CINCINNATI - No cash for the collection basket at church? No problem. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati has made online giving an option for its 230 parishes and 110 parochial and diocesan schools in its 19-county region.

"It's a way to make things a little easier for people and for them to be a little more regular in their giving to the church," Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk said.

The new way, he said, won't replace the old: the collection basket during Mass.

With the online donation option, the diocese joined a growing group of churches nationwide that are using technology and the Internet to make weekly giving easier.

Churches say high-tech donations are a response to changes in society, with fewer people carrying cash and using credit and ATM cards and the Internet to make transactions.

Churches in St. Louis enlisted online charity firms, and others, including in Georgia and California, have used ATMs placed inside the church.

The Cincinnati program was created as part of the Catholic Ministries Appeal, which funds programs such as the seminary, priest retirements and Catholic Social Services.

About 2.5 to 4 cents of each dollar donated goes to pay fees involved with online collections, such as maintenance of the secure site used to collect donations.

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On the Net:

Archdiocese of Cincinnati: http://www.catholiccincinnati.org/