Head of new stewardship commission concerned about more than money

By JEFF GRAHAM

The Archdiocese of Vancouver has been stressing lately that stewardship is about a lot more than just money. For Father Robert Wong, SJ, the director of the newly formed stewardship commission, properly maintaining and managing our God-given gifts of time, talent, and treasure is at the heart of stewardship, and goes far beyond the amount of money put into the collection basket each week.

Jeff Graham / The B.C. Catholic Father Robert Wong, SJ, says stewardship involves taking care of all God's gifts. At Holy Name Parish where Father Wong is pastor, they are modelling good stewardship by refinishing the church pews.

"It's not all about money," Father Wong told The B.C. Catholic. "The treasure we receive is a very small part of stewardship. Stewardship is more of a recognition that God is the giver of all gifts, and it's about having an attitude of gratitude."

As Archbishop Raymond Roussin, SM, explained, stewardship is a way of life, and is meant to draw us closer to the love of God.

"Having been a priest for many years in different schools, parishes, and dioceses, I'm well aware that the thrust of true stewardship is a realization of Christ's call to be generous, to be kind, and to give of oneself," said the archbishop. "When I think of the stewardship process I think of the importance of individuals giving of their time, talent, and treasure."

Father Wong echoed Archbishop Roussin's words by saying that stewardship in the best sense flows from the baptismal call of Catholics to follow Christ and give of themselves.

"It's a way of life and a spirituality; it's grounded in God as the Creator and Giver of all gifts," explained Father Wong. "What we have is not ours; rather, what we have are gifts from God that have been entrusted to us, and with that in mind, we need to ask ourselves how we are using these gifts as a responsible stewards to build up the Kingdom of God."

Link with Ignatian charism

"Knowing a bit of his background," said Archbishop Roussin, "I trust he will be able to make this office not only a successful one, but one that brings us to understand stewardship more profoundly. I sincerely pray that this office will also be blessed by the Holy Spirit's presence."

The newly formed commission is a direct result of the Archdiocesan Synod, which recommended that the archdiocese establish a time, talent, and treasure stewardship program. Father Wong, a Jesuit priest, said the Ignatian spirituality of his order helps him come to a deeper appreciation of the spirituality of stewardship, and will give him guidance in chairing the commission.

"For me as a Jesuit, it's very much a part of the Ignatian charism and the spiritual exercises," he explained. "It's about seeing God as the Creator, and asking ourselves how we use His gifts to build up the kingdom."

Father Wong said Catholics are called to be stewards of all the gifts God has given them, whether it's taking care of the environment, renovating their church, or taking care of their families. He also emphatically stated that stewardship needs to be grounded in the love of Christ.

"It can take a while for people to grasp all this," said Father Wong. "That's why you have to invest in people and in their formation. It's a one-on-one conversion process."

"The archdiocese is really ready for this, and many people want to embrace stewardship as a way of life, want to learn more about the spirituality of stewardship, and want more practical help to start," said Barbara Dowding, Vice Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Vancouver.

"Stewardship really is a way of life; it's about taking what God has given and taking care of it. Stewardship should permeate everything in our lives, and not be seen as separate from anything," said Dowding, one of the people hand picked by Father Wong to help him establish the Stewardship Commission.

"When we begin to understand the big picture of stewardship it seems to me it shouldn't even be a separate office or commission. As Catholics, we are charged to live our baptismal call, which really means to take care of all that God has given us so we can share with others, not only time, talent, and treasure, but faith and hope as well. Being good stewards means being always grateful for everything God has given to us. All these good things are given to us by our good and gracious God, and understanding the scope of this, to me, is the beginning of stewardship," said the vice chancellor.

"A great deal of interest in stewardship came from the International Catholic Stewardship Council conference in Seattle in 2003," she explained. After making the trip with 30 other people from the Archdiocese of Vancouver, she said, she felt she had gained a proper understanding of stewardship and noticed a significantly increased interest in stewardship.

"It struck me that stewardship is often thought of in terms of money and giving. While time and talent are often mentioned, the perception remains or gets stuck on treasure."

Father Wong couldn't agree more.

"It's not a money competition, it's an opportunity to recognize God's presence in our communities and in our faith life," he explained. "That being said, it's not easy, because the world tells you we need more things and more money to be happy, and so stewardship is seen by many as being countercultural. When you're going countercultural, it's never easy."