By Catholic Stewardship Consultants
www.CatholicSteward.com
When Loretta Wickenden and her husband, Jim, began splitting their time between California and Hawaii, they quickly found a home at Sacred Heart Church in Hawi on Hawaii island.
“I was educated in Sacred Heart Convent back in the (United Kingdom), so it jumped out and I felt immediately that I was at home,” Loretta Wickenden said. “I also felt it to be a very welcoming environment. It was small but had very lovely, open people.”
While she had been very active at her large parish in California, Wickenden was initially careful not to step on anyone’s toes as she found her place in a small parish. However, she was quickly welcomed and encouraged to get involved.
In 2018, the couple moved to Hawaii island permanently, bringing their passion for building affordable homes for hard-working families. Wickenden knew that Sacred Heart would be her parish home.
“When we moved here permanently, one of our parishioners came up and gave me a big hug and said, ‘Welcome home,’” Wickenden said. “It was so lovely.”
Wickenden serves as chair of the Stewardship Committee and has helped with youth ministry and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, an educational program. She has also served on the Pastoral Council and as a lector and an extraordinary minister of holy Communion.
Working with children in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program has a special place in her heart.
“I tend to work in the class with the older children, preparing them for first reconciliation, Communion and confirmation,” Wickenden said. “It’s so wonderful to work with them and see them grow. I learn so much from them.”
She said she also loves seeing children get involved as altar servers and come to Mass with their families.
She approaches stewardship from the standpoint of spirituality — it comes naturally as we grow in our faith.
“Stewardship doesn’t happen overnight — it’s a lifelong process,” Wickenden said. “What we are working to do is transform people’s hearts so that they’re not giving to a need, but they are needing to give.
“I think that comes from growing in faith, and then involvement just becomes the norm and a way of life. When Jesus ascended into heaven, he sent his disciples into the world, and here we are a couple of thousand years later, all disciples, welcoming people. It’s a joyful obligation.”
Wickenden boils stewardship down to a simple idea — God calls us and we respond. But this only works if we are striving to grow and deepen our faith. We have to be actively listening to God’s call in our lives.
Though Sacred Heart is a small parish, Wickenden sees signs of growth and is eager to use her role as stewardship chair to help parishioners discover their gifts and find ways to use them for God, the parish and the community.
“It’s about learning to receive and use our God-given gifts to help those gifts increase so we can share them with others,” Wickenden said. “If the people in the pews look at those who are serving and see they are doing it out of love, I think it will encourage others to serve.”
At top: Loretta Wickenden and her husband Jim moved to Hawaii permanently in 2018, becoming parishioners at Sacred Heart Church in Hawi. (Courtesy Catholic Stewardship Consultants)