With great sadness, we wanted to announce to all who follow our blog the loss of our beloved friend and mentor, Msgr. Thomas McGread, a remarkable priest and stewardship pioneer who passed away Monday evening.
Msgr. McGread was instrumental in communicating the message of stewardship throughout the world, and his legacy will live on well into the future.
Beginning in the 1960s, Msgr McGread built St. Francis of Assisi parish in Wichita, Kan., into one of the most vibrant parishes in the country by teaching parishioners how to use their personal gifts of time, talent, and treasure to grow closer to Christ. Msgr. McGread, who served as the Director Emeritus of Stewardship for the Diocese of Wichita up to his passing, was influential in drafting the U.S. Bishop’s pastoral letter, Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, which adopted his terminology and theological vision. For him, stewardship is a biblically-based principle that begins with conversion of heart and translates into a lifetime of service. My father, Deacon Don McArdle, told Msgr. McGread’s story in a 2011 book, Grateful and Giving: How Msgr. Thomas McGread’s Stewardship Message Has Impacted Catholic Parishes Throughout the Country.
Up until the end, Msgr. McGread remained a trusted advisor to CSC, and was a regular contributor to this blog. He was a good man, a good pastor, a good priest, a good leader in the Church, a good mentor, and above all, he was a good friend.
We are fortunate to have in our archives many more of Msgr. McGread’s teachings and writings, and we will continue to share these with you here on The Catholic Steward blog. Over the next few weeks, we also will be featuring additional posts from others who were close with Msgr. McGread, as they share their thoughts on how he made an impact in their lives.
Please keep him and all those close to him in your prayers this week. May the soul of Msgr. Thomas McGread and all the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.
