A Stewardship Parish
Gifts of Time,
Talent & Treasure
†
“If you wish to come after me,
you must deny yourself,
take up your cross and
follow me.
For if you wish to save
your life you will lose it,
but if you lose your life for my sake you will save it.”
Luke
9:23-24
St. Mary
is a Stewardship Parish.
This means that as a parish community we are striving to
embrace stewardship as a way of life. Stewardship is the recognition
that all we are and possess are gifts from God. It reminds us to
keep God first in all aspects of our lives.
As the
To be a stewardship parish means to be a parish that reflects the
Catholic Church in the first century. The description in the Acts of
the Apostles of the early faith community is the blueprint for what
it means to be a stewardship parish:
“The
group of believers was one in mind and heart. No one said that any
of their belongings was their own, but they all shared with one
another everything they had.”
(Acts
A
stewardship parish is simply a parish made up of believers who
recognize that they own nothing, that they are simply caretakers,
stewards of all God has entrusted to them.
A
stewardship parish:
-
Puts God first in all aspects of parish life, assuring all the parish does is for the glory of God and in response to God’s generosity.
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Shares the gifts given to it with others in love and justice.
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Invites, develops and fosters the talents and skills of its parishioners.
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Provides varied opportunities for parishioners to deepen their relationship with God through prayer, Scripture, vibrant liturgies and ongoing education for members of all ages on the Catholic faith.
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Is open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance for its ministries, leaders and mission.
How do
you get started, practicing Stewardship in your own life?
“Stewardship is a conversion journey of receiving God’s love and
returning love to Him.
A conversion requires prayer, reflection and time to allow God to
show us who we are and the person of love that we can become.
Throughout the conversion experience, the disciple yearns to
change and grow into the person God created them to be – a steward
uniquely His own, but united in one Body through Jesus Christ.
Stewardship transforms lives because of its love and it is in
this transformation process and conversion journey towards love that
we give new life to the Church.”
Catholic Diocese of
At
St. Mary, we invite you to:
† Pray.
Prayer is the beginning of stewardship. Only when we spend
time with God in prayer are we spiritually prepared to offer
ourselves in service to others.
In prayer we come to grow in our love for Christ and in our
desire to reflect Him more beautifully.
"Behold, I stand at the door
and knock…” Revelations. 3, 20
† Act.
Go for it. Knowing what your
talents are and what time you are able to give is important.
Review the many Ministries active in our parish (by visiting
the “Serving in Ministry” link) and choose on ministry to get
involved with or recommit to this year.
Fill out a Commitment Card (link located to the left) and
return it to our parish office.
“It is
in giving that we receive”. St. Francis of
† Give.
In thanksgiving for the many
gifts God has given you, please make an effort to support
financially the many good works that St. Mary Parish offers.
“A
person whose hands are full of parcels cannot receive a gift.”
C.S. Lewis
“In the
deepening conversion of love, the steward learns to give of self
through time, talent and treasure, not out of obligation and duty,
but out of sincere desire.
The steward recognizes within the very nature of the human
person, an inherent need to give.
For the steward, this way of
life and giving of love becomes as natural as breathing itself.”
Catholic Diocese of