What are we grateful to God for? Life itself? Our family? Our faith? A sense of purpose? Our joy? God’s grace? The consolation of faith? The guidance and ministry of the Church? The promise of salvation?
Everything?
And if you find yourself full of gratitude, what are you returning to Him?
Christian stewardship proposes an answer to that question—a response for Christians to give back from their gifts to God, the Church and humanity.
“As each one has received a gift,” we read in the First Letter of Peter, “use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10).
In their 1992 pastoral letter, “Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response,” the USCCB taught, “Jesus’ disciples and Christian stewards recognize God as the origin of life, giver of freedom and source of all things. We are grateful for the gifts we have received and are eager to use them to show our love for God and for one another. We look to the life and teaching of Jesus for guidance in living as Christian stewards.”
In their letter, the bishops characterize stewardship as rising out of discipleship in Jesus Christ, whereby mature disciples make a conscious decision to follow Jesus and to embrace conversion—life-shaping changes of mind and heart—and commit their very selves to the Lord.
The call to stewardship is found often in the Old Testament and the New Testament as well as the documents of the Second Vatican Council and writings of various popes. “Once one chooses to become a disciple of Jesus Christ,” the U.S. bishops wrote, “stewardship is not an option.”
As individuals, Christians are carrying out the discipline of stewardship in their everyday lives—recognizing God as the origin of life, giver of freedom and source of all things. Grateful for these gifts from God, a Christian steward seeks to act to share and use these gifts to show love for God and for one another—looking to the life and teaching of Jesus for guidance.
Catholic stewardship outlines three ways that God has endowed His gifts to each of us—time, talent and treasure. Parishioners across the Diocese of Youngstown have put into practice these “three Ts” to help to carry out the spirit of stewardship in their lives.
TIme
“Time” is understood as the days and hours given by God to each of us for work, family and leisure. As stewards, Christians are to discern how to use that time in service to God, the Church and the larger community.
“Fortunately, I think people always offered their time, talent and treasure, but it usually took the form of isolated endeavors,” said Father John-Michael Lavelle, diocesan director of stewardship and development, diocesan vicar for missionary discipleship, director of the Annual Diocesan Appeal and a veteran pastor who has served on the diocesan Stewardship Commission. “Only relatively recently have we tried to develop a cohesive way of living out that concept of stewardship.”
Father William Kraynak, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Ravenna, credits his predecessor, Father Tom Dyer, for introducing stewardship to Immaculate Conception and fostering a spirit of stewardship among members of the parish. “Stewardship involves making a sacrifice in giving back to God—a sacrifice that you planned, prayed over and are willing to offer to God.”
“We are caretakers of our lives and our gifts,” added Barbara Walko, recently retired diocesan director of faith formation and lay ecclesial ministry, who has served on the diocesan stewardship commission. “People who see how God has blessed them are ready to share their gifts with others to build up the body of Christ. Everyone has much to give … Time and talent fills in needs just as much—if not more—than treasure. [It is] easier to write a check for a cause than to drive someone to the doctor. Easier to part with extra possessions than to repair someone’s home. Or heart. God expects us to be a community, and we need to help people perceive what they can and must do to contribute for the good of all. One little effort makes a huge difference.”
TREASURE
“Treasure” is defined as the financial resources that each person has been given to take care of one’s self, one’s family and other responsibilities. In fact, if we are giving back to God His own gifts, stewardship calls for giving back to God “from the top,” rather than giving to God after all our all other financial responsibilities are met.
The “treasure” aspect of stewardship, especially in Protestant churches, is often associated with tithing—the practice of contributing 10 percent of one’s income to one’s parish or Church. The Catholic understanding of stewardship tends to include one’s other charitable donations, in addition to those made to one’s parish, and emphasizes a personal assessment—based on prayer and reflection—of what constitutes the right sacrifice rather than a specific percentage.
