"Tithing gives me that certainty that God is with me all the way. . . [that] I should not be afraid. That feeling is nice!"

A parishioner
Rev. Msgr. Joachim Beaumont
St Emeric, New York, NY

"Tithing is the ultimate act of faith. . ."

A parishioner
Rev. Msgr. John Miller
St. Frances Cabrini, Fairless Hills, PA

"I have been tithing without calling it that all my adult life. My mother always believed if you give to the church, no matter what problems come your way, you will overcome them. My experience convinces me that this is true."

A parishioner
Rev. John Lavin C.SS.R.
St. Michael and St. Patrick, Baltimore, MD

"Saying we love someone is easy. Proving it with service is harder, but it really makes our love come alive. Tithing is like that for me."

A parishioner
Rev. Msgr. William M. Richardson, V.F.
Cathedral Parish of St. Patrick, Harrisburg, PA

"For me, one benefit of tithing is that for the first time ever I now budget how to spend the resources God provides. Receiving a once-a-month pension was, in the past, a problem. I’d spend much of the money at the beginning of the month, and then try to meet my end-of-the-month obligations (at times borrowing on my credit cards). Tithing has helped me to budget carefully. . .to plan in advance to meet my obligations each month. I now write out all of the month’s checks when my pension arrives, then hold the checks for use at the appropriate times. The first checks each month are for St. Rose: 5% for each weekly Offertory collection plus an additional amount (from the other 5%) for any other collections.

Since adopting tithing, I am more aware of making a fair return to God first as well as experiencing greater control of my overall finances."

A parishioner
Rev. Peter Gillen
St. Rose of Lima, Rockaway Beach, NY

"I used to be afraid to tithe because I was afraid that I could not pay my bills. I thought I had to be ‘careful’, even in giving to the Lord. But I was forgetting something so important. What I was trying to be careful with was from the Lord in the first place. I am not afraid to tithe anymore because I know that God is watching over me. My tithing shouts it loud and clear! I believe in you, Lord!"

A parishioner
Rev. Nicholas Bozza
St. George, Paterson, NJ

"Thank you for the opportunity to prioritize. The majority of our 10% has always been given to outside the [parish] - Missions, etc. It is not only a blessing to be here at Immaculate Conception, but a real blessing to give here also."

A parishioner
Rev. Msgr. Francis Hudak
Immaculate Conception, New Oxford, PA

"What is the measure of a man? According to people or according to God? I found out that tithing doesn’t rely on impressing people or God. It’s based on how much we really mean we love God."

A parishioner
Rev. Marcello J. Latona
Holy Trinity, Whitestone, NY

"I have received so much from the Lord, I will gladly sacrifice to tithe. Thank you, Monsignor, for emphasizing the voluntary nature of tithing in OLM parish."

A parishioner
Rev. Msgr. John J. Carroll
Our Lady of the Magnificat, Kinnelon, NJ

"I’m glad we’ve begun tithing. We’ve doubled our giving. It was about time. I guess we needed to be motivated. It’s definitely the right thing to do. We would like to know what’s being done about ‘tithing the tithe’. Have we given any donations to the poor?"

A parishioner
Rev. Msgr. J. Peter Cullen
St. Aloysius, New Canaan, CT

"It is not possible to know God merely through a materialistic understanding of Him. We have to experience God through our love and prayer, in silence and with sacrifice."

A parishioner
Rev. Alexander Masluk
Our Mother of Sorrows, Philadelphia

"Because we as a parish have adopted tithing as the way to return to God a portion of what He has given us, He continues to show me as your pastor that He will meet our needs and will not be outdone in generosity. Several of you have come forward in the last few weeks to volunteer to help me with the business of the parish and I am most appreciative. You are a sign to me that Jesus is in charge and is holding each of us in the palm of His hand."

Rev. Brian E. Jeffries
St. Augustine, Seymour, CT

"As I look at the income for our parish: your giving on Sundays, your giving at Christmas, the time involved with the pierogies, the time involved with the Block Party, I continue to be in awe because of your generosity. Generosity in giving of your time and resources for people. Thank you."

