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Ascension Church
808 S. East Avenue
Oak Park, IL 60304
Phone: (708) 848-2703
Fax: (708) 848-2773
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Stewardship Team
From left: Doug Wyman, Molly Henry, Tom Naughton, Terri Monaco, Tom Gull (standing), Dan Doody, Marla Schwarber, Kathryn Nirde, Julie Duff. Not pictured, Susie Cahill.
Approximately one year ago, the Stewardship Team came together at the direction of our parish leadership to develop the principle of stewardship as a way of life at Ascension. The team's formation has focused on setting goals to raise awareness of Christian stewardship as a way of life, and identifying opportunities to continue the efforts of the countless Ascension parishioners who continually embrace the life of a Christian steward.
What does a stewardship parish look and feel like? Our own parish mission statement confirms that we value the diversity of gifts in all people. For us, stewardship is about each of us recognizing our gifts and sharing those gifts as stewards of our faith. The stewardship vision statement was developed to address that question and guide the team's efforts. It reads:
Called to be stewards of our Christian faith, Ascension Parish members believe in God as the source of all that we are; recognize and share our gifts; foster a life of gratitude and service to all.
As the Stewardship Team moves forward with that vision, they will work with the Ascension community to focus on sharing our God-given gifts in service to all. In the months ahead, they will work very closely with Father Larry, Parish Council, and Parish Staff, in addition to reaching out to the members of Ascension ministries and to individual members of the parish.To learn more about the Stewardship Team, please contact them through email
A Stewardship Reflection
I bet my story is a lot like yours. My wife Carol and I joined Ascension in 1983 because our kids were just about school age. We wanted to send our kids to a Catholic school, and we thought Ascension School was a good fit.
We began coming to Sunday Mass here and found the liturgies inspiring. We learned that Ascensionites knew how to socialize and how to live the Gospel on a daily basis. We felt at home. We decided to put down roots here and to invest in the community.
We began to get involved in Ascension ministries: Christ Renews His Parish (mid-80s style) for both of us; School Board for Carol; basketball coaching for me; eventually, Youth Ministry and ASP for me; PADS work for Carol; and now, Marriage Mentoring for the two of us. So when Father Larry put out the call in the early summer of 2008 for volunteers to join the Stewardship Team, I was intrigued. I had been reading in the bulletin about the work of the Stewardship Task Force, and Ascension's interest in becoming a stewardship parish. I felt called to learn more.
Over the past twelve months of the Stewardship Team's formation, I have come to understand that stewardship means recognizing that I have God-given gifts and that it's my privilege to give those gifts back in service to others. There have always been many good stewards in the Ascension community, and many opportunites to serve. Now we recognize our service as stewardship. We nurture our talents here and then give them back, with increase, as our gift to God.
Dan Doody, Ascension Stewardship Team
