DISTRICT. The annual financial statements of the Archdiocese of Salzburg for 2020 show income of around 61.1 million euros and a balanced result. At just under 50.2 million euros, church contributions make up 82.18 percent of total income and have increased by one percent compared to 2019.
“Around 90 percent of Catholics in the Archdiocese of Salzburg make their church contribution on time, that is a great vote of confidence,” said Finance Chamber Director Cornelius Inama at the presentation of the balance sheet for the previous year. The church contribution is the backbone of the archdiocese’s financial stability. Because the payment of the priests and their staff, the pastoral and social tasks, the responsibility for many educational and pedagogical institutions and the maintenance of around 900 mostly listed churches and secular buildings are the largest items in the church budget. The personnel costs amounted to 35.7 million euros last year, that is 58.5 percent of the income.
The possibility of paying one’s church fee via direct debit and thereby saving four percent is particularly popular. “We are very grateful for the grant of 4.1 million euros from the Corona Fund to support non-profit organizations (NPO) for the 220 parishes that had to forego a large part of their collections due to the corona pandemic”, stresses the diocesan economist.
Hundreds of construction projects in Salzburg and Tyrol
The construction costs in 2020 hit around 11.5 million euros. In total, more than 100 church buildings were given grants.
Numerous projects were also supported in the Tyrolean part of the archdiocese. For example, the parishes received for the renovation of churches in Brixen im Thale, Kufstein-St. Vitus, Oberlangkampfen, St. Johann in Tirol, Wörgl, Thierbach and Zell am Ziller Money from the church contribution. Construction work at many parsonages, including in Alpbach, Oberau and Reith im Alpachtal, was funded with substantial amounts from the diocesan budget.
Since mainly companies from the region are commissioned with construction projects in the parishes, they are an essential contribution to regional economic development.
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