STEWARDSHIP—LIVING CHRISTIANITY [ RADICALLY]

New World Articles

Generosity often depends on perceiving the need
By Ray Coughlin
contributor

In the sweltering summer of 1985, the new pastor of a suburban parish decided it was time to raise money to air condition his church. The total cost of the project was $130,000, not a lot of money for that parish but more than they had on hand. There was, however, a problem to overcome …the pastor's distress at the very idea of asking people for money, if even for such a popular parish project.

His aversion to fundraising was so acute that the prospect of asking for money made him physically ill. So, he decided to conduct his little campaign in the fall to give himself plenty of time to work up the courage to ask for the needed funds.

One scorcher of an August Saturday evening, with temperatures hovering around 100 degrees, parishioners were filing out of the 5 p.m. Mass, sweating like ditch-diggers. One gentleman, a new parishioner, approached the pastor who was greeting people outside the front doors, "Why on earth, Father, did you not turn on the air conditioning?"

"Because we don't have it," he responded, "but this fall I intend to ask folks for the money to install it in the church."

"How much will it cost?" asked the perspiring gentleman. "About $130,000," said the pastor. With that, the gentleman told the pastor "Order it! I'll pay for it."

So, the dreaded fundraising campaign was successfully completed, the pastor was relieved beyond belief, the air conditioning was installed and all was well.

Studies have shown that among the major religious denominations Catholics rank near the bottom of the list in being generous in financial support of their parishes. My experience tells a much different story.

Catholics are indeed a generous lot. In my 25 years of working with Catholic parishes and donors, I have been amazed and heartened by the enormously generous response of Catholic people when they are made aware of financial needs of Catholic entities. But often, Catholics are unaware of financial needs of the church until a crisis situation exists.

We are all creatures of habit, of course, and that includes writing a check for our parish support. If the lights are on in the church, the candles are lit, the heating and air conditioning are working, the pastor doesn't look emaciated, and we are not aware of any parish financial problems, then why would we ever consider an increase in our support?

Christian stewardship asks us to reflect upon our giftedness and return a portion of our gifts, whatever they are, to God out of gratitude for all that we are given. Perhaps, if our parish giving were motivated, not by parish needs, but rather by our need to give out of gratitude, fundraising campaigns could disappear and Catholics could take their place at the top of the list of generous religious denominations.

Coughlin is director of the Office of Stewardship and Development for the Archdiocese of Chicago. He can be reached at (312) 534-7910 or at rcoughlin@archchicago.org.