Crescent South Office Closed & Staff Columnists / Reflecting on the Stewardship of Time

Crescent South Office Closed and Staff Columnists
At the January pastoral council meeting I received recommendations from pastoral councils that the Crescent Parishes’ South Office be closed as an outward-facing office.  Let me review what preceded this recommendation.
 When combined, the family count for our five parishes is no more than 1,200 families, an average size Catholic parish, which ought to have one administrative assistant.  With 3.5 admins six months ago, Sabrina at the south office, took a job as an admin at XJA leaving us with 2.5.  After discussion, the PLT recommended that we close the south office as a regularly staffed office.  It is only one mile from the Crescent Central office at Nativity.  Then I asked pastoral councils to weigh in. 
I accept their recommendation to close the office, even as some staff will keep some hours there as well as have appointments and meetings at the location.

Staff Columnists
Over the next three weeks please welcome and read articles from some of our staff members who will be informing us of future “big doings” in Crescent Parishes!   Today, Meg Anderson will be preparing us for our upcoming Stewardship Week of Time, time spent in lifelong faith formation!
 
Sincerely and with Love in Christ,
Fr. Pat
 
 
Reflecting on the Stewardship of Time: A Path to Greater Holiness
Next weekend, we will focus on the Stewardship of Time—an invitation to pause and reflect on one of God’s greatest gifts: time. In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to treat time as a mere resource to be managed, filled, or rushed through. But time is not something we own or control. It is sacred, fleeting, and how we choose to spend it reveals what we value most.

A New Perspective on Time
This past year, I’ve come to see time in a new light. My dad fell seriously ill and was hospitalized at Ohio State Medical Center. There were moments of deep uncertainty as he fought for recovery, but through God’s grace—and the care and skill of many wonderful nurses and doctors—he is healing and doing well. In the midst of that challenging season, I found myself reflecting on the true nature of time—not just how fragile it is, but how profoundly meaningful.
 I am grateful for the time my dad has gifted me throughout my life—the lessons, the love, and his everyday sacrifices—has shaped who I am today. And yet, how often do we fail to recognize the value of these moments until they are threatened or lost? How often do we take for granted the time we have with the ones we cherish, assuming there will always be more?

The Gospel’s Reminder
 In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells the story of a man who prepared a great feast and invited many guests. Yet, when the time came, they all made excuses—one was too busy with his farm, another with his work, and another with his new marriage. They were preoccupied, caught up in the busyness of life, and missed the invitation. How often do we let distractions consume us, and before we know it, our time slips away—time that could have been spent growing in faith, deepening relationships, and drawing closer to Christ?  C.S. Lewis, in The Screwtape Letters, writes that one of the enemy’s greatest tricks is not to turn us away from God, but to convince us that we’re too busy for Him. “You’ll get to it later,” whispers the evil one. But what if “later” never comes?

Embracing Our Role as Stewards of Time
We are not the owners of our time—we are its stewards. Every day, every hour, every moment is a gift entrusted to us by our loving Father. This Lenten season and beyond offers us countless opportunities to grow in faith—through our Crescent Family Mission, which we will explore next week with our Evangelization Team, the Rosary in a Year, Stations of the Cross, Adoration—not as events to check off a list, but as true encounters with Christ.

It’s not about how much we do or how many hours we have; it’s about how we use them to grow in holiness, to be present, and to become better stewards of the life we’ve been given. Lent is not just a time for sacrifice; it is a time for renewal—a chance to ask ourselves:

• How am I spending my time?
• How is Jesus calling me to grow closer to Him?

Gratitude for Stewardship
I want to take a moment to thank you, our Crescent parishioners, for your unwavering commitment to stewardship—faithfully offering your time in prayer, ministry, service, and through your presence at Mass. We are deeply grateful for the many ways you commit yourselves to lifelong faith formation and for the new ways you feel called to greater holiness and a deeper relationship with Jesus.

Looking Ahead: Stewardship of Time Card
 Page 10 of this bulletin includes a preview of the Stewardship of Time card. 

• It is our hopeful expectation that every parishioner will fill out a Stewardship of Time card. During the homily next weekend, we will complete the cards together, marking the areas where we are already actively growing in faith and those areas where we feel called to grow or participate.
• Every parishioner will receive a Crescent Parishes Faith Formation brochure, which includes upcoming Lenten faith formation opportunities. Please keep this brochure as a reminder of the many ways to continue deepening your faith. We encourage you to place it on your fridge so it remains visible throughout Lent and beyond.

Thank you for thoughtfully engaging in this important reflection and commitment. Your dedication to growing in faith brings us closer to Christ and to one another, fulfilling the call to unity that Beacons of Light invites us to embrace as a Crescent Family.
 
With Gratitude and Blessings,
Meg Anderson
Director of Stewardship & Outreach