Rev. Philip G. Burger
Our Lady of Hope, Coal Township, PA

"Gifts are a way of saying ‘I love you’. All that we have is God’s way of saying ‘I love you’, and the return we make to the Lord says ‘I love you too’. Thank you for . . . saying ‘I love you, God."

Rev. Philip G. Burger
St. Patrick Trevorton, PA

"Brian Jones and Bertrand Picard were the first people to fly around the world in a hot air balloon. They won a prize of $1 million. In the course of the trip, they flew over some very poor countries. So they agreed to donate half of the prize to the poor.

"Brian Jones and Bertrand Picard have the right idea. We are in this world not just to ‘fly over’ people in need, but to make a difference. Tithing is our way of making a difference, of giving some of what we receive to God and to those in need."

Rev. Msgr. Lawrence E. Hinch
St. Teresa, Woodside, NY

"Serenity comes to those who know in their hearts they are doing the right thing. Tithing is a vehicle to attain peace in our lives. Each individual needs to return a tenth to God as much as the Church needs the tithing. Actually, the individual needs to do it more than the Church needs to receive it."

Rev. Charles J. McElroy
St. Mary’s, Schwenksville, PA

"If someone were begging for a dime, would you give him or her anything? If you gave them something, would it just be a dime? If that beggar were Christ, would you give Him more? Does Christ have to beg us for what we have already received as gifts from God?"

Rev. Marcello Latona
Holy Trinity, Whitestone, NY

"Thank you for your sacrificial support of our parish last weekend. Since it was also Valentine’s Day, we can talk about a love gift, a gift of love which is always sacrificial because it has to be the best we have even when it hurts a little. Now we’re in Lent, and we focus on the Lord’s sacrifice for us. It didn’t "hurt"? With His 100% sacrifice in mind, our dedicated 10% will keep us on the path to giving our all for Him.

". . .One of our parishioners has offered his services to the Gerry McKenna Tithing Ministry in thanksgiving for all the blessings he recognizes.   He will be sharing his witness, as volunteers did for us, some 8 times a year with parishes who seek the same kind of conversion this gift from God is bringing us."

Rev. Msgr. John Miller
St. Frances Cabrini, Fairless Hills, PA

"All it takes is time and effort. Think about it: you have a plain bar of iron worth about $10 to begin with. Made into horseshoes, it’s worth $22.50. Made into screwdrivers or kitchen cutlery, it may be worth $250. Made into balance springs for watches, it may be worth $250,000. The same thing is true of another kind of material – YOU! Your decision to invest time and effort in the work of Christ’s Church is one of the most fateful decisions you’ll ever make. To make that decision in your early years is like putting money into the savings bank and allowing it to produce interest – and value – for the rest of your life."

Rev. Msgr. Richard Behl, D.Min
St. Francis Cathedral, Metuchen, NJ

"The witnesses who were here in the fall to share their tithing experiences with us testified again that tithing is about faith, not finances. Thanks to all who are trying God’s plan."

Rev. Peter D. Gillen
St. Rose of Lima, Rockaway Beach, NY

"Jesus’ fickle followers hailed him as a King on Palm Sunday and demanded his death five days later. One way in which we prove our faithfulness to Jesus is by our tithe - sharing our time, talent and treasure with the Lord’s own people. Thank you for being faithful in your support of your parish."

Rev. Msgr. Leo N. Bierster
St. Joan of Arc, Hershey, PA

"An elderly man stopped at a Hearing Aid Center and asked about cost. ‘We have them from $2,500 down to $1.50,’ the salesperson said. ‘What’s the $2,500 one like?’ ‘Well, it translates three languages and is the latest in electronics.’ ‘And what about the one for $1.50?’ ‘It’s this button attached to a string,’ the salesman said. ‘How does it work?’ ‘It doesn’t. But if you put it in your ear and the string in your pocket, you’ll be surprised at how loud people will talk.’

"As Catholics, we ‘hear’ a lot of talk about money. Maybe [that’s because] so few ‘listen’. Frequently. . . I tell others of the generosity and sacrificial giving of the people of College Point. Your love of St. Fidelis is clearly demonstrated in your financial commitment to our parish. May God bless you one hundred-fold for your tithe."

Rev. Arthur Minichello
St. Fidelis, College Point, NY