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Mckenna Stewardship Newsletter
March 2004

#37 - MARCH 2004

SOME FACTS ABOUT THE MC KENNA TITHING PROGRAM . . .

Our annual Day of Recollection is always a breath of fresh air, a tonic, and a mini-retreat for the witnesses and their spouses/guests. And this year was truly a blessing. 
We were fortunate to have two dedicated young priests to inspire us. Fresh insights came to us from our morning speaker, Rev. Richard Rusk, pastor of St. Patrick's Parish in Belvidere, NJ. The evening Mass was celebrated by Rev. John D. Hand, M.Div. Assoc. Pastor of St. Madeleine, Ridley Park, PA who made the trip from the Philadelphia area with four of St. Madeleine's parishioners: Mary Ward, who planned our lovely day, Frank and Eleanor and Donegan, and Tom O'Connell. 

In a lovely, personalized homily Father Hand inspired much laughter, some surreptitious tears, and made all of us feel very proud to be a part of the McKenna Group. We were humbled as he made the connection with the Scripture reading about Christ's sending the Apostles out "two by two." 

In addressing us at the morning session, Father Rusk was, himself, inspired and therefore inspiring when he spoke of his parish and its reaction to the tithing presentation. (St. Patrick's parishioners responded to a degree not seen often in recent uncertain times.) 
And so we're sharing with you a few samples of Father Rusk's "thank you's" from the parish bulletin so that you can assess for yourselves why his people were so lovingly eager to listen to the speakers"  Generosity in our hearts is a sign of the presence of God within us. That is part of the 'Light' that the Lord asks us to let shine into the darkness around us. Tithing is a blinding light of generosity and trust in God. The world around us needs to see this generosity and trust in all of us. We truly reflect Christ in this world."

"Tithing gives us the privilege of supporting the work of the Lord in ways that reach out beyond our 'scope of influence.' With the regular commitment to tithing many lives can be touched and supported in ordinary parish life."

"In the Old Testament, tithing was considered a privilege of those united in common faith. It was a way of owning and taking responsibility for preserving the faith in a real and practical world." 

"THANK YOU FOR YOUR SACRIFICE OF TITHING!" (Each of the above comments was followed by this phrase.) 
There is definitely a correlation between good results from parishioners and a regular, enthusiastic, heartfelt "thank you" from pastors.

DID YOU KNOW . . .?

1. We have had more than 135,000 "hits" on our website.. 
2. Administrator Paul Forbes recently went to a parish in Floresville, Texas to make a presentation to their parish council
3. Going a bit further afield, he had an e-mail from a pastor in Indonesia asking for more information. Paul spoke to him on the 'phone and then sent him a complete package detailing how we present tithing . . . Indonesia! !!

(Please feel free to use these comments in your bulletins. . . )

""Thank you for making our parish a tithing parish. It gives me great pleasure to share the blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon us. It removes the question of 'How much do I give this week?' I feel truly blessed to be a member of this new parish and look forward to all that is to come."
A parishioner
Rev. Joseph J. Quindlen, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Buckingham, PA

"Our hearts ache with the financial stress our parish is suffering. We pray that the talks and letters of the past two weeks will enlighten fellow parishioners to open their hearts and purses. God bless you, Father, and give you patience."
A parishioner
Rev. Edward T. Kearns, St. Cyril of Alexandria, East Lansdowne, PA 

"Only one time does God allow us to test Him - He even challenges us to do so. That Scripture is Malachi 3:10: 'Bring the whole tithe into the warehouse that there may be food in My house, and try Me in this, says the Lord of hosts: Shall I not open for you the floodgates of heaven and pour down blessings upon you without measure?'
"I have and God did!"
A parishioner
Rev. William Cosgrove, St.Denis, Hopewell Junction, PA

"Tithing is our way of making a difference, of giving some of what we receive to God and to those in need."
A parishioner
Rev. Msgr. Laurence R. Bronkiewicz, St. Mary's, Ridgefield, CT

(Ed.note: In the same bulletin, the pastor included the quotation presented below which could well apply to tithing.) "The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it." Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf

"Over the past year I've slowly worked my way up to 10%. I really like the concept. It's one more way to help me get closer to God."
A parishioner
Rev. William M. Weary, St. Joseph, Danville, PA

"I have been tithing for many, many years. Lots of good has come from it in my life. Things that seemed very bad turned to very good happenings. I could tell of any number of good things from business, family, to health and then some! Keep up the good work, Father!"
A parishioner
Rev. John Bateman, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Lewistown, PA

"I think tithing is the best thing that can happen to St. John's. I have prayed that we would have tithing for many years because it is so spiritual. It is the right thing to do, to give to God first. I know I will be blessed and so will the people who tithe. Everything is now in God's hands."
A parishioner
Rev. Louis C. Bier, St. John the Baptist, Phila., PA

"The shouts of Christmas joy have subsided and we are back in the real world. Would that every day were Christmas. But we cannot forget the gift of the Christ Child ever for it proved how much God loves us. My tithing envelope is just a sliver in the sea of hope, but I toss it in each week to let God know He can count on me."
A parishioner
Rev. Patrick J. Berkery, St. Anthony, Ansonia, CT

"God has provided for my needs. I know He does this so that I can help others. I feel that this is the least I can do."
A parishioner
Rev. Leo Oswald , St. Madeleine Sophie, Phila., PA 

"We have become more involved in parish activities, including tithing, because we want to see the parish succeed in its service to the people."
A parishioner
Rev. Clarence Olszewski, Holy Infant, York Haven, PA

