Catholic Stewardship & Setting Our Focus for the Year Ahead

As we continue in the Advent season preparing our hearts for Christ, many of us use this time to reflect and plan for the year ahead. In my own family, my husband and I have developed a tradition: each year we choose a word or phrase to guide us. It keeps us focused on the bigger picture, even when life feels overwhelming. Whether it’s a four-year-old demanding “Bear Bear” instead of clothes on a Monday morning, or juggling speech practice and Scouts around dinner, that focus reminds us of what matters most. 

Have you thought about what your family’s focus will be for the year ahead? Whether you are widowed, a single adult, newly married, an empty nester, or in the throes of raising children like we are, we all can benefit from a focus. How about your parish? School or cemetery? Do you know what you will focus on for 2026?

And as I’ve toured the diocese, meeting parishioners, clergy, and parish leaders, I’ve noticed a common theme that is worth surfacing as we enter a new year: stewardship itself has shifted over the years. 

As a general observation, older generations often give consistently—through tithing or regular contributions—to sustain their parishes. Younger generations, meanwhile, tend to give as they are able, but not always with the same rhythm or regularity. Of course, this is a broad generalization and doesn’t apply to everyone. But it raises an important question: what does this mean for the future of our parishes as older generations pass the torch? 

There’s no easy answer. If there were, it would have been solved already. But at the Catholic Foundation, we believe the path forward begins with reflection on the spirituality of stewardship. The Church teaches that stewardship is a gift of time, talent, and treasure. Not everyone can afford to give hundreds of dollars each month to cover parish expenses. Yet almost everyone can give a percentage of their income, and almost everyone can offer time and talent. The deeper question is: are you giving as the Lord is calling you to give? 

Parish-Level Initiatives for 2025

To support parishes in this discernment, the Catholic Foundation is offering two new initiatives for leaders to consider: 

1. Stewardship Educational Series

We will work with priests to map out a series of 2–4 messages on tithing and stewardship that can be incorporated into homilies or parish announcements. These will include testimonials from local parishioners who have found joy and growth through stewardship. We will pair the messages during Mass with 1–2 onsite seminars to guide parishioners through practical workshops on integrating stewardship into their daily lives. An educational toolkit with articles, bulletin blurbs, images and social messages will also be included.

This service will be offered at a very low cost, just to cover our time and printing of materials. 

2. Collective Parish Endowment 

We will help parishes create simple campaigns to establish collective endowments. The idea is straightforward: any size gift can contribute to the fund, and together these donations will build an endowment that sustains the parish indefinitely. You don’t need hundreds of thousands of dollars to participate; the collective generosity of the parish family makes it possible. 

When you set up your endowment through the Foundation, this program will be available at no cost to parishes. 

If you’d like to learn more about how your parish can participate in one of these programs, please reach out to us today at info@catholicfsmn.org. 

Conclusion: A Call to Christ, A Call to Stewardship

As you set your parish or your family’s focus for the new year, consider making stewardship part of that vision. Stewardship is not about pressure, it’s about our identity in Christ. It’s about recognizing that everything we have is gift from God, and that we are called to return those gifts in love and service. Whether through time, talent, or treasure, each of us has a role to play in sustaining our parishes and ministries for generations to come. 

At the Catholic Foundation of Southern Minnesota, we are here to walk with you. Together, we can ensure that our parishes remain vibrant, our ministries remain strong, and our communities remain rooted in Christ.