St. Patrick Catholic Parish Newsletter — May 2023

Patrick’s PA r I s H St.

“Stewardship in the Family” Retreat Inviting Parishioners on a Closer Walk with Christ

As a co-founder of Catholic Stewardship Consultants — an organization committed to developing Disciples of Christ through the practice of stewardship at parishes across the United States — Lisa McArdle has been having conversations on the topic of stewardship with people all over the country for close to 25 years. Not long ago, however, she was so inspired by one of these conversations that she created an entirely new retreat experience.

“I was speaking with a gentleman recently and he apologized because he felt he hadn’t been a good steward in the parish,” Lisa says. “He had been the primary caretaker for his father, and told me that his father had just passed and now he hoped to be a better steward in the parish. My heart just broke, because what he didn’t understand was that he had been living as a steward in the best way he could by taking care of his family.”

On May 20, we will be blessed to have Lisa McArdle bring the “Stewardship in the Family” Retreat to our parish.

Following that conversation, Lisa knew she had a mission — helping people understand that we are all called to holiness, and that this call most

often begins right in our own homes. With this in mind, Lisa has begun leading retreats on the theme of “Stewardship in the Family.” On May 20, we will be blessed to have Lisa bring this retreat to our parish.

In contrast to many other spiritual experiences, the “Stewardship in the Family” retreat is directed by lay people. As a mother of five daughters ranging in age from 12 to 27 — and now a “Mimi” to three grandchildren — Lisa has experienced firsthand both the challenges and rewards of family life. Her talks at the retreat will highlight the spiritual transformation that takes place when we make stewardship central to our family life.

“We’re all called to live as stewards,” Lisa says. “It’s not just for saints or pastors or Pope Francis. Stewardship doesn’t just begin and end in our parish families either — it really begins at home in our domestic churches. Ultimately, that is where it is taught and resonates the most.”

The retreat will include talks, personal reflection, small-group discussion, and time for fellowship. As a busy mother, Lisa knows that it is not always easy to carve out the time for a retreat. Often, however, that is the very reason we should make the effort to do so!

“Families are so busy that we don’t know how to stop,” she says. “Learning to be still and finding out what God is calling us to is so important, and to be centered in our faith is now more essential than ever.

A priest once told me that we were created as human beings, not ‘human doings,’ and yet we’re so busy doing that we never stop to reflect. It’s really a gift to stop and make sure we’re on the path where God wants us.”

Lisa hopes that parishioners attending this retreat will return home with a renewed sense of their mission in this world — a mission that does not begin and end in our parish, but instead informs the way we live our lives, every day and everywhere.

“I encourage people to look at how they spend time with their families and what decisions they are making as a family of stewards,” she says. “God has given us all talents. Whether you are washing dishes, changing a diaper, cheering for your son at baseball games, caring for a parent — all of these things are important.”

All parishioners and visitors — from young parents to empty nesters to singles — are welcome to come experience together the spiritual growth that this retreat promises. A closer walk as disciples of Christ awaits you!

“I think that learning more about discipleship will transform hearts and transform lives,” Lisa says. “In turn, strengthening families will strengthen our parishes. I think of the words of St. Teresa of Calcutta — ‘If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.’ It sounds so simple, but it’s so profound. If we all did that, it would have a ripple effect and the world would be so much better.”

“Stewardship in the Family” Retreat continued from front cover

Honoring Our Lady in May

Dear Family,

May is Mary’s month. For centuries, Catholics throughout the world have included special devotions to the Blessed Mother in their activities during May. Best known, I’m sure, is the widespread and ever-popular practice of crowning an image of Our Lady with flowers during the month.

May is a beautiful month, full of renewal and hope. The March winds and the April showers have done their work, and the spring flowers are in bloom. Even though the earliest signs of spring have passed, May doesn’t quite have the look or feel of summer. It is spring at its finest! And it’s not only the flowers or trees that show new life in May. For many students, May is the month to prepare for graduations, and these students will soon move on to new phases in their lives.

And of course, May is a month of joy for all of us who claim the Church as our spiritual home. We spend the whole month this year in the Easter season, which closes with Pentecost on May 28. The joy of the Resurrection, the glory of the Ascension, and the descent of the Holy Spirit are the themes

that fill our Christian calendar. But as we rejoice with Mary at her Son’s triumph over sin, Satan, and death, we remember her faithfulness to God’s will throughout her life. Indeed, she can be viewed as the model Christian steward. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops pointed to her in its pastoral letter on stewardship: “After Jesus, it is the Blessed Virgin Mary who by her example most perfectly teaches the meaning of discipleship and stewardship in their fullest sense” (Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, 41).

Let us follow her example of total dedication to God as we rejoice in the blessings He gives us this month!

Your Father in Christ,

Fr. Estrella Pastor

“After Jesus, it is the Blessed Virgin Mary who by her example most perfectly teaches the meaning of discipleship and stewardship in their fullest sense”

(Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, 41).

On Saturday, April 1, our St. Patrick community celebrated the dedication of our renovated church. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this joyous occasion.

Parish Community Celebrates

Celebrates Our Dedication

The True Meaning of the Word

“STEWARDSHIP”

Stewardship simply means being grateful for all of God’s blessings. Everything we have — each breath we take on earth, the tremendous talents we possess, and our ability to earn income to sustain ourselves — all stem from God. We come into the world with nothing and we leave with nothing.

There is a stigma attached to the word “stewardship” in some Catholic parishes, likely because many pastors and parish leaders mistakenly equate stewardship to money. But a true steward knows that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Stewardship is a biblical principle that has nothing to do with money. Nineteen of the main parables of Christ relate directly to stewardship. And, in those parables when Christ speaks of stewardship, He never mentions raising money. Surprised?

