St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church Newsletter — October 2021

Saint Francis F rancis Xavier CATHOLIC CHURCH The Collection Ministry: Ensuring Good Stewardship of Our Parish Treasure

Contents: 2 The Principles of Catholic Social Teaching

3 A Wonderful Time to

Commit to God

4 Questions and Answers About Our Annual Stewardship Renewal

6 Love Thy Neighbor

Ministries: Embracing the Heart of the Gospel

OCTOBER 2021

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e all have our own gifts that we can use to glorify our Lord. Some of us have gifts to directly aid in the Mass, whether we have been blessed with a strong singing voice or speaking voice. Others have talents that can help behind the scenes — and our parish’s Collection Ministry serves as a perfect example.

Three volunteers gather each week Ministry members prepare to count the collection. to count, organize and calculate all the collections from the Masses at St. Francis Xavier. As we all know, it takes the gift of treasure, large or small, to keep our parish operating. Likewise, it’s an important ministry to accurately count the offering.

Finance Manager Kathy Bower oversees this ministry of about 15 counters who rotate. It takes around an hour to divide the money and checks and count and record it all. Then, it’s all put together for Kathy to deposit.

“Everyone who volunteers with this ministry is humble, trustworthy, and dependable,” Kathy says. continued on back cover

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Human Dignity THE Human dignity is the fundamental principle within the Church’s teaching on social justice. A firm understanding of this principle is Francis Xavier PRINCIPLES required so that the rest of Catholic Social Teaching can be viewed from CATHOLIC CHURCH the appropriate perspective. God created us in His image and likeness, so OF CATHOLIC we all are worthy of respect.

SOCIAL Respect for Human Life Whether unborn or seconds away from death, no life deserves to be TEACHING prematurely ended. The Church sees this principle as crucial to the health of any society.

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hat makes being Catholic, well, “Catholic”?

Things like the Mass, the Rosary and the Seven Sacraments come to mind.

But there is also an element of Church teaching that’s often overlooked and sometimes misunderstood — Catholic Social Teaching.

Catholic Social Teaching guides Catholics on how to apply the faith to all aspects of life, and lays the framework for the Church’s teachings on the dignity and sacredness of human life.

Catholic Social Teaching can be explained with 10 key points.

These 10 principles demonstrate the depth of the Church’s teaching on social justice, and they call Catholics to take an active role in shaping the world in which we live. Catholic Social Teaching, when taken to heart, can become the catalyst that causes positive change in a world that desperately needs it. Consider these principles and strive to apply them in your own life.

Association Association holds that social relationships must be developed so that all people may reach their fullest potential. The Church teaches that the family is the basic unit upon which all other elements of society rest. We must uphold the sacredness of the family, and foster the growth of other societal organizations that preserve the well-being of all people.

Participation All people deserve the right to work and to participate in God’s creation.

The joy of accomplishing a task and performing honest labor should be made available to all people.

Protection for the Poor and Vulnerable Society exists in a balance between those with power, and those without it.

The vulnerable — those with disabilities — and the poor must be protected from those with power who choose to wield it in an unjust manner.

Solidarity “Love your neighbor as yourself” — this commandment extends beyond the boundaries of any town, state or country. The principle of solidarity encourages all people to reach out to their brothers and sisters in need and to help them, even if they live halfway around the world.

Stewardship Everything we have — even our own lives — is a gift from God. Our talents, our time and our financial resources are not our own, but God’s.

The same goes for the natural resources we so often take for granted.

Responsibilities and Limits of Government Governments, while created for the common good, sometimes overstep their boundaries. The Church teaches that all governments should seek to operate at the lowest level of organization possible — striving to solve problems at the source, with those who understand them best, and not through oppressive force.

Human Equality God made all humans equal, including those of different ethnicity and race, and in different stages of life. No one person is of more value than another.

Common Good It is especially important in our society to promote the common good — the social well-being and development of the “human group.” If we consider the entire human race as one family, the common good urges us to support our brothers and sisters so that they may reach their full potential.

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A LETTER FROM OUR PASTOR

A WONDERFUL TIME TO

Commit to God

Dear Parishioners,

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t’s Stewardship Renewal time! What an exciting time of year for people new to the parish to make commitments and for everyone (including your priests!) to re-up commitments of time, talent, and treasure for the year ahead. Why do it every year? Because each of us is different from last year. I know some of you have had serious encounters with the Lord Jesus and are ready to go deeper. I know some of you have recently changed jobs or retired so your time commitments have changed — some have more now and others have less. Perhaps your financial picture has changed as well. We do the renewal every year because new people are in our parish!

We also do the renewal because a year ago a lot of people were not engaged with the parish due to the pandemic. So here we are ready for Stewardship Renewal 2021.

Among the ministries you’ll see in this year’s Stewardship Renewal is Love Thy Neighbor and the Collection Ministry. Let me tell you about them. Love Thy Neighbor is our overarching term for the myriad ways we help people in our community. We assist people with food and gas through the Mother Teresa Ministry. We help parishioners in need. We help with natural disasters or significant hardships. We also help people

with rental assistance. Each of these falls under “Love Thy Neighbor” and it’s your time, talent, and treasure that makes it possible.

