The Pastoral Council: Guiding the Mission and Vision of Our Faith Community

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A Letter From Our Cathedral Rector: We Are Blessed as a Church and a Nation

Bob Wuertz won’t mince words — he originally believed stewardship was just a campaign to help with the financial needs of the parish. Gradually, his faith life led to a much richer understanding.

“I now know that stewardship is a way of life,” Bob says. “It is a way to bring Christ into my daily activities. Participating with others in our faith community helps me understand and reinforces the sacred purpose of our parish, which is ‘to become holy disciples, generous with God’s gifts for building the Kingdom, on the path to heaven.’”

As a member of the Pastoral Council who grew up a few blocks from “St. Ben’s,” Bob now considers how we can live stewardship as individuals but also as a faith community. In essence, the Pastoral Council guides the mission and vision for our cathedral parish.

“The purpose of the council is to investigate pastoral matters and to propose practical conclusions to the pastor,” Bob says. “These matters include everything that pertains to the pastor’s ministries of proclaiming God’s Word, celebrating the sacraments, caring for the faithful, promoting the mission of the Church, and being a good steward of parish resources.”

Stewardship has blossomed at St. Benedict over recent years, as evidenced in our 2020 Stewardship Renewal completed last fall. During the pandemic, 96 percent of participating households made prayer commitments, and approximately 85 percent of the participating households made a commitment to ministry.

“Also, 285 of the 1,014 ministry commitments were new commitments, which is an indication that parishioners are stepping forward to get more involved in parish life,” Bob says.

Furthermore, the Renewal showed that 89 percent of participating households made a treasure commitment that was 11 percent more than they had actually given the previous 12 months.

“For the last several years, St. Benedict parishioners have demonstrated a strong willingness to devote their time, talent, and treasure to the mission of their parish,” Bob says. “That commitment to stewardship has grown. During this year of extreme hardships, our parishioners never faltered in their stewardship commitment. What an unbelievable response to their faith.”

Looking forward, Bob believes that two key factors articulated by previous Pastoral Councils will continue to keep our focus on stewardship — hospitality and communication. Ongoing initiatives related to both these factors are occurring.

“We established a Welcoming Ministry, creating a group of volunteers to serve as greeters at the beginning of each weekend Mass and Appreciation Masses for eighth-grade and high school graduates,” Bob says. “A Communication Committee was established to address and coordinate methods of reaching all parishioners through our website, social media, email, print, and in person.”

If any faith community members are interested in joining the Pastoral Council, elections occur in August or September every three years. Eight members are elected by the parish and four are appointed by the rector.

“I was looking for some opportunity to reignite my enthusiasm in regard to my faith, and being on the Pastoral Council has,” Bob says.

For more information about the Pastoral Council at St. Benedict Cathedral, please reach out to Bob Wuertz at rjwuertz@gmail.com.