CATHOLIC CHURCHES across Dublin are set to introduce contactless card payments for patrons in an attempt to combat a decline in donations.
A trial of the new system is being rolled out in five Catholic Churches across the Irish capital as part of a concerted effort to modernise services for worshippers.
With few and few people carrying cash, the Church is hopeful the change can help combat a decline which, according to Times Ireland Edition, has resulted in a 19% decrease in the value of donations and legacies at the archdioceses between 2016 and 2017 alone.
The most recently available account filings show€2.4 million was donated in 2017, compared with €3.1 million the year before.
“We are piloting a new payment method in a small number of churches, with card machines in place at the back of the church to allow parishioners to make a contactless contribution,” a spokesperson for the archdiocese told the news provider.
“We plan to roll out the ability for the majority of parishes to accept card-based payments using a parish payments system. This will cover many transactions such as offerings, pilgrimage payments and will enable parishioners to sign up for recurring contributions.”
Despite these attempts at modernisation, traditional basket collections will stay in place at the churches testing out the new system.
Should the test run prove successful then more contactless card payment systems are set to be introduced in churches across Ireland.
See More: Catholic Church, Church, Church Donations
