The impact of stewardship can reach far beyond your own parish, much like it has for my parish, Immaculate Conception, here in Willoughby, Ohio. Through our parishioners’ generous commitments of time, talent, and treasure, Immaculate Conception has not only been transformed through stewardship, but also has been blessed with the chance to impact the lives […]
Fr. Michael Troha: Springtime Stewardship
Everyone loves springtime. The official start of Spring is less than a week away, but the weather is already getting warmer and beautiful flowers are beginning to bloom all around us. But anyone with a beautiful garden will attest to the fact that the flowers do not magically appear as if the change in season […]
Fr. Michael Troha: Growing Closer to the Lord This Lent
Our Lenten season has arrived and the great feast of Easter is now less than 40 days away. The Easter Vigil is the greatest celebration of the year. Those adults preparing for Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist are welcomed into the Church at the Easter Vigil liturgy. I think that the vibrancy of any parish […]
Fr. Michael Troha: Gas Stations or Communities?
On May 1, 2005, the gas pumps were shut down. Not at the local filling station, but right here at my parish of Immaculate Conception in Ohio. That was the day we began to put into practice stewardship as a way of life here in our parish. What does living stewardship have to do with […]
Fr. Michael Troha: Seizing Opportunities to be Formed in the Faith
Formation is the third of four pillars of parish stewardship as a way of life, along with hospitality, prayer and service. But what does this word “formation” mean in our contextual understanding of stewardship? Formation means to study the teachings of Christ and His Church, and then to develop ways to put those teachings into […]
Fr. Michael Troha: A Story of True Christmas Gift Giving
The first time I ever bought anyone a Christmas present was when I was in the first grade. As Christmas was approaching, I asked my mother if I could have one dollar to buy someone a present. She gave me the dollar, even though I could tell that she was a bit suspicious about what […]
Fr. Michael Troha: The Stewardship Way of Gift Giving
Advent is just a few short weeks away, and soon we will be celebrating the Christmas Season, although the commercial Christmas season will begin the day after Thanksgiving. In fact, for many retail outlets, the commercial Christmas season is already underway. Many stores couldn’t wait to put away the Halloween merchandise and replace it with […]
Fr. Michael Troha: Using Our Gifts for God’s Purposes
For many stewardship parishes around the country, including my own parish — Immaculate Conception in Willoughby, Ohio — October is one of the busiest months of the year, as it is the month of the Annual Renewal. The renewal is another invitation to continue to follow Christ in a committed way. Many Catholics still do not […]
Fr. Troha: Renewing Our Commitments
For many stewardship parishes across the country, we are approaching the time of year for the annual Stewardship Renewal. This time is a chance for us to reflect on how each of us is living out our discipleship in Christ. It truly is an important time in the life or a parish and in our […]
Fr. Michael Troha: What Will God Ask Us?
We all get e-mails forwarded to us from family and friends from time to time. The jokes, videos, photos and sometimes inspirational messages oftentimes give us something to think about. I once received a PowerPoint e-mail from a priest friend who is a retired Air Force chaplain, and it relates perfectly to what living the […]
