06.13.07
On a Mission

“Things were grim.” That’s how Father David Reinhart described the atmosphere when he took over as president of Cardinal Stritch High School in Oregon, Ohio in 2005. The news he faced was daunting as he stared down the prospect of keeping a Catholic high school viable in such a climate.

Among the 11 parishes once considered feeders for the working-class school, two had closed in the preceding three years along with three parish elementary schools. The clergy sexual abuse scandal in the diocese had inspired an Oscar-nominated film telling the story of abuse by one local priest and his victim, only to be followed a few months later by an explosive nationally televised murder trial of a diocesan priest. The frighteningly difficult period cast a pall over the morale of priests and parishioners.

To compound things for the high school, Fr. Reinhart recalls, “Family income had flat lined, while cost of Catholic education increased.” Mass attendance was down in the parishes surrounding CSHS, indicative of the “apathy among the people. The empty pews were evidence of it.”

But the young priest and his newly appointed development director, Michael Gocsik, were armed with a determination to avoid “Band-aid-solutions.” They began to analyze the obstacles they faced and considered how best to address them. “When we got to the heart of the problem,” Fr, Reinhart said, “we felt that the real issue was that God was not at the center of things. It wasn’t all a lack of money, or a need to get people to send their children to Catholic schools. What was needed was finding a way to ignite the faith in these parishes and help restore hope.”

Both men had backgrounds in stewardship initiatives and were convinced it could be a key to revival. When two area pastors came calling one afternoon to offer donations for the new school year, Fr. Reinhart and Gocsik stopped them cold. “We said, ‘We don’t want this money. Instead let us talk to your congregations about stewardship as a way of life,’ ” Fr. Reinhart recalls. “They told us that they had retired people and they would not be receptive.” But the high school leaders offered themselves as trailblazers, insisting they would help orchestrate an educational and spiritual renewal.

The pair approached the CSHS board in November, 2005. “We told them we believed our school won’t be stronger until our parishes are stronger,” explained Fr. Reinhart. “We also said we aren’t willing to be just a private school –--we wanted to be passionately Catholic.” Gocsik added, “We weren’t interested in limping along, and to their credit, the board members jumped on and were willing to let us tackle this.”

They started in church basements. Each pastor of the deanery gathered parish leaders and discussions began with Fr. Reinhart and Gocsik leading the way. Armed with “some brutal honesty and a message that the only way things will get better is by our jumping in and helping them get better,” people responded.

“Those gathered recognized the honesty of what we said,” Fr. Reinhart said. “Just our acknowledging ‘we’re in bad shape,’ was helpful to folks. It  was like admitting there was an elephant in the room instead of ignoring it. We said we need to look to the Lord and one another for ideas and help to change things.”

“Clerical leaders, who were pretty beaten up by the whole negative climate, began to get inspired and the people got excited,” said Gocsik. “It was like a vision that took root and parishioners started to expand on all the ideas. For the first time in a long while there was an enthusiasm. People could see potential. The Holy Spirit was in the process.”

Among the five pastors a transformation occurred. “It was interesting to go from holding semi-negative meetings to a ‘what’s-the-next-step’ kind of attitude,” said Fr, Reinhart.

The ball was rolling and soon caught the attention of the Saint Marguerite D’Youville Foundation which made a sizable donation to the effort. With the funds, the Live It campaign took solid form as a logo, website and other materials were developed. Myriad ways parishes could develop ministries and better serve their neighborhoods were advanced. “The thought was to stop complaining and live as if God is at the center of your life,” Fr. Reinhart said. “Although still a work-in-progress, the tangible successes have been many. Has it been easy? Not really, but has it been rewarding? Yes, it really has.”

Working with economically depressed parishes in areas from which many Catholics have since relocated, set the bar for success unduly high. But each little success built a momentum. “One parish added a weekday evening Mass that about 50 people attend. This is pretty marvelous,” Gocsik said.

Fr. Dave added, “Here at Cardinal Stritch the kids talk a faith language that we didn’t used to hear. The day for all-school Mass is something we have consciously made the highlight of the month and the students have noticed.” And in terms of what is important, the school president said even his priorities had to shift. “One parent asked why we didn’t have new chairs in the chapel and when I said it was because of lack of money she chided me, ‘Yeah, but you can get new football helmets.’ She was right; we needed to get our priorities right.” The school eventually purchased new chairs and kneelers.

The stewardship message both men constantly tout centers around gratitude. “People think that stewardship is related to money,” explained Gocsik. “That is not it. It’s about being grateful and giving back to God who has blessed us with all we have. Until that is at the heart of our motivation it is lifeless giving.”

Fr. Reinhart said one day it struck him that the entire Mass is built around the concept of stewardship. “No new dynamics were needed to explain the call to put God first in matters of money and use of time. Reflection on Eucharistic spirituality opened eyes and hearts to our invitation to be stewards of the Lord’s gifts to us.”

He continued, “Three things are required to be a steward of God’s gifts: Recognize that everything belongs to God, have a heart full of gratitude, and out of that gratitude give. These three movements flow seamlessly in the Eucharist. From the beginning, we come together in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to the closing when we are told to ‘go in peace to love and serve the Lord,’ the sacrifice unfolds as we lay our gifts before the Lord.”

As we make the sign of the cross, he said, “We sign on as stewards of this faith community. We have been entrusted with taking care of his creation ‘until he comes again in glory. ”

And the stewardship message calls believers to personal account. “Our lives are mixed in with this community,” Fr. Reinhart insisted. “We need to take this personally. If attendance is down, it is our responsibility to address the cause and solutions. If the music is average, it is our dilemma to improve it. If there aren’t enough people at youth group, it is our concern. If the roof needs repair, this is not the problem of some committee. If our relatives are home asleep, it is up to us to invite them back to church. We are the ones who can sing louder, who can give more generously, who can energize the youth group, who can invite the lost and lonely. While the church belongs to God, we, his children, are left with the responsibility to cultivate and care for the gifts entrusted to us.”

Recognizing the potential to radically renew and strengthen parish life has been a constant focus, Fr. Reinhart said. “I realize this is God’s plan, not my plan that matters. It’s frightening at times and really a high-risk proposition, but if we don’t get back to God at the center it really doesn’t matter.”
           
These two young men bring an enthusiasm for the message of stewardship and share it with power. They see their work in giving parish missions as a way to enhance their work at CSHS. “We are grateful for the time to bring this message to others because we have seen the fruit it produces.”

For more about their stewardship missions call 419-693-0465.

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