CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ROCKFORD - OFFICE STEWARDSHIP DEVELOPMENT

We promote stewardship as a way of life.

According to the 1992 U.S. Bishops' Pastoral Letter, Stewardship: A Disciple's Response, a steward is defined as a disciple of Jesus who "Receives God's gifts gratefully, cultivates them responsibly, shares them lovingly in justice with others and returns them with increase to the Lord." Stewardship is a way of life and is best understood within the context of conversion and evangelization. The disciple is motivated to share his/her time, talent, treasure, and assets with the Church and other worthy causes from a deep sense of gratitude and in a planned, proportionate and sacrificial manner.

Stewardship is a way of living out our faith as individuals, as a faith community, indeed in the actions of our daily lives.

Stewardship is making a choice to live a Christ-centered life. It means realizing that all we have and all that we are able to do are gifts from God, and that everything that we choose to do with those gifts is in a sense our gift back to God in gratitude. This is the way we fulfill our baptismal promise to love and serve the Lord. Stewardship is our way of responding to God's call with a life of gratitude.