"Stewardship"

Two weeks ago, we were assulted with a Homily which has become common place in this diocese about the importance of giving financial support through the Bishop's Appeal.(Last Sunday's Homily was about how all Catholic's should go see The DaVinci Code in good fun). The homilies are usually offensive because they are often arm twisting lectures about how people are just too cheap and if they want to continue receiving Communion, they better give more. Now I do not dispute of giving what you can to help the Church, that is not what my complaint is about. Nine times out of ten, the congregations that were being addressed (that I have seen) were senior citizens on fixed incomes from modest, working-class neighborhoods. The priest of the parish that gave the Homily two weeks ago complained after Mass that "Italians are so cheap" (the congregation is predominately Italian). But also, I don't give any longer to the Bishop's Appeal, because the Bishop's pet project is to take priests out of the Mass. They do not even deny this fact:

Here is a small sample of the programs you support when you make a gift to the Bishop's Appeal.

The Formation for Lay Ministry Program, a two-year program, designed for the holistic formation of laity as leaders in their parishes. Through the program more than 900 women and men have been trained as lay leaders since it began in 1984.

I think the part that bothers me most is that all the talk of helping the poor, of social ministry etc. etc. (and again, there is no disputing the importance of this), this diocese does little to nothing in helping your everyday person in the pews with everyday Catholic family issues. The Catholic schools lack any kind of faith formation. The CCD programs offer even less.

On a parish level, there is no support for families or seniors. There is nothing social. Just lots of parish councils consisting of the wealthier members of the parish talk, talk, talking about the latest politically correct agenda and how they can implement it. Truthfully, they don't even get that far as much to implement anything, as much as patting themselves on the back for being "forward thinkers" in the Church.

There is no recognition that the people who do donate are not hoarding money somewhere that they finally relent to giving up because Father yelled at them on Sunday-that these funds just might be a sacrifice.

Then on top of it, there is no representation of the needs of the common parishioner in the agendas.I think in many places the homeschool support group has filled in the gaps for families where parishes fall short. How many times have you heard of help with new baby suppers, or babysitting come from these communities instead of the parish? I am just so tired. I get so jealous when I see Church flyers from other corners of the country that have mother's groups, that have pedicure night, that have a night where guys can go to the gym and play basketball, where there are Montessori religious Ed classes for small children, or heck a CCD class where they talk about "eating and breaking bread" the whole time and chuckling about how dopey those older Catholics were for wearing white dresses to their First Holy Communions(the list goes on). And yes, I have gotten onto a Parish Council and tried very, very hard to request some of these more simple things to no avail. It has occured to me how much this has worn me down in regards to my faith.

What does one do in this situation? Leave the diocese? Keep hitting that brick wall of going to parish meetings just to get them to open the gym one night a week so the men-folk can play basketball and ignore your family in the process? Or just deal and smile?