Stewards reach out and share

By Helen Scieszka, PhD

	Stewardship Stewardship: A Way of Life is the diocesan thrust. It invites Catholics to acknowledge that all of life is a gift of God and to respond through prayer, service and sharing. This series will look at ways to do that.

CHILTON -- Often in a society that has become known as a "culture of death" it feels like an overwhelming struggle to climb the mountain of being a people of a Faith who promote a "culture of life."

To stand at the base of that mountain looking to the top seems a daunting, unreachable task. But, just as in climbing mountains, promoting "life" is done one step at a time.

Sometimes large steps are attempted as in working to overturn a Supreme Court decision. Progress can be slow.

But at other times even large steps can move quickly as in having a state governor grant a reprieve to all death row inmates.

However, most of us will never be political figures, let alone governors. We may not be able to walk picket lines. And what about the responsibility to support the life we are working to save?

While focusing on the larger issues we often forget that climbing a mountain also takes many little steps and help is needed along the way. So, what can we do?

That was a question the Family Life Committee at Good Shepherd Parish in Chilton (formed in July 2005 by a consolidation of six parishes) asked three years ago.

They decided it wasn't enough to simply remember the Roe v. Wade decision or to pray for an end to abortion. They felt it was important to support the women and families who had decided to give their children life despite whatever financial, emotional or social difficulties they might have to face with that decision.

So, our annual parish "Diaper Drive" was born with the donations going to Mother & Unborn Baby Care, 526 W. Wisconsin Ave., Appleton.

This was something that everyone in the parish could be involved in and support.

2006 was our third and best year yet. We just about doubled the number of diapers donated from the previous year with 113 packages. That's 5,065 diapers, along with some other needed items.

When we arrived at Mother & Unborn Baby Care with our donations, the staff could not believe it! Just the day before they had held a special prayer meeting asking God for help because their diaper supply was running so low!

So for the families who needed them and the organization that supplies them Good Shepherd Parish made a lot of progress that day climbing the "Mountain of Life."

(Scieszka is the pastoral associate at Good Shepherd Parish, Chilton.)