Collections and Second Collections — Why We Have Them, and When They are Especially Good

Except for the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, there is nothing in the Roman Rite about taking up collections at Mass. Yet, it is a common practice at Sunday Mass. Some find this objectionable; however, one of the precepts of the Catholic Church is that Catholics are to take care of the needs of the Church, and giving money is an efficient way to do this. Money helps pay the Church clergy and staff, it funds the Church's outreach efforts, and it purchases materials that the Church needs for its liturgy (bread, wine, vestments, vessels, etc.) and mission (religious education materials, the cost of meeting spaces, funds for the needy, etc.). The collection is usually taken up while the altar is being prepared for the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and the money collected is brought to the altar in procession with the bread and wine.
       Then there are the infamous "second collections." These are (typically) appeals for special projects or causes. Some are mandated by the local bishop or the conference of bishops (e.g., a second collection is always taken up for Catholic Relief Services every March); other collections are at the direction of the pastor (e.g., a monthly second collection to pay off parish debt). Second collections are sometimes taken up right after the regular collection; more often, they are taken up between the Communion Rite and the Concluding Rites (i.e., as the announcements are read). What often works best is for the first announcement say what the collection is for so that people know what the cause is for that particular collection.
       Personally, I hope that every parish takes up a second collection this weekend for the Haiti relief effort, and I hope every Catholic in the world contributes something to it. The earthquake this week in Haiti affected over 3 million people and early estimates are that this could be the single most destructive natural disaster in world history, with hundreds of thousands of people killed as a direct or indirect result of the quake. If your parish doesn't do something, please consider donating directly through Catholic Relief Services, Caritas Internationalis, or one of the other great Catholic charities that provide international disaster relief. Haiti was such a poor country to begin with, and this week's disaster is only increasing the suffering of the people in that country. As Catholics, we have a preferential option for the poor, the vulnerable, and the suffering; the best way we can respond in this situation is to help fund the relief effort.