When Deacon John asked me to draft a letter on what Stewardship means to my family and I, I was both excited and nervous at the same time. How does someone verbalize what it means to be a part of something so wonderful and special as Saint Patrick’s Parish and the Catholic faith.
Well, here I go…… I have always been strongly rooted in my faith throughout my entire life. I grew up as a Lutheran in Franklin, PA. We went to service every Sunday. I was a server for as long as I can remember, and man was that Gospel heavy when I had to hold it for the Pastor! We spent my whole childhood involved with the Church several days a week. After being confirmed and heading off to college I lost touch with my faith. Though praying, when I felt I needed something, and getting a cross tattoo, lol, was there, I never felt as though I belonged regarding a community or a church family.
After meeting my wonderful wife and moving to Hubbard we both knew we wanted to attend services but could not ultimately agree on where and how to go. I immediately fell back to my Lutheran roots, and we began attending services off and on. It wasn’t until our children were born when we knew this must be a dedication and something we needed to put focus on. We continued to go and even ran the Sunday School Program for a period of time. Even with all this we were not truly engaged, and neither were our children. Finally, Loni asked if we could look into joining Saint Patrick’s. To say I was skeptical was an understatement. I had always thought the Catholic faith was unwelcoming and gosh forbid an “outsider” could join. Reluctantly, after several attempts, I FINALLY listened to my wife, and it was the best decision we have ever made.
What does stewardship mean to the McNany’s? It means we have an extended family here at Saint Patrick’s. It means we continue to try and be better people every day. Better to each other, better to those around us and better followers of Christ. We look forward to going to Mass every week. The kiddos are skipping and smiling when they leave PSR classes on Sunday’s. It is so refreshing to be a part of something that is so meaningful and vibrant. It is not a chore to go to Mass, it is a blessing. What Father Mike, all the Deacons and parish have done for our family is awaken us to the true meaning of why we are all here and together. Not just to go to Church on Sundays, but to try and make a difference in the world every day.
If anyone knows me then they know I love telling stories. Over the New Year’s Holiday our family went to New York City. We did as much as any family, with three kids under the age of 10, can do in the city for 48 hours. On New Year’s Eve we went to Saint Patrick’s cathedral. Loni, the kids and I were just as excited about being there and lighting candles as we were to see FAO Schwarz or the Harry Potter store. If anyone knows us, then they know how much this means. That is what stewardship means to us. It means we are blessed and love to be a part of this faith and community and look forward to being a part of it for all of ETERNITY.
Thank you all for sharing in this journey with us.
God Bless.
The McNany’s