"If the weight of the Cross makes you stagger, its power will also sustain you."
A parishioner
Rev. James McGinnis, Our Lady of Hope, Phila., PA 

"I had always tithed on part of my income. As I was considering the large jump it would take to tithe from my total income, I had household appliances fail. However, [they] all could be fixed under the warranty. I took this as God's way of telling me to trust in His care."
A parishioner
Rev. Msgr. Nelson Perez, St. William, Phila., PA

"Tithing . . . To see how God works in making our ends meet is just another of many small miracles we see performed each day. However, we do not give in order to make ends meet. That is merely the by-product. We love to give to God and to His Church so we may continue to receive His graces."
A parishioner
Rev. Edward J. Keating, Jr., St. Pius X, Selingsgrove, PA

PASTORS' COMMENTS. . . (from their parish bulletins)

"As we reflect on the simple beauty and serenity of the Holy Family, we are reminded to give thanks that through our baptism, we are made part of the family of God. Our particular parish family has been blessed abundantly by God. As we welcome new families to our parish family and see it growing, we are grateful for all who have put their trust in the Lord and have made the tithing commitment. With the decision to put God first comes spiritual peace and joy."
Rev. Michael W. Cichon, St. Joseph-St.Thomas, Staten Island, NY

"In his book, How to Make Positive Imaging Work for You, Norman Vincent Peale says, 'I am convinced that tithing did it. There is something about this practice of giving that can't be explained in purely rational terms. Tithing seems to put a person in touch with some mysterious force that attracts money. Not a lot of money, necessarily, but enough for the tither's needs. Of the hundreds of people I've persuaded to try tithing, not one has ever told me that the experiment failed, or that he regretted it, or that it was a mistake. Not one.' " 
Fr. William L. Winston, St. Virgil's, Morris Plains, NJ

(Ed. Note: After reporting the disastrous situation of pinholes in the church boiler, and the need for repairs or a new one, one pastor wrote of another need, feeding the hungry. In doing so, he quoted several well known people speaking on the subject).
"It would be considered a theft on our part if we didn't give to someone in greater need than we are." St. Francis of Assisi.
"The rich man who gives to the poor does not bestow alms but pays a debt." St. Ambrose of Milan. And St. John Vianney said, "I do not lend. I give." 
Rev. Msgr. John B. Brady, Our Lady of the Angels, Avenue, MD

"I am sure that you are as awestruck and excited as I am by last weekend's collection . . . I cannot thank enough those members of our parish who are trying 'God's plan for giving'."
Rev. Nicholas Bozza, St. Michael, Netcong, NJ

"Many thanks to our Tithers who are returning to God some of His goodness." 
Fr. Jack Farry, St. Leo, Phila., PA 

"After having discovered what our 'problem' was with tithing (inflated figures for last year), I'm so thrilled to see how you have responded in faith to God's invitation to place Him first in your lives. Many of you have been sharing with me your own personal stories of how tithing has changed your view toward things. That's where tithing is much more than about money -- it's about placing and keeping God first. I offer my profound thanks to all of you who are responding so generously to God's call."
Rev. John Bateman, St. Jude Thaddeus, Mifflintown, PA

"Mother Teresa once said, 'Holiness is not the luxury of the few. It is a simple duty for you and for me. If there are poor in the world, it is because you and I don't give enough'. What a challenge Mother Teresa gives to a tithing parish such as Holy Angels. There are many poor people in the Seventh District and perhaps their numbers would be fewer if you and I would be more generous with our TIME, TALENT, and TREASURE."
Rev. Msgr. John B. Brady, Holy Angels, Avenue, MD 

"It is quite one thing to say that we're committed to serving God, and quite another thing to demonstrate that with our pocketbooks. But the extent to which we are willing to do that reveals whether we are offering to God that which costs nothing, or that which is truly sacrificial."
Rev. Sean R. Harlow, O.Carm., Our Lady of the Scapular/St. Stephen, New York, NY

"Giving Brings Freedom: As strange as it seems, money and possessions, which should be among the blessings of life, have tied more people in knots than we'll ever know. This is largely because those who live by the pocketbook find it easy to act as if God doesn't exist. They try to solve their problems by use of material possessions and wind up tense, anxious and bound by their lack of faith. Giving a meaningful percentage of income to Church helps a person to develop a right perspective and ultimately frees him or her from the shackles of faithless fear. I thank those of you who have developed a right attitude of faith and are committed, consistent givers to Christ's Church."
Rev. Msgr. Richard A. Behl, Cathedral of St. Francis, Metuchen, NJ

"Our 'tithing the tithe' donation this week will be to the Center for Spiritual Development. The Center is furnishing the speakers for our Lenten Lecture Series which is being presented in the Social Hall each Thursday night. The Center fosters spiritual development among the laity through courses of study as well as retreats and days of recollection. We are indebted to them for all they do to deepen the spirituality of the Archdiocese of New York."
Rev. Brian Brennan, St. John the Evangelist, Mahopac, NY 

"I am now a 69 year-old Christian, a Capuchin friar since 1953 and an ordained priest since 1959. In all this time, I have NEVER, NEVER experienced less generosity from the Lord than I have shown to Him on the occasion of giving a gift to Him or to one of His little ones. On the contrary, I have been more than generously repaid. Have you experienced the same thing? Can you not tell a similar story and bear a similar witness?"
Friar Francis X. Russo, OFM Cap, St. John the Evangelist, Phila., PA 

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