McKenna Tithing Newsletter
McKenna Tithing Newsletter
MAY 2003
THE GOODNESS AND CREATIVITY OF OUR REMARKABLE PASTORS. . .
This issue, you may have noticed, is long overdue. Life intervened with illness and we’re glad to know you missed us. We also thank you most warmly for your prayers and Masses. Perhaps this may explain why we’re so moved to devote the entire issue to the beautiful men who serve us so superbly in more than celebrating Mass, hearing our confessions, Baptizing our children and other visible ways.
Our priests have taken a dreadful burden of criticism lately, and it should not be forgotten that when the day comes that a story about a “good” priest is front page material we’re really all in trouble. It’s because the “good” ones are the norm that the miniscule percentage of errant priests is often conveniently overlooked.
And since we read approximately 6000 bulletins each year from all over the country, we feel we can speak with some authority about the beauty and holiness of so many of the authors of those works. Certainly, a few of the bulletins are mediocre; so are many of us. But you can’t imagine the treasures we discover, so we’d like to share a few with you. Some of these comments do not refer directly of tithing, but they are all about love of God, and that’s what tithing is about. But see for yourself. The following observation says it eloquently.
“LIFE AS A GIFT”
“My life, a gift from God, does not belong to me, but to Him. Full acceptance of a gift means allowing the Giver into my life, not as a one-time event, but as an ongoing process. Participation in God’s creativity allows me many choices and possible paths. Often it is in the interruptions to my chosen path that the greatest opportunities for stewardship occur, be it in the serving of a cause to further God’s work or in developing a new talent that I may offer God as a gift.”
(Ed. Note: After this beautiful description of stewardship in his “tithing box,” Rev. Msgr. Richard Behl, pastor of the Cathedral of St. Francis in Metuchen, NJ shared this example of giving ALL of one’s gifts back to Him who gave them.)
“When he (Pope John Paul II) slouched forward in his chair at the Mass to canonize Juan Diego in Mexico City, with his mitre practically in his lap, neither his doctor nor his chief liturgical official batted an eye.” Joaquin Navarro-Valls, top papal spokesman, put it this way: “What you see is a soul dragging a body, a soul stronger than a body.”
+
Rev. Msgr. John B. Brady has been a McKenney Tithing pastor since 1986. He was at that time pastor of St. John Vianney in Prince Frederick, MD. In a financial report mailed to his parishioners in February of 1991, he showed that the increases for the preceding three months were 198%, 147% and 153%!
But Msgr. Brady takes nothing for granted, especially not his generous parishioners. With the report he also noted that, since first introducing tithing, they had had a Tithing Update in ’87, Time and Talent in March ’90 and another Update on their fourth Anniversary in November ’97. It is he who introduced us to the lovely idea of lifting the basket containing the peoples’ offerings at the foot of the altar at the Offertory.
This dedicated pastor is currently the pastor of Holy Angels Parish in Avenue, MD and is having the same sort of impact. (Of course, there were the skeptics who said that it wouldn’t work because “our parish is different”, and perhaps they are, but their hearts are good and generous.) Below is a sample of his Tithing box in the bulletin. His comments are unfailingly inspiring.
“‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and try me in this, says the Lord of hosts. Shall I not open the floodgates of hear to pour down blessing upon you without measure?’ Malachi 3:10
PASTORS’ THANK YOU’S. . .
(Please feel free to use these comments in your bulletins. . .)
THE CHEERFUL GIVERS |
PARISHIONERS’ THANK YOU’S. . .
“John and I both think tithing is a great way of giving back to God everything He has given to us. Especially enjoyed the four speakers who came to our parish.”
A parishioner
Rev. Thomas F. Doyle
Sacred Heart, Royersford, PA
“They say Buffalo has really been snowed in this year. People are confused and discouraged. I get like that a lot, but I know God is watching over me because I watch over Him when I tithe. Smart, eh?”
A parishioner
Rev. Patrick J. Berkery, Adm.
St. Anthony, Ansonia, CT.
“I think it is a great plan and that it has been too long in taking place. “
A parishioner
Rev. Edward H. Bell
St. Joan of Arc, Philadelphia, PA
“Since I began tithing, I have had a greater understanding of how much I am loved by God. He loves me as I am and I find that I am much happier with myself now.”
A parishioner
Rev. Philip G. Burger
St. Patrick, Treverton, PA
A parishioner
Rev. Jude S. Salus, OSB
Notre Dame of Mount Carmel, Cedar Knolls, NJ
“Here’s the parish part of my tithe for my ‘buy-out’ retirement: two-thirds for St. Frances Cabrini and one-third for my favorite charity.”
A parishioner
Rev. Msgr. John Miller
St. Frances Cabrini, Fairless Hills, PA
“At some Masses when I see people throwing a loose dollar, or even change, into the basket, I feel sorry for them. They must not feel like they really belong to our parish. They haven’t made any commitment to give or tithe in a serious way.”
A parishioner
Rev. Msgr. Peter V. Kain
St. Ephrem, Brooklyn, NY
“The more I help the church or someone in need, the more generous God is to me.”
A parishioner
Rev. Francis Xavier Russo, OFM Cap.
Shrine of the Sacred Heart Washington, DC
“Each week I look at the figures for Sunday of 2001 and the same Sunday in 2000. There is always a difference and most Sundays it’s a positive difference. We started to tithe about two years ago. We thought we would give it a try. We are happy we did. Now we don’t just ‘put money in the basket’ but we give to the Lord. Print my letter if you wish to. Maybe others will ‘give it a try.’ They won’t be sorry either.”
A parishioner
Rev. Msgr. Francis Carbine
St. Charles Borromeo, Bensalem, PA
“Several months ago I came to Notre Dame for the 10:30 Mass. I felt such spirit and love that I filled out a registration form that day. I came a couple of months later to the New Parishioners’ Welcome and heard the tithing message for the first time. I always believed in tithing, believed in the joy of giving and that God takes care of all. But being a divorced Mother supporting two children, I excused myself. My decision is this: I am now a tithing, supporting member of this loving parish! I’ve a long way to go. Pray for me.”
A parishioner
Rev. Jude Salus, OSB
Notre Dame of Mount Carmel, Cedar Knolls, NJ
“Over the last couple of years we began steadily increasing our weekly contributions. I suppose this was out of a growing sense of stewardship for our parish. We became more involved in parish activities and truly wanted to see the parish succeed in its service to the people. Though we were still giving less than the prescribed “tithe,” we felt it was sufficient. When St. Patrick’s became a tithing parish, we decided to participate. Much to our surprise, the Lord has given back to us in abundance! We just refinanced our mortgage to a much lower rate, allowing us to pay off our credit cards and halve the term of our mortgage!. . . All of a sudden we are becoming better able to organize our finances as well. We believe this is a direct result of tithing. It’s too much at once to consider these events a coincidence! . . .”
A parishioner
Rev. Louis C. Bier
St. Patrick, Norristown, PA
AND IN A LIGHTER VEIN:
“A little girl became restless as the preacher’s sermon dragged on and on. Finally she leaned over and whispered to her Mother, “Mommy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?”
Rev. Ross M. Syracuse, OFM Conv.
St. Casimir, Baltimore, MD
| You, our pastors are not simply eloquent; you are also superbly generous. Your contributions to the McKenna Ministry are not just kind and good. They are essential to the continuation of the work of this ministry. We are only able to respond to the many requests we get for information as a result of your goodness. And we thank you most sincerely! |