to sign this card after Holy Mass this Sun-

day. If you prefer not to sign it after Mass, or if you are unable

to attend Mass this Sunday, two of your fellow parishioners will

call on you sometime Sunday afternoon and will ask you to sign

it. Receive these visitors kindly. They will be asking you to do

nothing that they have not already done themselves.

You have no security apart from God. This is one way in
which God wants you to recognize that everything you have
comes from Him. Between now and next Sunday, talk this matter
over with Almighty God. I am sure you really want to do His
will in this matter.

I am praying that God may not be disappointed in you.

Prayerfully yours,

FATHER “X”

(b) Parish Indoctrination: Though this idea is as old as the

human race it will be revolutionary to many of the parishes.

Hitherto most of our Catholic people have heard of it only as

something practiced by our Protestant friends. Therefore, during

the month of November indoctrinate them in an informal manner.

This can be done by bringing the matter up at different parish

societies, discussion clubs and getting their reactions. Also, have

at hand the answers for the obvious objections which might

come from some.

It is well to end up all informal discussions on the subject

with an appeal for the people to pray for its acceptance and suc-

cess.

Proximate Preparation

December 2nd:

A. First mailing: The contents of this first mailing were

prepared in November. Along with this general pamphlet on

tithing should be a note from the pastor requesting the parish-

ioner to give the reading material thoughtful consideration during

the next few days.

B. Captains' meeting: First we must explain what we mean

by a Captain. Our main use of the laity is on the one Sunday

afternoon when we have one-fifth of our people whom we call
“workers” visit their fellow parishioners. They simply bring them

their pledge cards for signing. Workers travel in pairs and a pair

should have approximately 10 calls. For every 10 workers of 5

— 37—



teams there should be one “Captain.” Depending on the number

of families in your parish your needs will be as follows:

Families Workers Teams Captains

100 20 10 2

400 80 40 8

800 160 80 16

A strong word of suggestion concerning the quality of men
who will be your “Captains.” They should be intelligent, exem-

plary Catholics. These are your leaders in the coming program

and at this meeting they should be fully and adequately informed

as to its nature, meaning and techniques.

It will be the responsibility of each captain to recruit nine

more workers for the general meeting, the names of which will

be assigned to him at this Captain’s meeting.

December 7th:

Sermon at all the Masses: This sermon should be preached,

preferably by the pastor himself and should deal basically with

the nature and history of tithing.

December 9th:

(a) Second mailing: This, you remember was prepared in

November. It is the sincere appeal by the pastor to his people

for the support of this program.

(b) Workers’ meeting: This is a meeting of every man who

is going to work on the program in the parish. The first purpose

of the meeting is to inform the workers more fully as to the

nature of tithing and how it will operate in their own parish.

The second purpose is to distribute amongst the workers the

names of their contacts. The pledge cards themselves will still

remain in the rectory until the next Sunday. Then, either through

voluntary choice of the workers for certain contacts, or some

other system, the pledge cards can be made up into groups of

ten cards for each pair of workers.

This meeting, which is extremely important for the success

of the program, depends in no small way upon the indoctrination

given the workers. If these workers are really informed and con-

vinced, half the battle is won. The esprit de corps of the workers

— 38—



can be helped by making this a dinner meeting or at least by

serving light refreshments.

Because of the importance of this meeting the pastor should

diligently prepare himself and his program. The following are

a few suggestions:

1. Tell the workers they should sign their own cards before

they make their visits on Sunday. Then, they will not be asking

anyone to do what they have not already done.

2. They should be allowed to choose their own working part-

ner.

3. Since the people will be asked to stay at home at a certain

time on Sunday, the workers should be told to utilize this afore-

mentioned time.

4. They should regard each visit as if the success of the

entire program depended on that one call.

5. No card should be left at a prospect’s home. If the indi-

vidual has not made up his mind, an appointment for a re-visit

should be made.

6. The workers should make no apology for their visit. They

go in God’s name and are doing God’s work. They are doing a

favor to the individual, not asking for one.

