From the Pastor's Pen - Sept. 29

GRATEFUL AND GENEROUS--that was the theme of last Sunday’s Stewardship Awareness homilies, in league with parishes throughout the Archdiocese. As we appreciate how generous God has been to us, we are naturally grateful and share our gifts generously with

him ourselves. My Sunday homily on starting life over is available online. Starting next week, with Stewardship Cards returned, we’ll see even more generosity from our parishioners in all areas.

This week, as every year, we hear from some of our parishioners on their choices of Stewardship. This year we’ll hear people probably familiar to you: Bryan and Cara Koen. Between them, they are in a dizzying range of ministries in our parish—all with raising four children, two still in grade school.

And at the Festival of Ministries today, everyone will be able to get prizes, starting with gold coins (well, they look like gold . . .) with Olaf showing on Sunday at about 11:45. Come to the Hall after each Mass!!

Then this week you’ll get the second mailing of our Stewardship season, the STEWARDSHIP COVENANT CARD. It has spaces to indicate your Offertory Gift from this time forward; and also any time and service you want to give the parish from among the dozens of ways you see again in the hall, at the Festival of Ministries. Or, you can indicate continuing in the ways you already serve.

Even if your Offertory Gift or time and service will not change, fill out the Card, and return it to Mass next Sunday. Your reflective filling out of this card, and returning it, is really the heart of the Stewardship time.

Let’s enjoy the fun and community time, and ask God to make us even more Grateful and Generous. Then reflect on, and make a note of your offerings to God this year.

-Fr. Tom

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Two other quick notes: The Archdiocesan Director of the Stewardship Office, Brian Miller, has been here twice recently—once for the monthly Saturday training for the whole diocese, and also for our parish Committee meeting Tuesday. And the St. Louis Review chronicled Cara Koen’s service in its online edition. You can read it at www.stlreview.com.