Stewardship simply means being grateful for all of God’s blessings. Everything we have — each breath we take on earth, the tremendous talents we possess, and our ability to earn income to sustain ourselves — all stem from God. We come into the world with nothing and we leave with nothing.

Recognizing this and being grateful for our bountiful blessings is the first step of stewardship. Once these realizations fall into place, we are then eager to find a way to respond to God’s generosity and embark upon a stewardship way of life.

And stewardship is just that, a way of life. It is not like a TV show to which you can tune in whenever the mood strikes and shut off when you are no longer interested. It is truly a way of living.

Yet, the mere word “stewardship” has gotten a bad rap over the years — and not just by us laypeople.

According to the late stewardship pioneer Msgr. Thomas McGread, when a pastor speaks about money during his homily, 75 percent of the congregation immediately stops listening. However, did you know that tithing is mentioned in the Old Testament 39 times, and in the New Testament 11 times? Tithing is

biblically based, and it simply means to give a portion of our gifts back to God.

In 1992, when the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops were forming the Pastoral Letter on Stewardship, they originally didn’t want to title it Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response

“Instead, they wanted to just call it A Disciple’s Response, with the reason being that they felt ‘stewardship’ meant money,” said Msgr. McGread before his passing in April 2013. “I convinced them at the time that ‘stewardship’ is a biblical term and it is our job to explain what a steward is. Before the Pastoral Letter, most of us didn’t understand the spiritual dimension of stewardship.”

So, how do we go about sharing the spiritual dimensions of stewardship with fellow parishioners and lay leaders?

First of all, Msgr. McGread cited the importance of being hospitable and discovering the needs of parishioners. He felt that when parishioners were welcomed and their needs were met, they were fulfilled and felt a sense of belonging to their parish. This, in turn, creates ownership. Once parishioners felt like they were part of the parish, they wanted to respond by sharing their time, talent, and treasure to help make it the best parish community possible.

And, as parishioners support their parish with all of their resources out of gratitude, the entire parish blossoms. Prayers increase, ministries grow, and yes, the offertory increases. These blessings are natural outcomes of living a stewardship way of life and they are why we must always remember the true meaning of the word “stewardship.”

Book Club Brings Parishioners Together for Reading, Reflection and Fellowship

Shortly after Pam and Mike Moreland moved to St. Patrick Parish in early 2014, Mike met with then-Pastor Fr. Sylvester. The two discussed the activities Mike had been involved in at his previous parish.

“I told him that I visited elderly women, was the chairman of the Finance Council, and ran the parish book club,” Mike says. “He asked me to start a book club in this parish.”

On March 13, 2014, the Book Club met for the first time, discussing the book Rebuilt by Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran. The group began meeting every two months, allowing enough time for everyone to read the chosen book. Now, more than nine years later, the group has read more than 60 books over the years.

“Most books have Catholic authors,” Mike says. “We decided several years ago to alternate our selection between books about a saint and other books. Perhaps my favorite book was Divine Renovation by Fr. James Mallon. It is always hard to pick a favorite.”

For the first seven years, the group met on a Tuesday night, but ultimately moved to Monday afternoon in hopes of increasing attendance. The group remains small in number, but the impact it has on the parish community is significant. Mike says around 50 different parishioners of St. Patrick and St. Canice have attended at least one meeting since 2014.

“Included in the 50 are about six who have attended a majority of the meetings,” Mike says. “So why do we continue? Almost every month, someone tells me that they can’t attend the meetings to discuss the books, but they have read almost all of them. While the small group who attend most of the meetings enjoy discussing the books, we also believe we are providing a service to many more parishioners.”

The Book Club meets for about an hour and a half. Before the meeting, Pam and Mike develop some discussion questions to generate conversation within the group. During the meeting, the participants also have an opportunity to recommend the next book for the following meeting.

continued on back cover

(From left) Marilyn Peters, Mike Moreland and Pam Moreland

“It makes me feel part of the church in our community. I’ve met people that I might not have been able to meet, and shared stories and life happenings.

I think that it makes us feel proud and connected that we have brought something to the church that wasn’t there before.” — Pam Moreland

Patrick’s PA r I s H St.

235 Chapel Street

Grass Valley, CA 95945

(530) 273-2347

stpatrickgrassvalley.org

Book Club

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Pam works behind the scenes, researching the authors and reading reviews about the chosen books, sharing her findings with the group.

“Then it’s mostly us sharing around the table of how the book affected you and what changes it might’ve helped you make in your life,” Pam says.

The group creates an atmosphere of fellowship for our parish community, which reaches beyond the participants who meet together.

“I think in the discussion of the books, everybody who’s present will then talk to somebody else about that book, and bring the joy of reading,” Pam says. “And that in its own way is stewardship because you are growing the faith.”

Mike has enjoyed learning more about the saints and various moments in Church history. He says the group

has helped him read books that he otherwise wouldn’t have even known about.

“I think it’s important to the community because, like others, I would not have read most of these books had I not had a book club concentrated on religious books,” he says. “Getting more people to read religious books is really helpful.”

Pam also enjoys connecting with others in the parish community through the Book Club. The group is open to anyone and welcomes new members.

“It makes me feel part of the church in our community,” Pam says. “I’ve met people that I might not have been able to meet and shared stories and life happenings. I think that it makes us feel proud and connected that we have brought something to the church that wasn’t there before.”

For more information, or to get involved in the Book Club, contact Pam or Mike Moreland at 530-615-4128 or mcmoreland17@gmail.com