JANUARY 2021
St. Scholastica CATHOLIC CHURCH RO NT
DUCIN
STEWARDSHIP NEWSLETTER I
Inside
G OUR NEW P ARI SH
Howdy Parishioners, elcome to the first issue of our new parish newsletter! Inspired by the Holy Spirit and supported by the intercession of St. Scholastica, our growth vision for 2023 is to have undergone a conversion: witnessing the faith, building Church, and discipling others! As a parish community, this conversion is about being an intentional disciple of Jesus Christ! Through this newsletter, we hope to share stories that will help us all to better understand who we are as Catholics, what we are doing as individual members of Christ’s family, and creative ways to be disciples and good stewards of God’s gifts. Being an intentional disciple of Jesus Christ means practicing good stewardship: it’s what disciples do as a way of life. Many times, we do things and don’t realize how our faith is at work or why we do them. To intentionally do what disciples do for God and love of neighbor is a conversion! Now is the time to grow and
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develop the gifts that God has given each of us to become intentional disciples of Jesus Christ and to practice stewardship. In upcoming issues, we will focus on what’s going on in the St. Scholastica community, and how those activities and events are changing hearts and minds and helping parishioners grow closer to Christ and each other. Each article will ultimately focus on Christ at work within our community through the stewardship way of life. We hope that this newsletter will be continued on back cover
2 What Does Stewardship Mean? 3
The St. Scholastica Charity Fund: Great Faith and Discipleship in the Time of COVID-19
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With Purchase of Land, an Exciting New Chapter Begins for St. Scholastica
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Religious Education at St. Scholastica: Children and Parents Formed in the Faith Together
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A Faith Companion From Our Evangelization Committee
ST. SCHOLASTICA
CATHOLIC CHURCH
“The Old Testament is not the only place where we can find references to stewardship. Indeed, of the 36 parables in the New Testament, more than half of them deal with time, talent, possessions, or money. Therefore, if Jesus spoke of stewardship that much, it should be a very important part of our lives!”
S+EWARDSHIP
What Does W
hat comes to mind when you hear the word “stewardship”? Do you think of it as just another way to talk about money? Do you quickly dismiss it as a notion that has nothing to do with being Catholic? Stewardship is actually a concept that is Scripturally based, and is absolutely vital to our life as Catholics. God tells us, in the very first book of the Old Testament, “Be fertile and multiply. Fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air and all the living things that move on the earth” (Gen 1:28). What does that mean to us today? It simply means that God is telling us, “This is yours, so take care of it.” One of the first things God tells us to do is to be good stewards of the gifts He has entrusted to us! The Old Testament is not the only place where we can find references to stewardship. Indeed, of the 36 parables in the New Testament, more than half of them deal with time, talent, possessions, or money. Therefore, if Jesus spoke of stewardship that much, it should be a very important part of our lives!
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As Catholics, we refer to the three facets of stewardship as “time, talent, and treasure.” Although these are three concrete ways to express and measure stewardship, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops tells us that stewardship is part of discipleship. Stewardship is a way of responding to God’s call in every aspect of our lives. The Scriptures and Church traditions teach us one important point that cannot be overstated — that stewardship is primarily based on our need to give in gratitude, not on the Church’s need to receive. Of course, both the Catholic Church and our particular parish will always need money. However, we are not asked to give simply to defray costs and fund charitable programs. We are instead asked to remember our need to gratefully return a portion of our time, talent, and treasure to God, recognizing all that He has given to us. It is important to remember that stewardship is a way of life, and not a program. True Catholic stewardship involves an ongoing call to live as followers of Christ. It takes time to find and define personal goals. You can begin by
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examining your personal commitments to the parish. How do you live your faith in your daily life with your family and friends? How much time do you spend in daily prayer, going to Mass or being involved in parish ministries and activities? What percentage of your income should you give back to God every week? What talents do you have that could be used to strengthen our parish family? In the coming months, we will be increasing and intensifying our education and communication on stewardship. We will be developing a better understanding of how stewardship is a way of responding to God’s call to discipleship. And with God’s help, changes will occur in each of our hearts as we devote ourselves to a stewardship renewal within our parish. Examine how you are currently responding to God’s call to stewardship. If God called you home tomorrow, would He proclaim, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”?
