Stewardship
Stewardship at Santa Clara University’s liturgies strives to recognize and support the works of advocacy, charity, and mercy with which various local, national, and international groups are involved.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), in a statement made to youth in 2003, stated that Catholic stewards do the following:
- We work as partners with God in the redemption of the world.
- We respect human life and dignity.
- We protect the natural environment.
- We share our gifts (time, talents, and treasures) with others.
- We communicate our enthusiasm. (Stewardship and Young Adults, Issued by USCCB, November 12, 2003)
Aspects of this work are already part of the culture of SCU, present in the social justice work of many organizations, community engagement through education, campus-wide sustainability initiatives, and the work of individual professors, to name a few. The liturgies offer the opportunity for the sharing of our treasures and reflection about the people served by the organizations supported by the stewardship program.
In order to be sure that we are participating in the work set out above by the USCCB, we must be sure that the policies within the organizations we support reflect the values of the universal Catholic Church. To the best of our ability, we must be in union with the Body of Christ as we approach the altar. This can be more easily facilitated when what we bring to the altar complements the task with which we are charged when we go forth to serve.
