3 Hour Tour, here's the answer you were looking for....

I know it's irregular to start a new thread for the same topic but the original got derailed by an idiot poo-flinger and the actual answer to your question is going to get lost in the shuffle. This if from the Diocese of Spokane, although I would add a couple of caveats:

quote:

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MASS STIPENDS/OFFERINGS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF SACRAMENTS The offerings made by the faithful for the administration of the Sacraments are to be accepted on behalf of the parish and deposited into parish financial accounts even if offering is endorsed in the name of the priest himself ... All offerings of the faithful received at the time of priestly service shall be accepted on behalf of the parish. Mindful of the principle of c. 848, parishes may establish a suggested offering for the faithful on the occasion of administration of the Sacraments. Effective March 1, 2008, the Diocese recommends that an appropriate Mass stipend is $10. The donation to the parish at the time of a funeral, wedding or baptism should reflect the real economic costs and service supported by the parish community. The suggested stipends are: $75 for a Baptism; $200 for a funeral; and $300 or 10% of the family expenditure for the cost of a wedding.

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When my first niece was baptized I donated $250 to St. Nicholas of Myra in Lake Catherine. (Father Red put it in the poor box.) The second time it was scheduled at the last minute.

Another important thing to remember is different priests have different rules when it comes to accepting personal gifts. If the priest belongs to an order that requires a vow of poverty (such as the Franciscans), they cannot accept gifts of any kind and have to turn them over to the order. Diocesan priests typically do not take a vow of poverty--they are expected to live modestly but there's no strict definition, so if the priest who does the baptism is a diocesan priest (or if the baptism is perfomred by a deacon) there may be some wiggle room depending on the guidelines of your diocese.