ST. SCHOLASTICA G R E AT FA I T H A N D D I S C I P L E S H I P I N T H E T I M E O F C O V I D - 1 9
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his spring, the global pandemic that began changing the way Americans live — and worship — was an unprecedented event. While St. Scholastica, like all Catholic churches across the world, had to adapt to new ways of serving God’s people, one thing remained the same — the strong faith and active discipleship of our parish family. “St. Scholastica has always been a generous parish in helping out the Erie community with things like the food bank, the Knights of Columbus cleaning up the highways, helping out at maternity homes as well as helping those in need,” says Fr. Rob Wedow. “However, during the COVID times, more people were becoming in need and people were coming to me asking for assistance.” One of the people in need who first approached Fr. Rob was an elderly, cancer-stricken woman whose siblings had forced her out of her mother’s home, leaving her with nowhere to live. Also, the woman’s car had broken down, and the repairs were cost-prohibitive. On her request, Fr. Rob put a plea out to parishioners — and from there, the St. Scholastica Charity Fund was born. Parish Business Manager Kristin Stegmueller set up the new fund through the Archdiocese of Denver, and Fr. Rob asked a group of parishioners to help manage the various requests for assistance that were coming into the parish. The community of St. Scholastica quickly embraced this new ministry, sharing their treasure with open hearts and hands. “The incredible generosity of God was poured out upon our parish for the benefit of those who are truly in need,” Fr. Rob says. “Parishioners showed the generosity of God by donating a car and around $12,000. And not just for the one woman — there was also a gentleman who was away from home when his car broke down, a family that was getting kicked out of their home, a father who had lost a job, and people who needed temporary lodging for a day or gas assistance.” Chris Kauza, one of the parishioners helping Fr. Rob with
“...Love More...” Food and Meals Hotels and Housing Cars and Transportation Utilities and Bills Catholic Charities St. Scholastica implores us to “love more,” and our parishioners have done so in many ways.
the Charity Fund, is now the St. Scholastica liaison for Catholic Charities. Between our parish resources and the many services available through the diocesan Catholic Charities, countless people in the Erie community have been helped. “The Charity Fund is one of the greatest examples of the Holy Spirit I’ve seen working in my life,” Chris says. “Father and I will get a request and say we can probably make something work, and then a couple hours later, something better than we’ve ever imagined shows up, and we are just laughing and smiling and saying, ‘Thanks be to God!’ It’s the Holy Spirit working through this.” While the generous donation of treasure is always helpful and very appreciated, parishioners may also support the Charity Fund through prayer. By making a gift of our time, talent, or treasure to this worthy cause, we are given a precious opportunity to live out the Gospel call to serve the most vulnerable among us. What Good News, indeed! “Many people have been helped through the generosity of the parishioners of St. Scholastica,” Fr. Rob says. “As Christ gave of His life to set us free, so, too, the parishioners of St. Scholastica follow their teacher, and as disciples, give of their lives for the sake of others. This true charity has been seen greatly during these COVID times. This is what disciples do!” 3
ST. SCHOLASTICA
CATHOLIC CHURCH
WITH PURCHASE OF LAND,
AN EXCITING
BEGINS FOR ST. SCHOLASTICA
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ur parishioners received joyous news this summer when St. Scholastica Church closed on a 10-acre piece of land off of Highway 52. The purchase brings our parish one step closer to fulfilling a long-held dream of expansion. “The hopes and dreams for the last 20 years of parishioners at St. Scholastica were to expand our church,” Fr. Rob says. “Many people throughout those years have made serious contributions on true faith, knowing that someday God would fulfill this dream.” In addition to the beautiful landscape and sweeping views, the new land includes a house, garage, print shop, pole barn, and surface water drainage. The parish is already looking at ways the existing buildings may be used in the short term, including the possibility of converting the large garage into a chapel and creating an outdoor space where Mass can be celebrated during the pandemic. Currently, our Boy Scouts are working on the installation of a beautiful outdoor Stations of the Cross on the new property. The work of our parish Development Committee was fundamental to the purchase of the land. This group of 16 dedicated parishioners formed in 2017 to locate a suitable site for a new church campus. In the last two years, they have performed extensive research, visited roughly 15 potential sites, and put bids on four different properties. Committee members are thrilled that their hard work has now paid off! Collaborating on this project has been a great experience for all involved.
