Stewardship

“The promotion of the practice of stewardship is important for the mission of the Church and for the spiritual well-being of each individual Christian. Everyone benefits from the sacrificial gift one makes of his time, talent and treasure.”—Pope Benedict XVI

Why does everyone benefit from a sacrificial gift? We know that the recipient benefits from being given a gift. The gift satisfies some need of the recipient. Therefore, the recipient no longer suffers a deprivation. Thus, he or she is drawn to be grateful for the gift received and gratitude itself is beneficial to one’s spiritual life.

However, the donor also benefits from making a sacrificial gift. The gift given is an expression of solidarity with one’s neighbor. This brings joy to the heart of the giver because he or she is imitating the generosity of Christ, who gave everything for others. In this way, too, the spiritual life of the giver is enriched.

Then there is the mission of St. Mary’s, which is to be a community of faith through the celebration of liturgy, worship, and sacramental life. The mission is financed by the budget.

Most of the budget is for wages and salaries of employees. The liturgy is the heart of the parish and must be adequately funded. In addition, there is a great deal of work that is done every day at the parish to ensure that the needs of parishioners are met. Not only are there the wages for the office staff, but also St. Mary’s fulfills its mission of Catholic education and formation by subsidizing St. Croix Catholic School and St. Croix Valley Faith Formation. Finally, the janitorial staff keeps the buildings clean and functioning, and is also responsible for the upkeep of the parish grounds.

Following the words of Pope Benedict, St. Mary’s promotes the practice of sacrificial stewardship in order to carry out the mission of St. Mary’s and for the spiritual well-being of each individual parishioner. We strive to remember that everyone benefits from the sacrificial gift one makes of his or her time, talent and treasure.

Fr. John LeVoir