Donations to Trócaire from individual members of the clergy and
religious orders amounted to almost €1m in 2012, new figures reveal.
Members of the clergy donated €765,866 of their own personal income
to the overseas development agency last year, while the religious orders
made donations amounting to €150,977.
Trócaire is the official overseas development agency of the Catholic
Church in Ireland and this year the charity marks 40 years since its
foundation.
Trócaire’s executive director, Justin Kilcullen paid tribute to the
personal commitment of the clergy to overseas development and their
promotion of the agency’s work throughout parishes in Ireland.
“What these figures show is that members of the clergy lead by
example when it comes to supporting vital work overseas,” Mr Kilcullen
said.
“As well as facilitating collections at churches all over Ireland,
priests also donate a significant proportion of their own money to help
support communities across Africa, Asia and Latin America. This support
is absolutely vital in our quest for a just world. This year Trócaire marks its 40th anniversary. The organisation was
established as a way for people in Ireland to express their solidarity
with communities in the developing world. As we enter our 40th year, I
would like to thank parishes across the country for their ongoing
support, which is changing the lives of the people we work with,” he
said.
Total public donations to Trócaire for the year 2012 amounted to €25,771,596.