“It’s been very positive working as a committee,” says committee chair Mike Crader. “People have a wide range of experiences and backgrounds, and we needed those views to make this successful. And Fr. Rob has been really good to work with — he was very supportive and there was good communication back and forth.” Fr. Rob shares Mike’s gratitude for the wonderful teamwork that allowed for our faith community to take this step forward. “I couldn’t have done this without the incredible support of the parish,” Fr. Rob says. “Literally hundreds of people have in some way — whether it’s through prayer or their professional business confidence — brought about God bringing us this gift. And this is just beginning.” Another truly remarkable way our parishioners showed support for this project was in the generous sharing of their treasure. “As we were going to closing, we had $600,000 from the capital campaign years ago, $55,269.19 from the internally designated Looking for Moriah collections, $329,031 of setaside annual surplus funds in the fund for the purchase of land,” reports Parish Business Manager Kristin Stegmueller. “We spent $641,305.93 for purchase of the land, as well as $23,057.38 for due diligence testing before closing from this fund, and we took a loan from the Archdiocese of Denver for $631,305.92.” Moving forward on our new land on Highway 52, the continued on page 5
“A lot of people are really excited, especially our longtime parishioners who have been around 20 years to see this growth. I think everybody is really happy with the property and can see the vision of a property and facilities that will provide for the community for the next 100 to 150 years. We’ll be able to grow into it, increase our missions, and support the community.” — Mike Crader 4
Fr. Rob Wedow and Development Committee Chair Mike Crader celebrate the official purchase of land for our new parish campus.
priority is to obtain a permit allowing for the regularly scheduled celebration of Mass on the property. The parish is now in the process of having an architectural firm draw up site plans. Weld County also requires a Colorado Department of Transportation traffic survey of the site, as well as letters of commitment from the local utility companies. While much work remains to be done, these first steps toward fulfilling the dream of parish expansion are certainly very exciting! “A lot of people are really excited, especially our longtime parishioners who have been around 20 years to see this growth,” Mike says. “I think everybody is really happy with the property and can see the vision of a property and facilities that will provide for the community for the next
100 to 150 years. We’ll be able to grow into it, increase our missions, and support the community.” With great admiration and respect for our parish that began as a small country church — and with the hope of preserving that history by one day moving our current church to the new land to be used as a daily Mass and Adoration chapel — Fr. Rob looks ahead to a bright and vibrant future for St. Scholastica Catholic Church. “In 1899, as the bishop came out and consecrated the [original] mission church, a new life of faith, hope, and love began in the Erie faith community,” Fr. Rob says. “Once again, we have opened up a new chapter in the book of St. Scholastica in 2020 as we purchased this land and had our first Mass on the land with great joy from all of our parishioners.” 5
ST. SCHOLASTICA
CATHOLIC CHURCH
Religious Education at St. Scholastica: Children and Parents Formed in the Faith Together
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A Family of Faith community events take place on the fourth Sunday of the month, on our new property.
A Family of Faith community events provide an opportunity for families to have fun with others in our parish, while building their faith. 6
he statistics are startling. It seems that a new study comes out almost every week, detailing the declining numbers of people, especially youth, who consider themselves to be “Christian.” There is a battle for the hearts and minds of young people, in a world that often seeks to tear them away from faith. With this in mind, the Church places a special emphasis on the teaching of young children, often through religious education programs. And in these times of COVID-19, Director of Religious Education Peggy Morrow has been creative in giving our children and families opportunities to grow in their faith and relationship with God. This year, the formation for our youngest parishioners, birth through second grade, has transitioned to a family catechesis model, A Family of Faith. A Family of Faith provides parents with the necessary resources and support to share the faith at home with their children, while also offering opportunities for families to come together in community. Each month, the parents receive formation and guidance via Zoom, in how to best implement the two lessons they will share with their families. “Kids know their faith when it’s practiced at home,” Peggy says. “The families I know who are all still Catholic are the ones who pray together and talk about [the faith] as a primary mover and shaker of the family life. Maybe they read Bible stories together, maybe they look at the Catechism together, play a faith-based game, or watch a FORMED movie or visit Mother Cabrini’s shrine. Faith is part of what they’re doing every day, day in, and day out.”
Also, families will have the opportunity to come together in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament at Children’s Adoration one Sunday a month, as well as a fun social event with other families. These events will all take place on Sunday mornings, with the necessary safety and social distancing precautions in place. “Having your family participate in the faith community, sharing their faith with other families is important,” Peggy says. Those preparing to receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Eucharist — typically children in the third grade, and under certain circumstances up until the fifth grade — will gather in person on Tuesday evenings. These classes will provide hands-on opportunities for students to grow in their understanding of the faith, deepen their relationship with God in prayer, and prepare to receive the graces of the final Sacraments of Initiation. Last year, the youth participated in a virtual saint fair, made salvation history movies, and more. “Here they are, in third grade, at the age of reason, where they have a greater sense of right and wrong, good and evil, and they’re getting infused with that extra grace to help them choose the good,” Peggy says. “It’s just a beautiful thing to watch them receive that extra boost — they need that extra grace to stand firm in the faith.” For children who are already fully initiated — fourth and fifth grades — post-Confirmation formation classes are offered on Tuesday evenings, as well. These sessions will focus on empowering children to grow in continued on page 7
Religious Education virtue, understanding God’s design for their lives, and becoming “spiritual champions.” Peggy hopes that this year, families embrace these opportunities to grow closer to the Lord together. She encourages parents to prioritize
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sharing their faith with their children, both at home and within our parish community, through A Family of Faith events and religious education classes. “Your children are the only thing that you can take with you to heaven,” Peggy says. “Instead of striving
for sports scholarships to get into universities, think a little more longterm, making it to eternity with your children. Those other things — they are nice, but in the long term, the eternal realm, you want to be with them in heaven.”
