Books have been published explaining why Catholics can't sing, why
Catholics pray the Rosary, and why Catholics don't (and/or shouldn't)
have women in the priesthood. From St. Brigid Press and author Michael
O'Hurley-Pitts comes a knowledgeable and forthright book on why some
Catholics (and, to be sure, Christians of other denominations) don't
give — be it money or time.
The Passionate Steward: Recovering Christian Stewardship from Secular
Fundraising is a book targeted at Christian parishes, in particular
clergy and laypersons responsible for parish stewardship, but is not
necessarily a “how-to” on the fundamentals of fundraising. Rather,
Steward reads more along the lines of a “why-not” or “how-about” book in
that problems of parish stewardship are not addressed with definite solutions in mind, but are exposed to allow the reader to come to the proper conclusions about what is best for his/her church.
O'Hurley-Pitts defines the various kinds of stewardship, pointing out
foremost that giving is “not transactional,” but “vocational.” The
problem with implementing secular fundraising techniques to parishes, he
argues, is that the act of giving is thus in danger of being cheapened.
Giving to one's church should not have to require tempting parishioners
with gifts and incentives as would one hype an informerical (act now and
receive this as a bonus), the author argues. People should want to give
without having to be bombarded by a “what's in it for me” mentality,
particularly when the incentives are hardly spiritual.
O'Hurley-Pitts outlines in Steward a history and the basic fundamentals
of stewardship from a Christian perspective and suggested methods for
campaigns (direct mail, guest speakers), and weighs the pros and cons of each. The household visitation appeal, for example, might work for
tighter parishes, while others may opt for a less initmate stewardship
appeal.
For the struggling small-town parish or the established metropolis church, The Passionate Steward lays out the nuts and bolts of stewardship in a concise and timely manner.
Kathryn Lively is the author of Little Flowers (Highbridge Press, 2001) and the upcoming Saints Preserve Us (Wings ePress, 2003). She is the editor of The Write Stuff newsletter for Catholic writers and the founder of FrancisIsidore Electronic Press, an e-book publisher specializing in Catholic fiction.
