Stewardship at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick

On the road to Caesarea Philippi, the Lord Jesus questioned the Twelve Apostles, "Who do you say I am?" (Matthew 16:15). This is the fundamental question of every human life, and to find the happiness for which God created us, we must each come to confess with St. Peter: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). 

A major part of such a commitment to discipleship is the careful use of the goods of the earth entrusted by God to our care; everything we are and everything we have comes from God, and at our judgment each of us must render to Him an account of our use of all that He bestowed upon us. In the Parable of the Talents in the Gospel of St. Matthew, Chapter 25, verses 14-30, the Lord Jesus explains our solemn duty to use well all the good things God has given us; this dimension of discipleship is called stewardship.  To be a disciple of Christ is to be a steward of God's gifts of time, talent, and treasure, and we have a solemn duty to use everything we have in keeping with the principles revealed in Sacred Scripture and lived in the Church.

Stewardship in Sacred Scripture

In the Book of Genesis (14:17-20), we find the first indication in Sacred Scripture of how God intends us to use material goods; Abraham has conquered an enemy in battle, and he meets the King of Salem, Melchizedek, who is also a priest of God Most High. Melchizedek offers a thanksgiving sacrifice of bread and wine, and Abraham gives him a tenth of everything he has. From this offering by Abraham emerges the Scriptural practice of tithing, of giving ten percent of our goods to God, a practice hallowed by thousands of years of Jewish and Christian practice.

Here an essential point of tithing must be noted: God does not ask us to tithe because there are bills to pay; He asks us to tithe because we need to be reminded that nothing we have belongs to us absolutely. So dependent are we on His grace, that without Him we would simply not exist. Giving ten percent of our goods in a thanksgiving sacrifice to God is a powerful way of living always in the humbling truth that we are creatures in need of redemption.

How Much Should I Donate? 

The 5% contribution to the parish should be given in the primary collection to our operating fund, and the remaining percentage of your tithe could go towards special collections at Mass, gifts to other charities, college alumni programs, schools, etc. Obviously, there are circumstances (such as unemployment, chronic illness, responsibility for dependents) that mitigate this basic principle, but even those who can give only "the widow's mite" are still called by the Gospel to give.

The Cathedral of Saint Patrick presently has over 1,300 registered households, and if each family in the parish were contributing at the level indicated by Scriptural authority and the teaching of our Bishop, then given Charlotte’s average per capita income, our total weekly collection would be around $38,000. Instead, our average collection is about $13,000 each week. The principle reason for this huge gap is that of our 1,300 registered households, 750 gave nothing at all to the parish in the past year; and another 500 households gave less than $5 each week.

A weekly contribution should be a part of every household's regular budget and not something decided at the last minute based on what spare change is at hand when the offering plate passes. Make a plan now for regular, predictable, weekly support, and keep that up all year long.

If every registered family in this parish regularly attends Mass and faithfully contributes to the work of the Church, then we will have not only the means we need to survive but also the ability to assist others in need and thus fulfill the call of the Lord Jesus to serve Him by serving His brothers and sisters. Please be generous, and encourage your fellow parishioners to grow closer to the Lord Jesus and become more deeply involved in the work of the parish.