"What better way can we enrich this Church than through holiness?"

Holiness is at the heart and soul of stewardship, according the Most Rev. Bishop Placido Rodríguez, CMF, keynote speaker at the Aug. 27, 2005 Diocesan Stewardship Conference.

Participants in the annual conference learned from Bishop Rodríguez, Bishop Ronald Gilmore, and several other guest speakers that the heart and soul of stewardship is just as much about giving of oneself as it is about putting cash in the collection plate.

"What God wants is for all of you to be holy," Bishop Rodriguez said.

The Lubbock, Tex. bishop shared with the dozens who gathered for the day-long conference at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe the story of a wealthy woman who had died, and whom an angel was showing to her new home in heaven. The pair came to several mansions, one of which the woman assumed would be hers. But they continued walking, passed smaller homes, and eventually came to a tiny shack – home, sweet home.

"I cannot live in that," the angry woman told the angel.

"I’m sorry," replied the angel, "but that’s all we could build with the materials you sent up."

"Our topic is more than a theme," Bishop Rodríguez said. "It is stewardship as a way of discipleship as a way of life."

In the gathering area of the cathedral were set up several booths from local Catholic ministries. Both Spanish and English-speaking participants – workshops were offered in both languages – nibbled on doughnuts and fruit while perusing booths and, as Stewardship Director Dan Stremel urged, making connections.

Several people came from Wichita, including a fun-loving Jose Alberto Garcia. With a mischievous smile stretched across his mustached face, he shook hands and said, "It’s nice to meet me," and when asked his name, he replied, "Poncho Villa."

People visited the "Protecting God’s Children" booth, Steve Polley’s youth ministry booth, and the Catholic Social Service booth, behind which stood Amy Falcon, CSS social worker. Other booths represented ministries such as "Pastoral Ministry Formation," "Called and Gifted," and "JustFaith," each offering ways to be a bigger part of the bigger picture.

One of the first English speaking workshops – and later in Spanish – had Bishop Gilmore listening to the concerns of participants regarding the connection, or disconnection, between the Church and young adults, ages 20-40.

"Our priority is God first, sports second," a woman offered. She said that whenever her family went out of town for a Sunday game, they always checked local Mass times.

"We have a lot of young kids who may not be regularly seen in Mass," said Steve Polley, diocesan director of youth ministry and adult education. "We need to take on the role of evangelizers and reach out to these families. The underlying theme is ‘family.’"

"I don’t know a single rural diocese across the country that doesn’t give a lot of thought to their young people," Bishop Gilmore said, referring to the young adult’s affinity to leaving the small town after college. "I’ve spent a good deal of time with students," he added. "And over and over I come back to the notion of the gifts they have."

Other speakers included: Richard Robl of the Center for Servant Leadership, Sterling College; Dan Stremel, Director of the Office of Finance and Stewardship, who organized the event; Bob Voboril, Superintendent of Schools, Wichita; Deacon Oscar and Marta Rodriguez; Father John Fahey-Guerra, C.Ss.R.; Jorge and Elda Caro; and Father Joseph Bahr, pastor of St. Dominic, Garden City, and St. Stanislaus, Ingalls.

As good stewards, Father Bahr said, people should develop "a need to give rather than giving to a need."

And he should know. Giving to the poor has long been a focus of Father Bahr’s. It began when he was just a child and his mother would give food to hungry individuals who would come to the door after hopping from a nearby train.

When serving as pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Dodge City in 1984, Father Bahr started a food pantry to help the needy. Before long, the pantry blossomed into what is today Manna House, a home that offers food, lodging and clothing to individuals and families in transition.

Referring to Luke 16: 19-31, Father Bahr told the story of Lazarus, who was so poor that he longed to eat the crumbs that fell from a rich man’s table.

When Lazarus and the rich man died, it was the rich man who longed to have Lazarus "dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame."

"Who’s punching your ticket into heaven?" Father Bahr asked. "Lazarus was to punch this rich man’s ticket, but he gave him nothing to punch."

The participants received a special treat while at lunch, when two performers from the Depot Dinner Theatre, accompanied by pianist Don Steele, reenacted their roles as nuns from the comedy musical, "Nunsense." Meandering around several tables-full of diners, Karen Carroll and Connie Penick danced and sang and joked with the delighted audience.

Commented Sister Rose Mary Stein: "I just once again realized how much more there is to know about stewardship than I was willing to believe. I thought I knew about stewardship and didn’t need to go [to the conference]. I went kicking and screaming, but was very grateful I went.

"Several presenters impressed me," she added. "I didn’t get to go to them all. Father Joe Bahr, he just really impressed me with his passion and concern for the economic poor and how he has really made it one of his strong values in his life as pastor to do whatever he can to help. He not only preaches it, but he does it.

"He really talked about how just telling people the stories of the poor, people will dip into their pocket and help out."

She said she learned that "Stewardship is an attitude that comes from the heart.

"Over all, the day was a good surprise."

The day concluded with a celebration of the Eucharist, concelebrated by Bishop Gilmore and Bishop Rodríguez.

Participants wrote their evaluations of each presentation on a special form:

"His enthusiasm and ‘passion’ inspired me and I feel others felt the same," one person wrote of Father Bahr’s talk.

"[It was a] great reflection on the need for the spirit of almsgiving in the Church for its very soul," another wrote.

Of Bob Voboril’s presentation, a participant wrote: "Truly a commentary that is a testament that challenges us to live our commitment to our fellow human beings."