Stewardship

Throughout my life I have chosen to question life, strive for improvement, gain knowledge, and search for meaning. I was raised in the Catholic tradition, received the Sacraments, did what was expected, volunteered, gave to charity, went to church (when it was convenient) and, prayed for things. I even tried to read the bible on occasion. I used to call myself a spiritual seeker.

We came to St. Mary's in 1995 and I immediately sensed something different. I witnessed four things right away:

1. The music at the liturgies was uplifting, meaningful, and joyful.
2. There were many people in the pews and a lot of them were men.
3. The homilies gently and skillfully guided me to the scriptures with understanding and direction on how to go out and live my life.
4. All were involved and encouraged to participate on many levels.

I went to the parish office and asked to help out in some way. I was going to test the waters, maybe get involved. I was introduced to Barb Schwartz. Well…for anybody who knows Barb you know what happened next! I got fully immersed, drenched, soaking wet. She not only had something for me to do, she offered me an entire ministry along with a life preserver. I said "yes".

Until this moment, I did not realize that Barb would become my spiritual/activity director for the next 10 years. She continued to challenge me with new opportunities and introduced me to other loving, caring, and spiritually supportive people and I just kept saying, "yes."

The year before my 50th birthday I began to take stock of my life, my direction, my physical and mental well-being, my career, my relationships, and my spirituality. I began to dream of something different, asking "What else?" and I got my answer. We had a family crisis that would profoundly shake up our lives. I believe we survived because of the support network already in place although I never called upon it directly. The help and healing came slowly but surely and we got through it.

During that time in January, 2006 I was personally invited to participate in a new program at St. Mary's called New Beginnings : A 3 week exploration into a "New Way of Living as a Catholic." Well, I quickly brushed that off considering what I was going through. But the power of the invitation kept gnawing at me until once again I finally said "yes". New Beginnings is an intense journey with a small group to better understand the power and potential of your parish, discover or enhance richness in your spiritual life, and see your unique talents and find the ministry that God has already planted in your soul. I went into it broken and wounded and came out changed forever. Over time so many blessings have come into my life. I can now say with conviction that I have a personal relationship with God.

The St. Mary's Community has touched my heart in a profound and measurable way. If you haven't heard God's call on your life, it's not because God isn't calling. You may just need to learn what the voice sounds like - for me it's Barb Schwartz. There are so many entry points at St. Mary's to bring your life before God. When you find those places you soon discover the truth that "where two or three are gathered, there you will find the Lord." We all need help and advice from those further along the spiritual path and we all need to be available to help those who are not quite as far as we are. Hold out your hand, someone will reach for it. You never know when you will be the guide or the guided. That is the challenge in living the spiritual life.

In closing, I offer the following poem by J. Janda entitled:

THE PLEA

For my sake Dear One,
Be kind to yourself while you are in the body in the flesh.
Your Spirit, your soul your Consciousness is Me - and you
are beginning to listen.
We have never been separated.
Please don't be afraid of me,
I am your Good Self God Self,
We are One.

As I began to think about what I wanted to say to you I started to have all different names and faces of individuals pop into my head who contribute to why this parish functions so well. It's obvious they feel valued, respected, and connected to a part of this huge Christian community, and that's wonderful. However, for me it is people just like you, and programs in this community that have a huge influence on my Stewardship within this parish. I personally have many people to thank for their encouragement, honest conversations, and belief in my gifts. I have grown in my faith, and as an individual, because many of you zeroed in on to my strengths, rather than my weaknesses. Of course, it helps a lot when you have a prayer partner like Debb Honore praying for you. I can always tell when I'm in trouble around here when I see Debb praying in church a lot more often.

When I bring my pies to our famous fish fry and see all the workers doing their assigned job I am amazed at how they do it with all the laughing and talking going on. It's a wonderful stewardship sight to see, and "yes' we do have the best fish fry in town. The fun and involvement can be compared to the number of people who make our parish festivals, our school, and our athletic association so successful. I've been privileged to participate in bible study groups, St. Vincent de Paul servant activities, our beautiful and meaningful Liturgies as an Extra Ordinary Minister, parish council meetings, our finance committee, and some of our RCIA sessions. Believe me when I say people in these ministry programs are all awfully nice people, AND you would enjoy working with them, too. When I come in the parish facilities at different times to obtain food from our SVDP food pantry I very often see the environment committee volunteers working so hard to create an atmosphere that fully complements the Liturgical calendar, our talented cantors, choirs and musicians practicing, individuals learning to become Extra Ordinary Eucharist Ministers, our youth being instructed on how to become altar servers, different scout activities, and several fantastic and diverse formation programs going full force. I have observed the efficiency of our sacristans, communication center volunteers, and the hosts for funerals, weddings, and baptisms. Our staff has truly shown our dedicated parish volunteers how important it is to have parishioners, children, and guests feel welcome, and taken care of by caring knowledgeable persons.

When I see the number of individuals who come forward at mass each weekend to obtain a Eucharist packet for someone they love I think, "What a beautiful caring thing to do. God bless each and everyone of them." But are you aware that we also have many parishioners who faithfully visit, pray with, shop for, and bring the Eucharist to people in their homes, nursing homes, hospitals, and assisted living facilities? Do you know that we have a prayer group who will pray for you or someone else if you just ask them?

To quote our young people "it's awesome" and that's why I'm honored to connect my time, talent and financial resources to the people and ministry opportunities within this parish. Please sincerely think about your time, talents and resources, and share what you can of your gifts within our parish this next year. Each and every one of you is unique, and extremely important to our on-going development as a Catholic community. God bless.

