GUEST COLUMNIST

When we hear the word “stewardship,” our mind can easily think of time, talent and treasure — which are true and important.

This summer I was blessed with being a part of the USCCB’s delegation at the five-day “‘Humanae Vitae’ Congresso Internazionale — The Fecundity of a Letter From the Future” which was organized for the 50th anniversary of Pope St. Paul VI’s prophetic document, in Brescia, Italy.

Hopefully you are already familiar with our faith-based work: We strengthen families, protect and nurture children, serve the poor and marginalized and help people in crisis find safety, stability and ultimately thrive.

This month, we celebrate a landmark moment in the “Together Let Us Go Forth ~ Juntos Sigamos Adelante” campaign: the opening of St. John Paul II High School in Avondale.

Another season of assigning priests to new ministries is afoot in our diocese. Those newly ordained receive their first long-term assignment in priestly ministry, and our older priests enter into a euphemistic retirement, continuing some kind of ministry free of the administrative burdens which can accompany it.

As a seminarian I used to try to envision what my life might look like when I became a priest.

Our Memorial Day was originally known as “Decoration Day,” an opportunity to decorate many graves of the over 600,000 men who died in the Civil War.

I was an undergrad in philosophy at The Catholic University of America when I had the opportunity to attend an off-campus lecture by Rev. Alexander Schmemann, dean of St. Vladimir Orthodox Seminary in New York and one of the most eminent English-speaking theologians in the Orthodox world.

“Evangelii Gaudium,” “Amoris Laetitia” and, now, “Gaudete et Exsultate.” What do they have in common? They were written by Pope Francis? Yes. They are apostolic exhortations? Yes. More important? Joy.

I’m often asked the question, “How do we build engagement in our parish?” I think the answer is threefold: personal invitation, conversion and answering the call to be an intentional disciple of Jesus!