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Mary, Mother of Divine Grace
Divine Providence Catholic School   
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  • Home
      • Calendar
  • About
      • Staff
      • Contact Us
      • Join Our Parish
      • Volunteer Requirements
      • Bulletins
  • Sacraments
  • Religious Education
  • School
    • About
      • Mission, Vision, and Faith
      • Enrollment and Tuition
      • Scholarship and Financial Assistance
      • Faculty & Staff
    • Crusader Community
      • Academic Program
      • Extracurricular
    • Resources
      • Parent Resources
      • Family School Association
      • Athletic Association
      • Extended Day Program
      • FAQ's
  • Stewardship
  • Ministries

 

    • Stewardship
  • Catholic Link

    • A Mission Of Hospitality: The Life And Witness Of Michael Schattle
      Michael Schattle spent his adult life as a missionary — first, in a traditional sense, as a FOCUS Catholic missionary, then, through active involvement in young adult communities. At the age of...
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      In nearly 15 years of clinical psychology, it’s hard to imagine just how many people have expressed a deep longing to tangibly feel loved by God – to be able to truly rest in His presence.  One of...
    • Glorious Processions: Trinity Sunday Gospel Reflection
      Jesus said to his disciples:“I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,he will guide you to all truth.He will not speak on his own,but he will...
  • Stewardship

    Stewardship is a way of life, a life of accountability and responsibility acknowledging God as Creator and Giver of all. Stewardship involves responsible management of our God-given resources of time, talent, and treasure. Stewards as disciples of Jesus Christ see themselves as caretakers of all God's gifts. Gratitude for these gifts is expressed in prayer, worship, offering and action by eagerly sharing our gifts out of love for God and one another.

  • Parish Online Giving Program-
    Click here to register.

  • The Theology of Stewardship

    Part I: Disciples as Stewards
    The Apostles provide us an example of what it means to live as a steward. Think for a few moments what it was like for them. You were asked to give up everything, no matter the cost. Who would do that now at your Parish? Would you? Who are those individuals at your Parish who always say “yes” to a new ministry or program? Those people are living as stewardship disciples. Our willingness to give of ourselves freely is tied to our journey to discipleship. When we participate in the Offertory during Mass, we are called to reflect on how we can offer all ways of stewardship, not just financial. Maybe our offering is serving at the local food pantry that week, or maybe it is committing time to prayer for the community. The Offertory is the opportunity for us to examine how we might draw closer to calling of discipleship. Have you reviewed your job description for your stewardship committee lately? Would it be a position fitting of an Apostle? If not, what is it missing? Maybe the job description only talks about money and about the offertory. What would it look like if Peter or another disciple wrote the job description? Financial gifts during the Offertory are a tangible way to express our gratitude for the many gifts we have received; however we are also asked to examine our offering of time and talents. 


    Part II: Stewards of Creation
    Although Chicago tends to trick us, spring has sprung around the city! Put away the winter coats and get the porch furniture out, because summer is also around the corner in our hometown. During these spring and summer months we tend to eat outside more, take nature walks, host picnics at the local park, or enjoy the beautiful lakefront. We commonly take advantage of the environment during these months, without considering what we can give back to the environment. How often do we find ourselves planting a tree, picking up trash at the park, recycling our picnic tableware when we are done with it? The call to stewardship includes a responsibility to prayerfully consider how we care for God’s creation. Rather we are caring for our earth by recycling or considering occupations that lessen our burden on the environment, we are called to respect all aspects life that God has given to us. We are called to be leaders in a noble effort to ensure that our environment is maintained and protected for many generations to come. We are called to protect the homes of all of God’s creatures and realize the impact of our daily lives on them. Our entire world is a gift, from the creatures in the sea to the air we breathe; it is no exaggeration that this gift is precious. I hope during the upcoming months as we enjoy and take advantage of the nice weather outside, that we also consider giving back to the environment that gives so much to us.

    Stewardship Recommendation:
    Think about your own church environment.

    • How are you caring for your campus? 
    • How are your events or programs utilizing recycling practices, but also thinking of other materials that could be used again at another event?
    • Do you have someone on your stewardship committee that is tasked with focusing on the environment? Consider adding this position to your team and coordinating their efforts among your ministries to ensure that we are being mindful of God’s creation and our responsibility to care for it. 


    Part III: Stewards of Vocation
    We all have a vocation. It is often easy to get caught up in a singular focus to the conversation of vocations. We tend to focus on our own vocation. We focus on how our vocations may affect our families and friends. We focus on finding a vocation for ourselves that we enjoy and find comfortable. However, how much time is spent reflecting on the vocations of others? How much time do we spend as a Parish community sharing and acknowledging each other’s vocations and how those might be shared within the Parish community? How often do we acknowledge our Pastor’s vocation or others in religious life in our Parish? Taking a look at not just our own vocation, but those vocations around us helps create stewardship opportunities throughout the Parish. How we celebrate and care for those in religious life is another best practice in good stewardship. Think about this, how often do you celebrate a spouse or family member’s birthday? Sounds like an odd question, right? How about a wedding anniversary? Many Priest and others in religious life who have taken a vow of celibacy see their church as spouse. Many Pastors see their Parish community as family. If that is the case, how do we treat them as family? It is often clear how they see us as family, by ministering to us and being available at our beck and call in times of need. However, do we acknowledge their call? Do we celebrate their accomplishments; share in their joys and worries? Many in religious life have assignments that take them away from close family and friends, we the church become their close family and friends. When we can share in each of our vocations as a collective, we build stronger communities that feed the needs of many. Remember, promoting religious life is just as important as sustaining religious life. 

    Part IV: Stewards of the Church
    What does it mean when we say that “the church is in our care?” Simply put, we are caretakers and investors of our Parish. As investors, we must take time to care for our spiritual home. Many of our Parishes have been our spiritual home for decades. Think about how much of your life is spent in your Parish. We are baptized in the Parish, we mature and grow into adulthood through the influence of our Parish family, we celebrate love through marriage, we bless our children, and in a bittersweet way, we say goodbye to loved ones. We are intimately connected to our spiritual home. We must acknowledge that being a steward of the church does not only apply to the care of the Parish building, but the Parish family that is tied together within it. We all have a responsibility to nurture, maintain, and grow our Parish communities in a way that extends the welcome to all who wish to join us. Just as each of us takes care of our own health and wellbeing, our larger Body, the Body of the Church must too be cared for as generously and with as much attention as our own. It is through our participation as caretakers and investors of our spiritual homes, that we draw closer together as a Parish community that is alive and vibrant. 


     
 

Divine Infant Jesus Church
1601 Newcastle Avenue
Westchester, Il 60154

 


Divine Providence Church
2550 Mayfair Avenue
Westchester, IL  60154
Business Office: 708.562.3364
8am-4pm M-F
 

 

Divine Providence Catholic School
2500 Mayfair Ave.
Westchester, IL  60154
7:30am-3:30pm
Phone: 708.562.2258
Fax: 708.562.9171
 
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