Drew and Joanne Bodner Reflect on Stewardship: Grateful For The Gift Of A Personal Invitation

It all started with a personal invitation. Both Drew and Joanne Bodner have been active parishioners at Queen of the Holy Rosary for decades, but they can both still recall their first steps into parish life here. Drew was only 19 when he was first asked to become an usher in 1957.

Just over 20 years later, Joanne was introduced to our parish when she began dating Drew. Her acceptance of the Lord’s invitation to come into the Catholic Church in 1983 began a new chapter in discipleship for her. Together, the Bodners have served God and His people in countless ways, receiving abundant blessings in return.

Drew still remembers the day he was asked to participate in the liturgy at Queen for the first time.

“I was home from college and went to Mass, and an usher came up and asked me to take up the collection,” he says. “This usher didn’t realize that he gave me a liturgical gift I cherish — the gift of ushering. Ushering offers unlimited joys and opportunities for evangelizing. It’s a matter of inviting people to serve — some are just waiting for an invitation.”

In Drew’s case, that moment 64 years ago led to a lifelong ministry. By the late 1970s, he had become the usher coordinator, a role that he filled until 2007. Drew continued to serve as the head usher for the 9 o’clock Mass until the pandemic hit last March. Ultimately, the invitation he received as a young man shaped his entire adulthood in the Church.

Similarly, Joanne discovered that being invited to participate in parish life had a great impact on the direction that her faith took following her conversion to Catholicism.

“Through the years and most especially under Fr. Bill, the people coming into the Church through RCIA are really invited to participate in the liturgy and in the parish,” she says. “When you convert, it’s such a big deal. I liken it to moving to another country where they speak the same language, but you still have to learn to follow all their customs. You’re reluctant to just jump into new things, and I think there is an emphasis at Queen on inviting new parishioners and RCIA people to participate.”

Over the years, the Bodners have been involved in various parish ministries and activities. They served on the Call to Charity Action committee (which is no longer extant) and helped with the food pantry. Drew and Joanne are also charter members of the Queen’s Saints senior group. In recent years, they have enjoyed participating in the Centering Prayer Group and the Discovering Christ and Following Christ programs led by Fr. Bill.

The Bodners’ life has also been greatly influenced by their connection with the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. Through the spiritual mentorship of Sr. Madonna, the two became associates of the Sisters of Charity in 2006. Continuing to grow in their love of Christ and His teachings on social justice have led to Drew’s volunteer work with a local tutoring program for disadvantaged kids, as well as the couple’s support of the Vitae Foundation and the Johnson County pregnancy clinic. For many years, Joanne traveled to the University of St. Mary several times a week to volunteer in their music department and spend time with the sisters.

Reflecting on the role of stewardship and our faith community in her life, Joanne is grateful for the journey.

“For me, it’s been a matter of personal growth,” she says. “I’ve learned a lot. All of the priests at Queen have been wonderful, and Fr. Bill has brought a grace to all of us. Stewardship has become central to our lives over the years. Everything is organized around the parish and around the faith that comes from that.”

Like Joanne, Drew is amazed by the abundant blessings that have come from a life of discipleship, and he hopes that all parishioners will experience the wonder of a faith lived fully, in community with our parish family.

“God is with us every second,” Drew says. “Some blessings we don’t even know we have, but we have them. We all carry these treasures with us in our back pockets.

“That’s the inspirational part of all this,” he adds. “There are more people involved now than ever, and that’s how the church grows. There I was — not volunteering for anything — and I was invited to do it. Then I saw what a difference it makes. There is such potential out there for people to do something that will be a gift to them, and it is that personal invitation that gives them the opportunity.”

Joanne and Drew Bodner