My life is simple. I was baptized Catholic and raised in a well-grounded Christian Family. My parents were very giving of their time and talents when I was little so it was natural for me to continue with the family tradition. I was taught good values. I learned the meaning of hard work and to do your share of the work plus a little extra.

Over the past 22 years, we have become active in many different areas. In fact, sometimes people ask me:

"Are you always here?"
"What aren't you involved in?"
"When do you find the time to be as active as you are?"

Quite simply,

"I am always here because I cannot say no to the church."
"I do a lot, but I could probably still do more."
"None of us have the time to volunteer, you have to make a choice to be a part of our faith community."

As newlyweds, our first endeavor was to host the monthly Continental Breakfasts after the liturgies. Gradually our responsibilities increased and within two years, I was the President of Altar Society, then chairperson of Fish Fry. Along the way, we would share our story of infertility with those around us. Little did I know the people whose lives we touched with our volunteering were graciously praying for Steve and I to have a baby. In fact, after Joe was born, a parishioner told me she prayed every day for Steve & I to become pregnant.

Then, just seven years after Joe was born, we again needed the prayers of St. Mary Parish. Late in the evening on Friday, October 20th, we were told Joe had kidney failure. Fr. Art anointed him at 11:30 pm. Joe's second grade soccer team had never won a game all season. That Saturday Morning at 8:00 am his team prayed and said they would win this one for Joe and they did. The news of Joe's illness spread throughout the entire St. John Soccer Complex. All weekend the entire parish community (or so it seemed) was praying for our family. People prayed for good doctors to help heal Joe, people prayed for our son and they prayed for Steve and I.

All the prayers were answered and Joe is in great health. His kidneys are perfect. We faced the scariest time of our marriage, not alone, but with the power of St. Mary behind us. With all your prayers, we knew Joe was going to be fine. One parishioner told me, "If your prayers could be cashed in, you would be millionaires."

On the outside, it seems Steve and I give a lot to our church. But what people do not know is how much Steve and I have received from our faith community. What you give to St. Mary, you received back ten fold.

In closing, I hope when Joe shares his faith statement he will start out by saying, "My life is simple. I was baptized Catholic..."

My name is Theresa Breunig, and my husband Phil and I have been members of St. Mary's for over 16 years. We have a daughter Nicole who is at UW-Madison, a daughter Stephanie who is currently at Whitnall High School, and a son Timothy who is in kindergarten at St. Mary's. Some of the volunteer activities that I am involved in include Eucharistic Minister, Children's Liturgy of the Word, FOCCUS, altar server training and scheduling, and Teen SPARC. Our whole family helps at the Friday Fish Fries and the annual parish festival. Both my husband and I have been involved in Parish Council, and my husband has participated on the Finance Committee.

When Chris Warner asked me to think about why I volunteer, I actually had to sit back and reflect as to why. It wasn't something that my parents did when I was growing up. I didn't have extra time on my hands when I started to volunteer, as I was working full time and raising three kids. However, I had always wanted to "make a difference," and "give back" because of how blest my husband and I have been. And in volunteering, I have found that each time I "give back" to the community, I have received much more in return. And I see this every time I look around St. Mary's.

When I look around St. Mary's, I see the children in 1st and 2nd grade that I teach at Children's Liturgy of the Word, and remember how they love to re-enact the bible stories. I remember when we were re-enacting the Prodigal Son, and all the boys volunteering to be the pigs, going down on all 4's, and snorting like pigs. And those same boys, at the end of the class, praying for all their grandmas, and one boy praying for his sick cat. These 1st and 2nd graders have made me realize that life is really simple, and that simple prayers are so important when coming from the heart.

When I look around St. Mary's, I see some of the couples that my husband and I went through FOCCUS with. They taught me the importance of slowing down and appreciating the time with my husband. I look around St. Mary's and see these couples now having children, and realize that they are struggling with what I continue to struggle with: time.

When I look around St. Mary's, I see the altar servers who are so nervous in 5th grade when they start this ministry, and then as they become older and less intimidated, serve at other "complicated" masses such as Christmas, Easter, and Confirmation. I see servers who learn they sometimes have to "go with the flow" during a mass, and a particular server who told her parents during the confirmation mass at the Sign of Peace that "the Archbishop isn't following any of the rules" because he was doing things differently than how she was trained for that mass. They make me smile, and I am so proud of them.

When I look around St. Mary's, I see teenagers who are part of Teen SPARC, remembering how enthusiastic they were when deciding on the Teen SPARC logo, or eating their third piece of pizza. I realize that they are hungry for more than pizza. They are hungry to "make a difference" and to be part of a community.

When I look around St. Mary's, I see the dear friends we met at church almost ten years ago, and now have spent the last seven years camping each year together up at Door County. I treasure that friendship.

When I look around St. Mary's, I see the friends that we have met through the church and school, and now spend time with after we have completed cleaning up from Friday Fish Fry, or after the 9:00 a.m. mass at Paneras, comparing notes about our children in college, discussing the latest shenanigans of our children, and solving all the world problems. Thank you for listening to me, laughing with me, and sharing your stories with me.

When I look around St. Mary's, I see the community... the community that my daughter longed for at UW-Madison when she went to church for the first time as a freshman - and struggled emotionally when the congregation didn't hold hands at the Our Father, and when she didn't know anyone at the Sign of Peace.

I would like to take this time to thank you, the community... Thank you for making a difference in my life.