7. When the workers meet people who are fallen-aways, or
who do not practice their faith, they should speak about being

a better Catholic and getting back to Mass on Sunday. If the

card isn’t signed, but there is a promise to get back to Sunday

Mass, the workers have accomplished a great deal. The card

might well be signed in the visit next year. It has been found

that workers have done necessary good in this one-day coverage

of the parish.

8. The poor should not be by-passed. They need the benefits

of tithing as much as anyone else. Nobody should be missed.

We feel this meeting is so important that if a worker missed
the points which the pastor will stress at this meeting then it

would be better if he would not do any visiting.

December 14th:

(a) Second Sermon: This should be an application given in

the first sermon on tithing, including a summary of the spiritual

and material fruits which will accrue to themselves and the

parish. Sermon No. 2 in the back of this pamphlet is a good

model for the second sermon.

The pastor should preach this sermon at all the Masses and

the Holy Sacrifice should be offered for the success of the pro-

gram.

— 39—



(b) Signing of Cards—Visitations: There are two possible
approaches in getting the cards signed. The one way is to send all

the cards out with the workers and have them all signed in the

homes. The second way is to make the cards available after the

Masses on the Sunday of the second sermon. If this is done two

of your key men should be in the rectory, and after every Mass

take the names of those who have already signed out of each

group of ten cards, which have been prepared for the teams of

workers. There are advantages and disadvantages to both ways.

December 17th:

(a) Final worker’s report: Again this can be done in twTo

ways.

One way is to have the workers come back that Sunday aft-

ernoon with their results (after two hours) and make their re-

port to the pastor, resolving to go back to anyone they did not

find at home. The final deadline should be Wednesday night.

Many workers will be finished Sunday and so will not return

Wednesday night.

The other way is that after the workers visit on Sunday aft-

ernoon, whether they have made all contacts or not, they will not

return to the rectory before Wednesday night. There will be

somewhat of a dramatic meeting Wednesday evening, with a large

blackboard diagram into which the results are recorded. Team
after team will take its results to the pastor in the back of the

room, who will privately go over the results and then he will

send them to the blackboard. On the board the goal is marked

and the degree of success can be seen as the reports are turned in.

December 21st :

(a) Pastor’s report: This should not be a sermon; but simply

a word of thanks to the workers and to the people. The total fig-

ures should be given to the people and a plea for them to keep

their bargain with Almighty God. Then, a final word of assur-

ance that the pastor will keep his word regarding the end of the

money gimmicks.

Twelve Suggestions

(1) Once you promise that the subject of money is closed for

the year, keep that promise. There will be a few people falling

behind; but don’t preach a sermon on it. We would suggest send-
ing out a quarterly letter with the complete roster of envelope

numbers and next to the number, the total amount given in the

past three months. Those falling behind will be embarrassed

when they notice some of the other amounts of the more generous.

— 40—



A letter reminding them of the sacredness of the contract they
signed in the beginning of the year would be helpful.

(2) There are some people who get paid once a month; others

get paid twice a month. Make it clear to the people that they can

give their 5%-6% whenever they get paid. It should be the first
check written after the salary comes in! In some places the peo-.

pie just drop in empty envelopes on their off Sundays to save

embarrassment. In other places where the system has been in

practice for several years it’s a known fact that the tithe is given

when the salary is received.

(3) The people should be taught that the money set aside for

the Church envelope is given to God and is therefore sacred. Noth-

ing should present a temptation to spend it. You can’t rob God.

(4) In the case of a husband and wife who both work, one

pledge card is sufficient for them. But there are cases where

people prefer two cards and two boxes of envelopes.

(5) If a Catholic wife is married to a non-Catholic wage-

earner she ought to discuss God’s share with her husband, if he

will listen. If he goes to a Protestant church, the tithe should be

split between the churches of the two spouses. However, if he

won’t listen, she is not expected to endanger her marriage by

pressing the point.

(6) At times the poverty of a family will work on the sym-

pathy of a worker on visitation day. The worker should not at-

tempt to hinder the generosity of such people. They should en-

courage them to tithe, reminding them that this might just be

the cure for their financial distress.