Speaking of treasure, the Collection Ministry assists the parish business office with counting our collection each week. This ministry requires some time during the day and a little patience. Our parishioners are wonderfully generous and it takes the form of online giving, PayPal, ACH (taken directly from the bank), envelopes of various types, and cash and coins. We’re grateful for it all but we have to count it to make sure every cent is accounted for and spent wisely. If this ministry interests you, I hope you’ll sign up.

So get ready! The Annual Stewardship Renewal is for everyone, even our kids and teens. We want everyone to prayerfully consider their time, talent, and treasure commitments for the year ahead.

Together, we are evangelizing Payne County for Christ and His Church!

In Christ,

Very Rev. Brian O’Brien Pastor, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church

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Francis Xavier CATHOLIC CHURCH

Questions and

Our Annual Stew

O

nce again, it’s time for our Annual Stewardship Renewal. Every year, someone asks, as you may have asked yourself, “Didn’t we just have a Stewardship Renewal?

Aren’t we sufficiently ‘renewed’ by now?” Yes, we had a Stewardship Renewal last year, and we’re going to have one next year, too! This is an annual occurrence – part of the rhythm of parish life at St. Francis Xavier. Just as the Church proposes a time of spiritual renewal each Lent, we believe in the importance of a yearly examination of commitment. Is the Lord asking you to give more time, talent, or treasure to our parish this year? The following Q&A about our Stewardship Renewal should help you discern your commitments to St. Francis Xavier this year.

Commitment Weekend is October 23-24. Don’t forget to bring your Commitment Card to Mass!

I feel like my life is already too full with family obligations and work obligations. I barely even have time to relax. How can I possibly share my time and talents with St. Francis Xavier?

We all have many obligations to our families, jobs, schools, and other endeavors. But we also all have the same number of hours in the day with which to accomplish these things. The issue is not how much time we have, but how we prioritize that time.

Before you fill out your Commitment Card, take some time to reflect on your priorities, and where God fits into your day-to-day life. Remember, living as true stewards of God’s gifts involves giving back the first fruits of what He has given to us in thanksgiving, not the “leftovers.”

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I am happy with my current level of parish participation. Why do I need to keep filling out a Commitment Card every year?

As part of the renewal process, it is important that we consider our current level of participation in parish life at St. Francis Xavier. Sometimes, the call to stewardship involves the quality of service in addition to its quantity. In looking through the opportunities for ministry available at the parish, you may find yourself drawn to a new ministry you haven’t tried before, or new ways to share of your time with God to enrich and enlighten your prayer life. So, even though your current level of parish participation might not change drastically, the ways in which you participate may evolve as you grow in living the stewardship way of life.

Even if you end up continuing to participate in the exact same ministries as you have in the past, marking and turning in a Commitment Card means you have reviewed your present ministries and recommitted yourself to them.

I’m not very active in the Church and, frankly, feel like it may be too late to get involved. Why should I fill out a Commitment Card?

It’s never too late to renew your faith life, and filling out a Commitment Card is a simple step through which you can immediately re-enter the life of the parish. Our parish community is not here to judge you, but to welcome and nourish you in your faith journey.

Begin by checking the box that says, “Attend weekly Mass and Holy Days of Obligation,” and take some time to discern additional ways in which God is calling you from that starting point.

Answers About

wardship Renewal I’m physically unable to attend Mass or be active in parish life at St. Francis Xavier. Is there any reason for me to submit a Commitment Card?

Of course! Your prayers are just as important to the success of our parish community in carrying out its mission as ministry participation and financial contributions. Take a moment to look over some of the opportunities to spend quiet time with God listed in the “Stewardship of Time” section of the Commitment Card, and take a step towards growing in your relationship with Christ and His Church.

activities in which you might like to participate by filling out a Commitment Card this year. Every year, we go into the renewal with every intention of making sure that everyone who has expressed interest is contacted with more information, and we will do so again this year.

I’m reluctant to make a financial pledge for the year in case my circumstances change and I’m unable to fulfill it. Should I? Your Commitment Card is not a legally binding contract; it is a pledge of intentions. Make your pledge based on what you are setting out to do to give back to God, and do your best to fulfill that pledge. If your financial circumstances change, your gift will likely change, as well, but it is still important to prioritize God first. Nobody is going to send the bill collector to your house if you can’t fulfill your pledge due to a change in your financial situation! But we’ve all got to start somewhere, and it’s important that we begin our commitment by writing down our goals for giving back of our gifts to God. I’ve expressed interest in a ministry in the past by filling out a Commitment Card, but nobody from the parish ever followed up with me about it.

While we do our best to consistently follow up with everyone who has shown interest in the opportunities for ministry at St. Francis Xavier, we are human, and we sometimes fall short in our follow-up. If this has happened to you in the past, we sincerely apologize, and we encourage you to renew your interest in any

Every parish family receives a special “Stewardship Package” in the mail that further explains our parish’s vision of stewardship. It includes a booklet that describes every ministry in the parish, as well as your Commitment Card.

