According to the 1992 U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral Letter, Stewardship: A Disciple's Response, a steward is defined as a disciple of Jesus who "Receives God's gifts gratefully, cultivates them responsibly, shares them lovingly in justice with others and returns them with increase to the Lord." Stewardship is a way of life and is best understood within the context of conversion and evangelization. The disciple is motivated to share his/her time, talent, treasure, and assets with the Church and other worthy causes from a deep sense of gratitude and in a planned, proportionate and sacrificial manner.

Stewardship is a way of living out our faith as individuals, as a faith community, indeed in the actions of our daily lives.

First, as individuals, we strive to become Christian Stewards as defined in the U.S. Bishops⁏ Pastoral Letter "Stewardship: A Disciple⁏s Response." The Bishops state: "A Christian steward is one who receives God’s gifts gratefully, cherishes and tends them in a responsible and accountable manner, shares them in justice and love with others and returns them with increase to the Lord." Or, in other words, stewardship is making a choice to live a Christ-centered life. It means realizing that all we have and all that we are able to do are gifts from God, and that everything that we choose to do with those gifts is in a sense our gift back to God in gratitude.

This is the way we fulfill our baptismal promise to love and serve the Lord. Stewardship is our way of responding to God⁏s call with a life of gratitude.

Dear Friends in Christ,

The world today seems much different than when Jesus walked the earth. We can point to dramatic changes in the way people communicate, travel, work and live.  Yet one thing never changes. God is present among us, as He always has been in every time, every place. His expectations, too, are ever the same: that we love Him,  and love our neighbor.

The 2014 Diocesan Appeal reminds us that we live every day In His Presence—and are called every day to love our neighbors. Sharing our gifts and ourselves, we can make a real difference for the poor and the marginalized; for people at all stages in their faith life, looking for guidance; for people seeking simple human dignity.

Please join me in giving as generously as you can. May God bless each of us as we live In His Presence.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

The Most Reverend David J. Malloy
Bishop of Rockford