“A person has an understanding that they are gifted by God and they are called to respond in a grateful manner. If we appreciate our lives, we will respond generously,” Father Kraynak said.
“The people of Immaculate Conception have been very generous. In fact, they live the model of stewardship,” Father Kraynak explained. Some time ago, he made an appeal to parishioners to increase their donations, he said, and the weekly collections increased by 30 percent. Later, he asked for contributions to a building/ renovation project for the parish center and the parishioners responded heartily.
We have seen—particularly in times of difficulty—people being generous in their treasure,”
Father Lavelle said, such as through donations to the St. Vincent de Paul Society and Catholic Charities. “There is really a sense of caring for those in need.”
In fact, in 2024, Father Lavelle was pleased to report that the annual Diocesan Appeal exceeded its goal of $4 million. Funds from the Diocesan Appeal bolster some of our local Church’s most critical needs, such as covering Catholic Charities’ operating costs, supporting vocations and evangelization efforts and much more. Father Lavelle is optimistic about 2025 as well. The appeal launches on March 8, with $4 million, once again, as the goal. Learn more or make a donation at www.doy.org.
Talent
Talent refers to the individual abilities and skills that each person has been given and has cultivated to take care of the needs of others and one’s self.
Father Kraynak said that parishioners can be asked to look inside themselves and pose the question: “Am I able to give something that might be of value to others in the parish, in the community, to those in need?”
Father Lavelle noted, “We all have talents, but do we take the time to share those talents, or take the time to discover that talent or to learn that talent?” He said, “There is a great sense of volunteer service in parishes, which should be recognized and encouraged.”
Kathy Smithberger, chair of the stewardship committee for St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Canton, credits pastor emeritus Father Don King for organizing the parish stewardship committee and for fostering the concept of stewardship at the parish. “We were not just looking at the treasure aspect,” she said.
“For three or four years, we were mostly focusing on time and talent,” Smithberger said. This effort included publishing a book of parish ministries as well as having a “ministry fair” for parishioners to see what parish opportunities might appeal to them. “We also invited other community members … to help parishioners see opportunities in the larger community.” After the fair is “Sign up Sunday,” when parishioners are encouraged to commit themselves to ministries.
“The first couple of years we did it, we significantly increased the number of volunteers,” with about 500 signing up the first year and 100 in subsequent years. “We’ve focused on parishioners’ awareness of what they have to offer. We asked them to ask themselves: ‘What skills do I have that God has given me, and how can I share them?’” Parishioners were also encouraged to ask themselves how many hours they donated so that they could be aware of what they have contributed.
Stewardship has enriched the lives of those who practice it as well as those who benefit from the generosity and service of those who practice stewardship, Father Lavelle said. Yet, the potential harvest is even richer. “We are looking at reviving the diocesan stewardship commission and other ways to get more people involved in our stewardship.” Much of the success, Father Lavelle said, will come from individual parishioners looking inside themselves and recognizing what they can offer. “People need to take to prayer the blessings that they have been given from God and how we might give back.”
“Stewardship as a way of life is a lens that recognizes all life, all gifts, come from God,” said Walko. Rather than being a method to foster financial contributions or parishioners’ involvement, Walko said, stewardship is an inclination—a habit of the heart—which is intrinsically connected to one’s vocation and discipleship.
“The key aspect of stewardship has its roots going all the way back to Genesis,” the first book of the Bible, said Father Lavelle. The first chapters of Genesis, Father Lavelle explains, tells of God’s creation of the world and God’s entrusting humanity with caring for and cultivating that world. “We are stewards of God’s gifts and are trusted to use these gifts with a sense of caring for and sharing of the gifts.”
Thus, the key to stewardship, many contend, is gratitude.
“Gratitude to God for all that we have been given is our primary focus,” said Roberta Muoio, pastoral associate for St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Canton. “We focus on the gifts that we have been given and how to give back to serve others and to build the Kingdom of God.”
