Meeting Our Diocese's 'Stewards Of God's Grace'

The first phase of our four-phase parishes-diocesan “shared” campaign, Stewards of God’s Grace; Providing for the Needs of the Church in Southwest Indiana, is well underway.  In preparation for this first phase, I met with parishioners from each of the eight parishes in our pilot group.  I greatly appreciated the opportunity to gather with pastors and parishioners at each parish site. I plan to do the same for each phase.  I hope that people have found these occasions to be informative. The opportunity for dialogue, as Pope Francis consistently reminds us, cannot be underestimated.  

    In addition to parish meetings, I have also been involved with asking for specific campaign pledges and/or gifts from a number of designated donors. While the actual prospect of asking has never been high on my list of joys as a priest or bishop, I am humbled by the personal encounter with each person I have the pleasure of meeting and engaging in conversation.  It is especially most gratifying to discuss a shared love and respect for our Catholic faith and the mission of the Church.  It is especially in the asking part of the campaign that I keep before me the fact that it is all about Jesus Christ.  I am not asking for me, but for Him.  It is about carrying forth the mission of Jesus Christ as entrusted to the Church.

    While each household is given a specific amount to consider for a campaign pledge/gift, the ultimate decision for each pledge/gift is left to the discretion of each donor.  While we might speculate what someone may be capable of giving, no one can know all there is to know about another person or household.  Expenses, like income, can change over time.  Often, people have expenses or extenuating circumstances that remain unknown to others.  We must always respect the privacy, conscience and decision of each donor in such a campaign process.

    I sincerely believe that our parishes-diocesan “shared” campaign will prove to have a long-lasting transformative impact throughout the 12 counties that comprise the Diocese of Evansville.  While I believe firmly in the Diocesan case (e.g. Vocations, Catholic Education, Social Outreach and Building Improvements), I am especially excited about the prospect of strengthening and enhancing the ministries and services of each parish throughout the 12 counties of southwest Indiana.  Whether the case for any given parish involves a building project, a restoration need, an outreach program or endowment for future planning, it is exciting to consider the potential for each and every parish in our Diocese.  Realizing that potential is even more exciting.

While our Catholic Parishes Campaign (CPC) enables us to provide for the ongoing operations of the Diocese, our Stewards of God’s Grace Campaign is enabling us to develop a more solid foundation for many years to come in bearing witness to Jesus Christ through our Catholic identity, presence and mission.

As I have stated previously, the campaign is not just about finances.  It is my deepest hope and expectation that this is a special opportunity for a renewed sense of spirituality and stewardship.  The viability of our parishes and vitality of our diocese is as much about the stewardship of time and talent as it is about treasure.  Authentic stewardship, if it is to be fruitful and lasting, must necessarily be grounded in a proper spirituality.  All we have and are comes from the goodness of God, especially the salvation won for us through the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We are nothing without God.  First and foremost, being Eucharistic-centered, we must have a spirit of gratitude.  From such a spirit, all prayer and sacrifice flow most generously.  Possessing a spirit of gratitude, we are more apt to take nothing for granted and to give more freely of ourselves to God and others.  As such, stewardship simply becomes a way of life rather than a sense of burdensome responsibility or some type of quid-pro-quo.  Amid whatever hardships, challenges and struggles that may exist in our lives, we are richly blessed because of God’s mercy for each and every one of us.  May we use our blessings—whether it be of health, ability, energy, insight, passion, possessions, financial means, etc.—to make a difference in the life of the Church and all those who seek to encounter the mercy of God through her.  May each of us, in our own unique way, be a steward of God’s grace.