Dear Members of St. Mary’s,

Thank you for taking the time to read this new and revised stewardship booklet for St. Mary’s parish.  Stewardship is more than just a program; it is a way of life. Stewardship is defined as the job of supervising or taking care of something, such as an organization or property. This is precisely what we hear in the opening book of the Bible. In the beginning God created Adam and Eve and gave them stewardship over all creation. According to our Catholic faith, nothing we have, in the end, is really ours. We are however, responsible for using what we have for the purpose of God. In prayer, service and sharing, we recognize the time we have been given to develop the fullness of joy in giving and Jesus did and the full realization in that giving with Our Lord in His kingdom. In prayer we unite our desires to Jesus and He relates His desires to us. In service, we follow the path of Jesus who came to serve and not be served. In sharing we prove where our true treasure is really found.

 My hope is that, as you read with book, you will find some need of the parish within these pages where you might find a way in which you can return the gifts, talents or charisms that you have receive from your Creator.  This is not just about giving to the parish, but giving to the people whom the parish serves.

Fr. Michael Warden