Our daughter Taylor and I watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory one night in which a small boy fell into the river of chocolate that was used to create the candy bars. Today, I will be just like that little chocolate covered boy, for I was asked to be short and sweet. You have been hearing about the Grateful Believers program that began several weeks ago and which will continue in weeks to come including a Ministry Fair to showcase all the groups and organizations active in our parish. The goal of this program is to hopefully open our eyes to the wonderful gifts among us, to deepen our appreciation of our faith family and to cause us to think about how we, as stewards, can make the appropriate use of our time, talent, and treasure to further the growth of our parish.

In the materials that have been shared so far, you have seen the four principles for being a Christian Steward. Over the next four weeks, you are going to hear more about these concepts during the homilies given and they will also be discussed in the bulletin inserts and Quicklets. In addition, several of your fellow parishioners are going to give witness to Christian Stewardship by speaking to you before each of the Masses through the end of October in an effort to put a face and voice to the vitality of Christian Stewardship here at St. Vivian.

Over the past eight or nine years, I was asked to speak to you about the financial aspect of Stewardship and used lengthy, yet hopefully effective analogies or ornate stories to get you all warm and fuzzy about giving. Since I don't have to do that anymore, I can just get up here and tell you how much this place means to me. In 1994, Lynne and I worked for two hours in an ice cream booth. Well, we must have done one heck of a job because a soft-spoken, mild-mannered little priest asked us to chair the whole festival the year after. We did and have never looked back for we found it was fun meeting and getting to know our fellow parishioners. Someone else took over after us and again after them and took the festival to new heights. Ten years after starting our web site, I am retiring and a talented group with much more experience than myself will, I am sure, turn our web site into a work of art that I only could have dreamed of making. I'm sure I will find new ways to get involved. It is the circle of volunteer life.

I hope the Grateful Believers program is able to wind the inner spring of all St. Vivian parishioners to continue to keep St. Vivian ticking smoothly. If you have any questions concerning the Grateful Believers Program, a representative will be available in the Gather Room after Mass.