Parish finances sink into the red

FOR the second year running, finances for Shannon parish are in the red. However, this year’s deficit of €15,384 can be attributed to the renovation project at Mary Immaculate Church, costing €30,000.

The parish financial statement, published at the weekend, shows that income amounted to €280,006.41 while expenditure came in at €295,390.87. Once again, the main source of income was the Sunday mass collections ,which amounted to €132,764, down from €147,655.50 from the previous year.
Shannon parish priest, Fr Tom Ryan acknowledged that the drop in income reflected people’s current financial situation.
“For the second year in succession, our Sunday collections shows a decline of €15,000 on the previous year. This is in line with parishioners’ personal experiences at the present time where incomes have been reduced,” he conceded.
Fr Ryan emphasised that one life-saving line to the parish at this time has been the tax rebate on parishioners’ contributions which, in the two years of their participation in the schemed, has accounted for a sum of €67,000 for the parish.
While €30,000 was invested in the extension to Mary Immaculate Church, expenditure in caretaking, repairs and maintenance of parish building amount to €86,065.36.
“In addition to the usual routine expenditure of the past year, over €60,000 was spent in rewiring and repairing the sinking floor of Mary Immaculate Church and in the coming weeks, work will begin on the building of a toilet block for the church,” he added.