Priests in the Killaloe Diocese donated almost 344 thousand euro between them to bolster the coffers of the dioceses accounts over the past two years.
The financial dig out which amounts to over 3000 euro for each of the 90 priests was in response to an appeal by former Bishop Willie Walsh and has continued into 2011.
Accounts for the Catholic Diocese also reveal that donations fell by almost 20 thousand in last year compared to 2009- however it did receive a single donation of 100 thousand euro from an individual that year.
Bishop Kieran O’Reilly has expressed his sincere gratitude to the people of the Killaloe diocese, for their support in 2010.
The diocese accounts show an overall income of one-million-and-ninety-thousand-euro, with most of this made up of by parish contributions of 795 thousand and priest’s contributions of 172 thousand.
A drop in income from investments meant overall income was down by 80,000 euro, though cuts to spending on church renovations, professional fees and bank interest and charges helped the diocese report a surplus of 94,000 euro, virtually the same as 2009.
The accounts also show that contributions to Trocaire and to Missionary work both fell by ten thousand euro, though people in the diocese did show they generosity by donating 370 thousand euro to Haiti earthquake relief and 140 thousand to aid relief efforts following floods in Pakistan.
