Stewardship Seminar

Friday, Oct. 28, 2016

Spanish-speaking parishioners of Saints Peter and Paul Parish in West Valley, Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Parish in Midvale, and Sacred Heart Parish and the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City gathered Oct. 21 in the Pastoral Center to learn and share insights about stewardship in the diocese. John Kaloudis, director of the diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development, welcomed everyone to the workshop, at which Father Martin Diaz, pastor of the Cathedral of the Madeleine (shown), presented “How Welcoming Affects Stewardship.” Also, Rosa Ramirez, a Saint Therese of the Child Jesus parishioner and member of the stewardship committee, spoke about “The Importance of Stewardship.”

Fr. Diaz created a diagram explaining stewardship ministry to the workshop participants.

“The ministry is God’s ministry; we are here to be co-stewards with God,” which means in part welcoming everyone to their parishes, said Fr. Diaz.

People come to the church for different reasons, Fr. Diaz said.

“For example this family comes to the parish searching just to receive the Sacraments … not to be disciples, but it is on us to welcome them to be disciples,” Fr. Diaz said.

To do that, he suggested talking about who the parish community is, and asking the new family who they are, their likes and dislikes, and “to welcome their history.”