Parish Finances

What happens with funds contributed in the parish weekly offertory collection?

The parish keeps 93 percent of the funds and 7 percent is allocated to Archdiocesan Operations. For example, if a parishioner makes a $20 contribution to the Sunday offertory, the parish keeps $18.60, typically used by the parish for operating expenses. The remaining $1.40 fulfills the parish assessment to the Archdiocese of Detroit’s Archdiocesan Operations. All parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit set aside 7 percent of their annual offertory collections to provide this assessment, known in Latin as the cathedraticum. In the Detroit Archdiocese, the assessment supports the programs and services coordinated through Archdiocesan Operations. Christmas collections are not subject to the 7 percent assessment. Parishes keep 100 percent of their Christmas offertory, typically the most generous collection of the year.