WelCom April 2019:
Christine Walkerdine
‘My dream is to have everybody in the Archdiocese of Wellington understand Stewardship, and to appreciate that it is a spirituality for life in order to help us be intentional disciples of Jesus Christ and assist others to do the same.’ – Cardinal John Dew 2016
To support the realisation of this dream, the Archdiocese’s Stewardship Team has helped organise two ‘Stewardship Breakfasts with Cardinal John’. The first was in November 2018 at Lower Hutt and the second in March this year in Blenheim. More than 60 people of all ages attended each meeting.
The meetings started at 7.30am with time for people to socialise and build community connections. Cardinal John spoke eloquently about Stewardship, the fruits of the Spirit, magnanimity and how Stewardship parishes are vibrant, expanding communities where parishioners support each other and reach out to others in their wider community. ‘It’s the belonging that leads to believing,’ he said.
Two or three people from each region were asked to give short reflections on stewardship. Each spoke from powerful personal experiences, and relevant to the audience and Stewardship themes. In Lower Hutt Josephine Eynon from Our Lady of the Valleys, Lina Tovia from St Michael’s Taita, and Rita Kasiano-Graves from Ss Peter and Paul, Lower Hutt, each spoke on the meaning of Stewardship in their lives.
At the Blenheim meeting, Mike Watson said, ‘The faith of our congregations is so evident and yet, somehow, we need to make that sense of faith community to appeal to younger age groups and be relevant for them in today’s world.’ He spoke about having house masses and other events to help in developing a sense of inclusion and belonging. ‘We had a cricket match organised as a fun day get together for the Seddon and Ward communities. With the Catholic church being the only functioning church building in town we have become hosts to the Awatere Christian Joint Venture. We have a combined morning tea and a chat after our Mass-communion service and then they carry on with their service. This has become a great platform for merging and interaction between our communities.’
People left both meetings animated about what they are already doing and with fresh new ideas about what else they could do.
At least three more Stewardship breakfasts are planned this year including at Connolly Hall, Thorndon, for parishioners in the Wellington area and in Tawa for parishioners in the Porirua Basin and Plimmerton areas.
If your parish would like to host a Stewardship breakfast, please email Christine Walkerdine at c.walkerdine@wn.catholic.org.nz or phone (04) 496-1706. Christine is a member of the Archdiocese Stewardship Team.