"Good stewardship"by Bishop William S. Skylstad (From the Feb, 6, 2003 edition of the Inland Register)
Coming in the fact of the downturn in the economy in Eastern Washington, along with poor market conditions that have a very real impact on family and individual income, parishioners continue to be very generous. At this time of the year, we begin our Annual Catholic Appeal, to support the various ministries of the Diocese. We have conducted this annual collection for 40 years now. Its success has been vital to our mission as the Catholic Church of Eastern Washington, supporting much-needed ministries. This is part of our collective responsibility of being Church and of continuing our mission as part of the Church universal. Ultimately, everything we have is gift. As much as we are tempted at times to be possessive and have it for our very own, the reality in God’s Kingdom is that we are stewards of the gifts and resources God has given to us. Stewardship calls us to wise usage, generosity, and regular support of our faith community. In the parable of the talents, Jesus clearly indicates that he expects us to use our gifts wisely and not bury them either by way of inactivity or fear. Jesus also tells us the gift we have received we give as gift. For the gifts we receive are also the gifts we can share with the Church. Our mission as Church is a common one, as part of the body of Christ. As part of my responsibility, I also need to exercise good stewardship on the part of the Church. The generosity of so many coming together in common mission is a wonderful expression of stewardship that is mutually shared and accepted. That common work is a way of proclaiming and living the Gospel to which we are all called as believers. I have been deeply touched by letters received from some of our seniors on fixed income who can only send $5 a month on their pledge because they are barely making ends meet. They ask forgiveness for what they see as doing so little. But for me, their message translates into an expression of a tremendously generous heart. For years now on the diocesan level, we have had our financial operations and budgets overseen and monitored by the Bishop’s Finance Council. I have found this group to be invaluable to me personally in the decisions we must make for the good of the diocese, to make sure that we are fiscally responsible. Just as every parish must have its finance council, so, too, on the diocesan level, our financial operations are monitored carefully to make sure that we provide a solid financial basis for the present and for the future. As you are aware, we also publish each year a consolidated audit of our diocesan operations. That audit is performed each year by a professional firm, with the results printed in the Inland Register. Because a certain amount of diocesan funding in the past has been supported through our investments, and since market returns have been poor recently, we will have to make some hard decisions this year with regard to budget cuts. We have no other choice. We have to be good stewards of the resources with which you entrust us. There has been some discussion of using investment income when the markets return to a better return for special projects, especially in parishes with limited resources and special needs. Another example of our diocesan stewardship has been the Spokane Catholic Investment Trust (SCIT), an instrument by which several entities in the diocese pool their funds for efficient oversight and maximum return. Besides a Board of Directors which oversees this pooled fund, an investment committee made up of those who have special skills in this area gives direction and oversight to the manner of investing. I am most grateful to the Bishop’s Finance Council, as well to those involved in SCIT, who generously serve, offering their talents and wisdom. We have all heard of the term “filthy lucre.” There is something very spiritual and holy, however, in the way we use our resources in support of Church ministry and mission. Each of us personally must ask ourselves how responsibly we support the mission of the Church, given our resources. We on the diocesan level must also continue to be good stewards of what we receive on behalf of you to further the work of the Church. Thank you so much for your participation in this noble effort as together we serve the Church, using our time, talents, and treasure. May God bless you and give you peace.
Bishop Skylstad’s Schedule
Through Feb. 7: Bio-ethics workshop, Dallas 11: 100 Ways in 100 Days 13: Meeting with legislators in Olympia 14: Secretariat 15-19: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting, Quebec City 21: Presbyteral Council 22-23: Confirmation/First Eucharist, St. John Vianney Parish, Spokane 24-26: Keynote address, annual convention of National Organization for Continuing Education of Roman Catholic Clergy, Houston 27: Secretariat 28: Catholic Charities Board meeting
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One of the frequent questions the press has asked of late is whether or not contributions to the Catholic Church have gone down in light of recent events. I honestly don’t know and time will tell. I do know that our Annual Catholic Appeal for this past year surpassed its goal. Although the final results of the Catholic Charities collection for 2002 are not in yet, there is every indication that the giving level has even surpassed last year’s very generous response.