Poverty threatens priests as most live on salaries well below average wage

MOST priests are living on salaries well below the average industrial wage and some would not survive without the support of their families.

Priests in Dublin are paid around 17,000 while their rural counterparts get around 13,000.

A steep decline in Mass attendance and religious observance generally is further lightening of the Church’s coffers.

A common misconception is that the proceeds from the collection at Sunday Mass go to priests personally. In the great majority of cases, however, money that is put on the “plate’’ goes towards the maintenance of churches and other buildings.

The personal income of priests is nearly always from regular dues, administration of the sacraments and Mass offerings.

In the Kerry Diocese, for example, the basic salary of a curate is around 13,000, with a parish priest getting about 600 more.

Administrator of Killarney parish, Fr Gearoid Walsh, has drawn his parishioners’ attention to the situation, pointing out that only one in four people pay their dues, which are the main source of the clergy’s income.

Such dues are collected at spring and autumn stations, Christmas and Easter and November offerings.

There’s also income from baptisms, marriages, funerals and chaplaincies.

However, out of such earnings must be paid costs of cars, telephones, electricity and contributions to funds for sick and retired priests.

The Catholic Press and Information Office yesterday pointed out that systems of paying clergy can vary from diocese to diocese.

Some dioceses make a contribution towards a priest’s expenses of running a car and paying household bills. There’s also a system whereby priests in poorer parishes can be subvented by better-off parishes.

In Dublin, out of a 17,000-18,000 salary, priests must pay their own car and household bills.

There are two Sunday Mass collections in Dublin, one of which is for the income of clergy and the second, called a share fund, is for the upkeep of buildings and construction work in 200 parishes.

“This year, a restoration programme involving 28 churches is costing 10m and the programme over the next five years will cost 15m per year,” said Fr Damian McNeice, communications officer for the Dublin Diocese.

In other dioceses, priests’ salaries are in the 12,000-13,000 range.

“We’re very pleased with that. You must consider that we have free accommodation to start with and that we don’t have dependants to support,” said one western priest.

“We haven’t spoken about money in our parish for a number of years. We’re getting by okay with the support of the people and are happy to be able to meet their needs.”