(7) In dealing with the people who say they are too rich to

tithe, remind them that the law of God on tithing is for all—not
just the poor and the middle class. Repeat the first principle to

them: Everything they have comes from God and He wants them

to acknowledge this by tithing.

(8) A rather widespread abuse is the use of our school Sis-
ters to get money for our school projects. The children are told

to bring a dime for this and a dime for that. The Sisters certainly

have enough to do without becoming money collectors for the

school. It is also taking an unfair advantage of the children and

their parents. Children hate to show up at school without doing

what sister asked. And, of course, never with this program in

the parish should a child come home with tickets to sell.

(9) A very practical idea is to have three or four of the
men of the parish to be the regular money counters for you on
Sunday morning. It relieves the pastor of a very time-consum-

— 41 —



ing job. Secondly it makes the men have more of the feeling of

belonging to the parish; and it’s always good for the men to see

what the collection really is.

(10) Here is another suggestion about people who start off

well in the beginning and fall off as the year progresses. Give

them about two months in which to correct themselves. If they

don't, you might send two of your best men around to visit them.

This, however, is a rather delicate matter and should be left up

to the judgment of the pastor as to the procedure to be followed

in each individual case.

(11) Newcomers to the parish should not have to wait nine

or ten months to learn about the program in the parish. As al-

ways, there should be a visit by the pastor as soon as possible.

After a visit from the Legion of Mary and a month or two has

passed, the pastor should drop in and explain God's Plan for

Church Support used by the parishioners of that parish.

(12) The program as outlined here is for putting the plan

into your parish the first time. Every year the same basic pro-

gram would be carried out. Every year you must set aside two

Sundays and the subject of money is discussed from the pulpit.

Once every year you have to review in the minds of the people

the original ideas you have given them on tithing and God's plan

for the support of His Church. And every year you must have

your parish Visitation Sunday and carry it on with the same

energy and zeal as the first time you did it.

The first year you will get the majority of the people to ac-

cept God’s plan. Don’t think you will get 100% cooperation the

first time. A pastor doesn't get all his people to attend Sunday
Mass, nor all of them to receive the Sacraments. But each year

you have the program in your parish, you will find an increase

in the number accepting the plan.

— 42



Part III

Sermon Outlines

Outline of Sermon No. 1

I. 1 am going to talk about money

(a)—Incorrect attitude.
—Some: reach for their wallets. No not going to talk you

out of something but—into something.
—Others: ‘‘Money is no subject for the pulpit.”

(Guilt complex)

(b)—Anything that involves your spiritual life is fitting
subject for the pulpit.

—Money has spiritual overtones

—

—people have been clubbed and murdered for money.
—paid by the drunkard; to the prostitute.
—Sins because of money.
—Souls are bought and sold for money. God Himself was

sold for 30 pieces of it.

—There are souls in hell today because of money.
Concl: Make sure money doesn’t ruin you.

II. Correct Attitude—given by God Himself
(a)—Key word—“Stewardship”-—not owners; but overseers.
—You don’t own material things. God just lends them

to you.

(b)—Principle: “Everything we have comes from God.” So
that we don’t forget this, God made a law that 1/10 goes
back to God.

(c)—God promises spiritual and material blessings to those
who tithe.

—Don’t people want spiritual and material blessings?
III. Holy Scripture on Tithing

(a)—Abraham gave tithes to the priest Melchisedech.
—Offered back to Abraham; but Abraham would not take

back the tithe given to God.

— 43



(b)—When Moses was given the Ten Commandments, there
followed more injunctions: . . . “Thou shalt not delay

to pay thy tithes and first fruits.”

(c)—In coming into the promised land God told the Jews
just where to offer their sacrifices, tithes and first

fruits.

(d)—After the Babylonian Captivity — (Aggeus) Jews re-
buked by God: “You have sown much and you have

brought in little; you have eaten but have not had

enough; you have drunk but have not been filled with

drink ... he that earns wages puts them into a bag with

holes.”

The Jews were not building the temple (falling down

with their tithing).