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Francis Xavier CATHOLIC CHURCH

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR

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The Backpack Ministry involves volunteers who buy food in bulk and make up small, healthy, balanced meals for local public middle school children to take home with them on the weekends or over school break.

The Mother Teresa Ministry open to the public and has limited hours.

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eah Benjamin’s heartfelt desire to help with Love Thy Neighbor Ministries runs deep — very deep.

“I have a diverse background, so I understand the language of poverty and addiction,” says Leah, our parish Finance and Benefits Coordinator. “I comprehend the love of Jesus, and I want to share His love with those who are calling for help.”

Thankfully, Leah is not alone in her desire to shower the mercy and kindness of Christ on those most in need. In fact, a large number of our parishioners also want to do the same thing, and that is how Love They Neighbor Ministries keeps up and running.

Love Thy Neighbor Ministries is a multi-pronged outreach to the poor which includes the Mother Teresa Ministry, the Parishioner Assistance Ministry, the Backpack Ministry and the Corporal Works of Mercy Ministry. In diverse and beautiful ways, these ministries serve to bring the stewardship vision to life in our midst.

“Our parish is a stewardship parish, so we ask our members to give their time, talent and treasure however they can,” Leah says.

“These ministries provide an opportunity for them to give their time and talent to help others. We also take the treasure they give to this outreach and distribute it mindfully.”

Further, Love Thy Neighbor Ministries acts as a powerful means of bringing the Good News of Christ to others.

“This ministry is evangelical because we encourage our clients when they are feeling lost and discouraged, and lift them up to Jesus,” Leah says.

The Mother Teresa Ministry is run by volunteers who distribute gas and food vouchers to those in need. It is open to the public and has limited hours. It is the only facet of Love Thy Neighbor Ministries that holds annual meetings.

“This ministry is richly blessed,” Leah says. “It has very devoted volunteers, as well as a list of new ones who would like to start helping with it soon.”

The Parishioner Assistance Ministry offers the opportunity for parishioners to call the parish office or speak with our pastor in order to explain various needs with which they are struggling. It is a highly confidential ministry.

“When they contact us, we offer them financial mentoring or

MINISTRIES:

Embracing the Heart of the Gospel other forms of assistance,” Leah says. “We also try to connect them to a network of other ministries that may be helpful.”

Thirdly, the Backpack Ministry involves volunteers who buy food in bulk and make up small, healthy, balanced meals for local public middle school children to take home with them on the weekends or over school break.

They package about 80 per week and deliver them to a local school, which distributes them to students who truly need them.

“The number of meals requested has tripled over the last couple of years,” Leah says. “We need more volunteers for this ministry.”

Last but certainly not least, the Corporal Works of Mercy Ministry is a deeply powerful means of evangelization and assistance. It is currently run by parish staff.

“This ministry provides financial and life coaching to individuals in need,” Leah says.

“We pray with those who come to us, and try to show them the love of Christ. We seek to be the face of Christ to them and meet them where they are at in life. We talk to them about how much Jesus cares about their situation and how much He is there for them.

We also invite them to our parish and point them in the direction of other resources which may help them.”

“Our parish is a stewardship parish, so we ask our members to give their time, talent and treasure however they can.

These ministries provide an opportunity for them to give their time and talent to help others. We also take the treasure they give to this outreach and distribute it mindfully.” — Leah Benjamin

The Corporal Works of Mercy Ministry is a deeply powerful means of evangelization and assistance. It is currently run by parish staff.

If you would like further information about the Love Thy Neighbor Ministries or to receive assistance from them, please contact the parish office at 405372-6886. The Mother Teresa Ministry is not in need of volunteers at this time.

However, if you would like to receive its services, please contact 405-372-7673.

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Francis Xavier CATHOLIC CHURCH

St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church 711 N. Country Club Rd • Stillwater, OK 74075 Web: www.SFXStillwater.org Phone: (405) 372-6886

The Collection Ministry continued from front cover

The counters all come from many career backgrounds, but they have in common the attributes of being trustworthy and confidential. These are both essential for this ministry. Kathy also appreciates the accuracy of the current counters.

“This is such an incredible group of people,” Kathy says. “There is rarely a mistake, and they are all so helpful when there is an issue.”

As we consider the ministries at St. Francis Xavier, the Collection Counters are behind the scenes doing work that is of the utmost importance.

“When you look at the importance of this ministry in allowing us to operate, be fiscally sound and evangelize, you see how important this is,” Kathy says. “Serving as a counter is a silent ministry, but important.”

Kathy would invite anyone with a knack for numbers to consider joining the Collection Ministry. It’s a commitment of about one hour every five or so weeks.

Also, there is always someone to substitute, if needed. With Kathy looking toward retirement, someone else will take the helm of this ministry — Kathy plans to step into this ministry as a volunteer.

“A gift with numbers is a gift some people would overlook,” Kathy said. “We all need to use our gifts to serve the Lord.”

If you would like to get involved as a collection counter, please call the parish office at 405-372-6886.

ONLINE GIVING:

PARISH REGISTRATION: