Deacon John’s Stewardship Blog

St Patrick’s 4^th grade PSR class enjoyed doing a project for Lent, learning how Jesus paid for all our sins by his crucifixion. The “Paid In Full” crosses made by the students helped them to understand the true meaning of the Lenten and Easter season.

Over the Lenten season the children focused on forgiving and giving others not only second chances but third and fourth chances.  They were reminded through the gospel readings how our Father forgives us for our mistakes. We must forgive each other and, with the help of God’s grace, pray for those who harm us. The children are reminded to fall back on one of the golden rules for our Catholic faith—treat others the way you would want others to treat you with compassion and love.

It’s a wonderful calling to be able to work with and teach the children of our Parish. Not only are we a part of their spiritual growth, but they are also a part of our spiritual growth.  The children are the future of our parish and it’s a privilege to be part of that.

God bless our children and their families
Leslie Kerr and Marylou Reder
4^th Grade PSR

Participants of Shine were at it again, doing what they do best…Sharing His Immense Love with Neighbors Everywhere. On Thursday, March 27th, a group of eighteen St. Patrick youth, along with advisors, parents and volunteers, gathered in the Parish Center to decorate cookies and cupcakes for the Lenten Friday Fish Dinner.  These joyful stewards were blessed to have a multitude of yummy baked goods, donated by members of our loving parish family, to frost and decorate.  The time spent together was filled with laughter, creativity, community, and most importantly, Christ’s love. Everyone worked together to contribute to the success of the fish fry.

From the youngest to the oldest, every person in our church family has time, talent, and treasure to share. Sharing these gifts is stewardship. But we must understand that stewardship is far more than checking off a box or just making us feel good because of the things we did or what we gave. Stewardship is a way of life, a daily practice, a desire to respond to God’s love and His many blessings by serving others. “As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1Peter 4:10).  It’s our way of giving back to God.
The Church has a bright future because of young people, such as these in our parish, who are such beautiful examples of stewardship. We are very thankful to all the Shine participants for their service to others, not only in our community but beyond.  We are also thankful to their families for encouraging and supporting their children’s involvement in Shine and teaching them the real meaning of stewardship. God bless all of you.

Peace, love, and joy~
Lisa Love

In 1980 the Men’s US Hockey Team comprised of college players and minor leaguers pulled off the biggest upset ever in Olympic history by defeating the powerful Russian hockey team. Their victory was called the “Miracle on Ice” as they won the gold medal for the U.S.A.

I can not help to relate the great 1980 Hockey team to us, as we have just completed our fourth fish dinner of the Lenten Season. What a remarkable job our team members do each week to provide quality and quantity dinners for our community! We are united as the Body of Christ and share his love with one another each week. We are not restauranters nor professional chefs, but we are a family of believers that truly know that all things are possible with God.

Thank you for giving your time and talent and treasure with a joyful heart as we experience our “Miracle on Main Street”!

Love,

Deacon John                                                                                                                                                                                     

As I walked around the dining area, the drive through area, and the takeout out area of the fish fry this past week, I felt a tremendous sense of joy when I saw the multitude of young people that were working. These young people are truly a blessing to our parish and represent our parish in such a positive way. They do their jobs with a positive attitude, whether it be serving our guests or running up and down the steps taking orders to the drive through. Thank you so much for giving your time and talent to help make our Lenten fish dinners a success.

The spirituality of stewardship isn’t something that magically appears at the age of eighteen. It is something that is a life-long mission that starts at a very young age. I would like to encourage all the parents of our young children of our parish to start guiding your children to a life of stewardship by making a commitment to attend Mass weekly and to get them involved in the ministries our parish offers to our children. The rewards they will receive throughout their lives will be countless.
Love,
Deacon John