(e)—In the book of Malachias we find God amazed at the
stupidity of the Jews. God asks the Jews a question:

“Can a man rob God?”—and he answers it and tells
them that they were trying to rob God and as a result

they were cursed with want. Then God says to them:

“Bring all the tithes into the storehouse. Try Me in
this and see if I open not unto you the floodgates of

heaven and blessings unto abundance.”

(f)—Matt. 23, 23. Christ mentions how the Pharisees tithe
and adds that these things they should have done while

not leaving the weightier things of the law undone.

IV. Conclusion

(a)—Catholics gave tithes for over 1000 years.
(b)—God did not plan for His Church to depend on bingoes

and raffles for support.

(c)—Next Sunday I will explain how Catholics tithe and
why they should tithe.

(d)—Abuses that crept in is no argument to terminate the
system nor is it an argument to justify substitute meth-

ods of expanding God’s Kingdom.

Outline of Sermon No. 2

I. God’s Providential Plan for Everything

(a)—God not only created; but sustains from orbits of plants
to the smallest worm.

(b)—The Church is His plan for our salvation.
— 44



(c)—Inconceivable that God would have a plan for feeding
the birds of the air and no plan to support His Church

(Bride of Christ).

(b)—His plan for Church Support is the tithe.
II. The Way in Which Catholics tithe

(a)—Tithing—is giving one-tenth of your earnings to God.
(b)—In many cases about 2% of earnings are given to God

through Catholic school tuition.

(c)—2% given through public and private works of Charity.
(d)—Maybe 1% is given through the Bishop’s second collec-

tions.

(e)—5% or more would be given to the parish on Sunday.
(f)—It means—only one collection, once a week.

—no church bazaars
—no raffles with ticket-selling
—no bingo

III. Faith
,
Hope and Charity practiced

(a)—Faith:
—Must believe in God and His promise to give Him

the first ten percent.

—Belief in the words of Scripture.
(b)—Trust:
—Book of Malachias, God says: “Try Me” in this and this

means to “trust” Him.

—Do you trust God, or is He a liar?
—Will I keep a little back in case God does not come

through. Like putting it into a bag with holes.

(c)—Charity:
—People who say I love You God so much . . . just as

long as God does not touch their pocket books.

—Constant psychological law: If you really love someone
you want to give to him.

—Vain and empty to say you love God and not want to
give Him the first fruits of your earnings.

IV. God deserves first place

(a)—God is more important than your home, wife, washing
machine, anything else.

(b)—Give to God first to prove He has first place.
V. Conclusion

(a)—Today we ask you to sign cards.
—Simple statement of fact—no promise!
—

“I will return to God My Fair Share” on each card.

— 45



(b)—Can’t afford to tithe? You can’t afford not to tithe.
—Can’t afford to pass up all the promised blessings.
—Hebrews said at times: Couldn’t afford it and they were

cursed with want.

(c)—Take God as your partner. I guarantee. God is back-
ing me.

Outline of Sermon No. 3

I. Judas: “Better had he not been born

”

II.

(a)—Tragedy of Judas, due to (1) his love of money
(2) his lack of trust in God.

Bethany

(a)—Christ and Apostles invited to a meal by Mary, Martha
and Lazarus.

(b)—Mary pours $50.00 worth of ointment on feet of Christ.
—Judas shocked and disappointed.
—He fails to see that God comes first.

III. Judas
9

mistake
,
made today

(a)—First principle of tithing: Everything comes from God.
—God does not come second or third; but first.
—We prove this by tithing.

(b)—God does not want any tenth: but the first tenth.
He rebuked the Jews: “In what have you afflicted Me?

In tithes and first fruits.”

—Salary divided into pigeon holes, food, God, house,
clothing . . . but God gets No. 1 place.

(c)—Don’t give God the “left-overs.”
—He has not given us the “left-overs” — but His own

Flesh and Blood.

IV. Judas lacked trust in Christ

(a)—He remembered His prediction of His death more than
the promise of His resurrection.

(b)—Judas salvages for himself 30 pieces of silver.
(c)—How is your trust in God?

V. Conclusion

(a)—Give to God with love.
(b)—Can’t outdo God in generosity.
(c)—Give Him not your fair share, but His Fair Share.

(He already has said what this share is).

— 46—