April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
Stewardship assists needy
Those words are often heard from pulpits during annual collections, such as the Bishop's Appeal, or in relation to weekly Mass offerings.
Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, in his 1988 pastoral letter titled "We Are God's Priestly People," suggested that Catholics view stewardship and sacrificial giving as "a commitment in faith, a call to work with and through each other to build the kingdom of God here on earth."
Generosity
"In the past three years in particular, the people of this Diocese have generously responded in all areas where the Bishop and the pastors have called them for sacrificial giving," said John Manning, director of the diocesan Bishop's Appeal and Stewardship Office.He was referring, in particular, to the annual Bishop's Appeal and the Capital Campaign 2000, during which $58 million was pledged by Catholics for long-range programs in education, charities and other needs.
"We consider all parishes in our Diocese to be stewardship parishes," he said, adding that they follow the Bishop's directives by calling for a stewardship that includes the donation of time, talent and treasure.
Changes in giving
As the result of the advent of the diocesan stewardship program in the 1980s, several parishes discovered how to expand the generosity of their people. St. Madeleine Sophie Church in Guilderland was one of them. In 1989, parishioners there began a pilot program they called "sacrificial sharing."According to the then-pastor Rev. Frank Gilchrist, as a result of the sacrificial giving program, St. Madeleine Sophie's realized an increased income of 76 percent.
"It was amazing," he said. "When we realized how much money we had, we decided to reach out to the larger community" by donating to non-profit organizations in need.
Pledges
The increase in donations was due to many parishioners pledging up to ten percent of their income.Once the program was established, St. Madeleine Sophie's was giving other groups "about $3,500 quarterly," Father Gilchrist said. The groups included overseas missions as well as organizations that provide food, clothing, shelter and education.
"Implementing the sacrificial sharing program allowed us to assist groups that really needed help," said Father Gilchrist.
Called as stewards
Mr. Manning would like Catholics to weigh their personal commitment to sacrificial giving and stewardship."We all have a call to stewardship," he said. "This call includes giving sacrificially to support your parish, your Diocese and its programs. As Christians, we have the quintessential role model to follow: Jesus. He gave 100 percent of His time, talent and treasures. We are asking that people consider sacrificial giving as an important priority in their lives -- and stewardship as a continuing sacrificial call."
In his pastoral, Bishop Hubbard noted: "What [Jesus] asks His followers [to do] is to become involved and to share of themselves totally, not only with their financial assets, but equally important, with their time and the special gifts or talents they have received from God. Stewardship is not about money; it is about faith."
(02-07-02) [[In-content Ad]]
MORE NEWS STORIES
- In installation homily, Vancouver’s new archbishop says, ‘Our world needs Jesus Christ!’
- Pope asks priests to be signs of reconciliation in the church and world
- Picturesque Catholic village in Switzerland buried under landslide
- Cupich: If Illinois assisted-suicide bill becomes law, it could spur ‘suicide contagion’
- British Catholics warn of conflict over interference in confessions
- Washington Roundup: Elon Musk’s tenure ends, Biden makes first public remarks since cancer diagnosis
- Justices allow Trump to end deportation protections for 500,000 migrants
- Religious sisters played role in pope’s formation in grade school, NJ province discovers
- Retired Portland Archbishop John G. Vlazny, defender of immigrants, dies at 88
- Decisions, relationships, actions must be rooted in nonviolence, pope says
Comments:
You must login to comment.