Today is Stewardship Sunday in the Archdiocese of St. Louis! St. Margaret joins the other parish communities of our local Church in celebrating and committing to Stewardship, that is, to be grateful and generous with our time, talent, and treasure. Have you been praying and reflecting with gratitude for all that God has given to you? How can you be more generous in sharing your time, talent, and treasure with God and the Church?

Here at St. Margaret, we are celebrating Stewardship not just on one Sunday, but for a whole season! My hope is that by reflecting and praying about Stewardship for an extended period, we can rekindle the Spirit of St. Margaret that may have waned during the pandemic or during the uncertainty of All Things New. Now is the time for all of us to recommit ourselves to Jesus Christ, to our faith, and to this parish we love so much!  

To help build our community, nametags will be offered at Sunday Masses for the next number of weeks. You’re invited to make and wear a nametag on Sundays so that we can learn each other’s names and get to know one another. How many people do you see each Sunday, but you just don’t know their names? Who did you meet some years ago, but now you just can’t remember them? I remember that everyone introduced themselves to me on my first weekend here two years ago, but not many folks have introduced themselves to me since, so I still need to put many names and faces together myself. There will be paper nametags and sharpies at the doors of the Church; please write and wear a nametag as you enter Church. I’ll also be encouraging all of you to make some introductions at Mass over the next few weeks, so please be gracious in introducing yourself and learning someone else’s name. I think this is so important because we are called to love one another in community, and we can’t love one another unless we know one another. Wearing a nametag and introducing yourself to one another is a first step!

This week, each parish household will receive a mailing about our Increased Offertory Program. I am asking every parishioner to make a renewed financial gift to St. Margaret of Scotland, and next weekend will be our Commitment Sunday. Did you know that only 30% of our parishioners are regular financial givers? Do you know that the top 20 donors in our parish contribute over 25% of our budget? While I’m grateful to everyone who gives, no matter the amount, the fact remains that many of us can do better and be more generous. Many people don’t reflect much about their giving or make a plan to give. Many folks give the same amount they gave 5 or 10 years ago, even though their financial status has changed. Many people set up their electronic giving some years ago and haven’t changed it since. I’m asking everyone to take this week, consider your finances, ask God in prayer what you should give, and make a renewed financial commitment to the parish. Please bring your commitment card to Mass next weekend.

While we will always pass the basket and take a collection at Mass, I encourage everyone to sign up for electronic giving. It’s convenient for you, and guarantees that the parish receives your regular donation. You can register and find more information on our parish website. Some folks give larger donations throughout the year because of IRA or 401(k) distribution, stock dividends, or tax refunds; these gifts are always welcome, especially before the end of the calendar year (December 31) and the end of our fiscal year (June 30). Still others have remembered St. Margaret of Scotland in their will, a great gift to help secure our future. Please give what you can, knowing that God is never outdone in generosity! Thanks for your commitment to Stewardship, and for your financial generosity to our parish.