When Fr. Antony Thekkekara arrived in the United States in 2007 as a missionary priest, he did not yet know how deeply stewardship would shape his priesthood. Early in his ministry, he was assigned to serve alongside Fr. Jim Golka, now Archbishop-Designate James R. Golka of the Archdiocese of Denver. It was there that Fr. Antony encountered stewardship not as a fundraising program, but as a way of discipleship.
Under Archbishop-Designate Golka’s mentorship, he came to understand that stewardship is about forming hearts, helping parishioners recognize that everything is a gift from God and respond in gratitude. That conviction has guided his ministry ever since.
Today, in his third year as pastor of The Living Christ Family, a group of small rural parishes in Valentine, Nebraska, Fr. Antony continues to live out that vision.
Like many rural communities, these parishes face limited resources, busy families, and the ongoing challenge of sustaining participation. From experience, Fr. Antony knew stewardship would be essential. But he also knew something critical: he could not build it alone.
“If I’m the only one developing stewardship, this is no good,” he says. “The stewardship councils are super important for success.”
Whenever Fr. Antony begins in a new parish, he forms a Stewardship Council. Not as a committee that meets occasionally, but as a team committed to prayer, formation, and shared leadership.
The council meets monthly. Each meeting begins with intentional formation, reading stewardship materials, reflecting together, and discussing how to apply what they are learning. Members share experiences, challenge one another, and discern concrete steps forward.
To deepen that formation, Fr. Antony regularly brings members of his Stewardship Council to the Msgr. Thomas McGread Stewardship Conference in Wichita, hosted annually by Catholic Stewardship Consultants (CSC). He has attended nine times and brings parish leaders with him whenever possible.
“Every time I go to the Wichita conference, I take a team with me. They are always empowered, energized, and put on fire for stewardship.”
The conference becomes more than an event. It becomes a catalyst. Leaders return with clarity, confidence, and renewed conviction.
Formation alone, however, is not enough. Without structure, even the best intentions can lose momentum.
To sustain what formation begins, Fr. Antony partners with Catholic Stewardship Consultants. CSC provides the renewal framework, communication tools, stewardship materials, and ongoing guidance that allow the councils to remain focused and organized.
Rather than placing additional burdens on already busy parish staff, CSC supplies structure so that stewardship is implemented consistently and pastorally. Inspiration is paired with execution. Vision is supported by process.
This partnership ensures that stewardship does not depend on the personality or energy of one individual. It becomes embedded in parish life.
In just three years at The Living Christ Family, Fr. Antony has witnessed steady and meaningful transformation.
Parishioners are more engaged in ministries and in the broader community. Stewardship renewals are more consistent. Financial generosity has increased, not through pressure, but through formation. Even a recent capital campaign, modest in scale yet significant for these rural parishes, was successfully completed.
More importantly, there is a visible spirit of prayer and gratitude among the people. Stewardship is no longer an annual event. It is becoming a shared way of life.
What began with forming a small leadership team has grown into a parish culture marked by shared responsibility and deeper discipleship.
For Fr. Antony, the lesson remains clear: when leaders are formed, when teamwork is prioritized, and when stewardship is presented as a spirituality rather than a strategy, renewal happens from the inside out.