If you would like more information, or to register your child in our Religious Education program, please contact the parish office at 303-828-4221 or email Peggy Morrow at REdirector@stscholasticaerie.org.
A Faith Companion FROM OUR EVANGELIZATION COMMITTEE TRADITIONS OF THE CHURCH The Manger — Everywhere in this world where people celebrate the coming to life of Jesus Christ, we find the tradition to put up the Manger in churches and at home. Manger scenes are figures representing the birth of Jesus in a manger in a stable in Bethlehem. Gathered around the manger are the Holy Family and the shepherds, and in the background are the ox and the donkey. The arrival of the wise men (the Magi) is embedded in the scenery on the Feast of the Epiphany. The first-known written testimonies about the coming to life of Jesus Christ are the evangelists Luke and Matthew. Very famous is St Luke’s Christmas Gospel, which dates back to the 2nd century AD and was then slowly spread in the first settlements of Christians. Sometimes, St. Francis of Assisi is called the “father of the manger” because in the year 1223, he built the first manger similar to the one we know today. The Holy Family, however, wasn’t there then. Afterwards, he held his famous Christmas speech in front of a crowd and thus made the Christmas story accessible to those who couldn’t read. (Adapted from www.krippenmuseum.com.) OUTDOOR MANGER PICTURE DISPLAY We invite you to show your faith in your neighborhood by displaying an outdoor manger! If you are participating in the Traveling Manger activity or if you have a manger of your own, please take a picture and send it to evangelization@stscholasticaerie.org or
text it to 720-545-5894. We will have a display, both virtually and physically, this year for the Holy Family Feast Day. STORIES OF FAITH Last year, during our Manger Pictures Display, we received the picture and story of Deacon Rodger and Dena Creel with the following story at the bottom: “On November 27th of 1983 our son Steve was killed. He was 18 years old. He loved to draw. I love raccoons and one day he drew a cartoon picture of a raccoon looking guilty holding a chicken he caught. We used this drawing on the front of the program for his funeral Mass. “We always pray for Steve and when he had recently died, we were praying for a sign that he was okay. In November 1984, I was shopping and found a nativity set that contains a shepherd holding a raccoon. We had never seen a raccoon in a nativity set! We have displayed this nativity set every year since. We consider this a sign that God is taking care of Steve.” You can also share with us your story of faith! Send it to evangelization@stscholasticaerie.org or drop it off at the parish office. We would love to publish it in the next issue. GO DEEPER! This season, go to FORMED.org and watch Mary of Nazareth. For kids — audiobooks The Strangers at the Manger and Christmas with Bernadette. 7
615 Main St. | Erie, CO, 80516 (303) 828-4221 | www.stscholasticaerie.org
STEWARDSHIP NEWSLETTER a successful means for ongoing education and formation in our faith. I pray it will be a vehicle through which you are informed and inspired to become more actively involved in the life of Christ and our parish. As we strive to develop stewardship as a way of life at St. Scholastica, the support and involvement of each parishioner is necessary to sustain the life of our parish. You have a unique role to fill in the life of the parish as we live our lives as disciples of Christ. May the Holy Spirit renew and refresh all of us as we work together to build our parish family through the use of our time, talent, and treasure.
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“As we strive to develop stewardship as a way of life at St. Scholastica, the support and involvement of each parishioner are necessary to sustain the life of our parish. You have a unique role to fill in the life of the parish as we live our
Fr. Robert Wedow Pastor
lives as disciples of Christ.�
Sincerely yours in Christ,
LITURGY SCHEDULE Saturday Vigil: 1:30 p.m. (until January 9, 2021) & 4:00 p.m. | Sunday: 8:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Daily Mass: Tuesday and Thursday 6:00 p.m., Wednesday and Friday 9:00 a.m., Saturday 7:30 a.m.