Fr. Dave Zimmer

Sometime last year, I received a complaint from some parishioners that stewardship is “getting old” for some people. For many who know me, you can imagine this made my heart sink. However, it also makes me wonder, with some concern — when did living a life of discipleship “get old”? I realize that something that changed my life and so many others hasn’t changed everyone. There are people who still find the term “stewardship” confusing or even offensive. I notice it not only in parishioners, but priests and strangers alike. Last November, on the return flight from a pilgrimage to … Read more

Recently, a little girl came into the confessional while no one was waiting their turn and handed me a stuffed doll that looked like Jesus. She quickly put out her request asking me to bless her “Jesus doll.” I told her I had never seen a Jesus doll, and took the 15-inch stuffed figure into my hands and said a prayer over the fabric character that did, in fact, resemble the figure we recognize as Christ. The doll wasn’t new, and one could easily see that it was important to my visitor and was well cuddled by her. I asked … Read more

While springtime weather has arrived for pretty much the entire country, I can’t help but think about the long winter we had here in North Dakota, and how the hopefulness of spring begins each year around the middle of January. Although many don’t openly admit it, as mid-January approaches, we begin thinking that we are on the “downhill” slide of winter, and there is a hidden feeling of hopefulness that is born within us. It is a positive feeling even if the snow is blowing outside and the wind is howling. We begin to realize it is only temporary and … Read more

I suppose I always knew the day would come when Msgr. Thomas McGread would “meet his mentor, inspiration and guide,” our Lord and Savior, face to face. Shouldn’t we all be anticipating and preparing for the moment, in spite of the fact we know not the day, nor the hour, He will call each of us “home.” For Msgr. McGread, that day was on April 1, 2013. I am most grateful to one of my friends from Catholic Stewardship Consultants who called me immediately with the news of his death. I suspect the timeliness of the call was because CSC … Read more

I find that the stewardship way of life is often challenged by a “myth” that is very difficult to change. This myth provokes a misunderstanding of the term “stewardship,” and a pleasant expression is replaced by a tense one, which sets eyes rolling. Some “get it,” some don’t, and too many think of stewardship in terms of fundraising — a “program” or strategy that promises to increase one’s offertory. This is the myth to which I am referring! It is often thought that successful stewardship is measured only in dollars and cents. This is also a myth. As I talk … Read more

Renewal is something that some people easily embrace. Others are reluctant to accept it, and still others completely resist it out of fear, because “renewal” seems to always imply we may need to change something about ourselves. Change is always difficult, even when it comes to our spiritual lives. But deep down, we know it is always for the better. The importance of renewal cannot be emphasized enough. It is essential to our spiritual life and life in general. A stewardship parish should undergo a renewal of its stewardship efforts each year. The word “renewal” should mean more to each … Read more

Understanding stewardship involves an “attitude of gratitude.” Earlier this month, we as a country celebrated Veterans Day, an important holiday we celebrate each year with gratitude and appreciation for the men and women who have served our country in the military. As I thought about this year’s holiday, I couldn’t help but think about a small box of buttons and insignia that once were attached to my dad’s military uniform that my brother and I recently discovered in the attic. As we examined the treasures from the past, we imagined a very thin man returning home at the end of … Read more