COVID-19 Communication

Sample communication for your online offertory

In order to help keep your offertory strong while Mass attendance is restricted, use these sample text message, email and Flocknote templates for communicating with your parishioners. Be sure to always direct readers to a page on your website that has a payments form available to them immediately following the communication. This way they can easily participate in online offering. 

When using these templates, be sure to populate specific information about your parish into each message before sending to your parishioners.

Sample Text or Flocknote Text Message:

Please join the parish from your home to watch the [enter time] Mass on [enter date] at [parishname.org]. Also, remember you may submit your weekly offering too at [parishname.org/donate]. Peace be with you.

Sample Email/Flocknote Message #1:

Announcing your online Mass and payments …

[Or include a short announcement in an email linking to the full message in a news post online.]

Dear parish families and parishioners, 

Please know you remain in my prayers during this time. Our church might be a little quieter for the moment, but our parish can still be much alive within your individual homes. Remember, you are the Church, even within the unexpected hermitage we have all found ourselves dwelling. Though we should continue on with strong prayer and catechesis as individual families at home, we can still connect as a parish through online capabilities. Here is how:

Mass Online

We have worked hard to help you have access to watch Mass. Please visit the parish site, [www.parishname.org], to be directed to view Mass on [insert days of the week and times]. 

[Give any additional detail about whether live streamed, a Mass module, or recorded from parish, diocese, or another source.]

Your Sunday offering

And please also remember, even though our church is quiet, facility utilities do not go away. Needs of our community, ministry, and families still remain as well. We can not meet such needs without your help. As we are not able to serve in large groups or in person, our gifts of prayer and treasure are ever so important, even crucial to get us through this difficult time. 

If you haven’t already, please consider setting up a recurring gift online. It takes two simple steps and the rest is seamless, automatic, and very flexible. Please visit our donation page at [parishname.org/donate] to learn more about this important service. 

You can also continue to mail your gifts and envelopes to the parish at: [insert parish address].

May God bless you and your loved ones. 

[Insert a parish prayer or one for intercession or hope at this time.]

In Christ, 

[Name or priest, pastor, director]

Sample Email/Flocknote Message #2:

Remember Online Giving

We are so grateful to continue receiving weekly offering gifts. Please remember envelopes may be sent by mail to the parish office, or you may easily give online at [parishname.org/donate]. In two simple steps, you can set up an automatic recurring gift, and specify when and how often you’d like to give online. Please see these beneficial options for during this time as it will greatly help continue the mission and work of the parish.