If you are interested in joining Holy Spirit Parish, please call the office at 715-344-9117. 

Dear Holy Spirit Parish:

                “This is how all will know that you are my disciples,

                                by your love for one another.”

                                                                                                                                                (John13:35)

Two Sundays ago Jesus only asked Peter one question after he had risen from the dead:  “Do you love me.”  Last Sunday the risen Christ was stretching our hearts to the height and depth and breadth of a grandmother’s heart who feels all children are her children.   This Sunday Jesus says how we love one another is the measure of how we love him.  In real life of course this gets complicated.  I share with you some correspondence from last week in the certainty there are many who feel as this parishioner did. The person gave their name when the wrote the letter.

Fr. Steve,

I am writing to address my concerns in regard to the substantial donation that Holy Spirit Parish made to the church for the Hmong in Wausau.  I want to express that I appreciate the new church that the Hmong are trying to build, however, I don’t feel that such a substantial donation should have been made from Holy Spirit Parish.  Let me explain why I feel this way.  Our family gives monthly to support Holy Spirit Parish, which in turn helps support the church’s expenses.  Our family chooses to support Holy Spirit Parish, which is in the Stevens Point Deanery, not a church that is not even in our Deanery.  When we went down the path of building the ministry center, our church went to the diocese to secure a loan along with fundraising.  Our new building or projects did not involve going to other churches asking for money.  If Holy Spirit Parish wanted to donate a smaller amount, that would be one thing, but $50,000 is such a substantial amount that could be used by Holy Spirit Parish and will possibly be needed in the future (i.e. Diocese Annual Appeal).  This type of donation should have been brought up to the congregation prior to being done so feedback could have been given.  It seems this was done fast and knowingly not announced until it was completed.

I am not discounting the need for the Hmong parish or what the Hmong people have done, but I do feel this should be a people’s choice if they want to donate or not and a people’s choice of how much.  If Holy Spirit Parish can make these types of donations, our family will be reevaluating the amount that we donate monthly to the church.  I am very disappointed on how this money was used and I hope in the future this is better communicated, and the parish members are given a chance to voice their opinions before action is taken.

A Concerned Parishioner.

Here was my response to this thoughtful and honest question.

Friend:

I would be most willing to talk about this in person.  Maybe another dinner at your house is due!  You are not the only person in the parish who has expressed this feeling.

I did try to take this decision slow. It was first talked about at the February Parish Council and Finance Council meetings.  Questions were raised.  It was agreed we would welcome members of the Hmong community to come and make an appeal for help to us.  Various ways of helping were discussed, from just presenting the need to the parish for those who wish to help to do so, to making a gift from parish savings.

March 31st representatives of the Mary, Mother of Good Help Hmong community came and told their stories.  Parish members asked them various questions about the Church project. Theirs is a powerful story of the horror of war and the will to survive.  We came to understand they had lost everything, including family members, for supporting the US.

All this was shared in Ponderings and bulletins.  At the April meeting of the Finance Council there was further discussion informed by a better understanding of who the Hmong are after the panel discussion. A top amount the Finance Council was comfortable with was settled upon.

Four representatives of the Hmong community came to the April Pastoral Council meeting and made their appeal.  Council members were clearly moved by their presentation as to the need for a separate Hmong church.  After the representatives left, the gift was discussed and agreed upon.

The thinking of the councils (and the pastor) includes the following.  Serving others is a core value for us at Holy Spirit.  We have supported a mission project in Haiti at about $40,000 a year for over ten years.  It is something Holy Spirit is rightfully proud of.  Helping immigrants continues to be a high priority for us.  The Hmong people have themselves sacrificed greatly.  80 families have committed their life savings and have been working in the ginseng fields on the side for seven years.  The cost of the building increases faster than they can raise the funds.  Because of some unique circumstances Holy Spirit has accumulated some funds: the two winters with little snow removal necessary and a year with out a staff person.

Some voices on the Council said we should save that for a rainy day.  Others felt we have a good amount already in our emergency fund and people would want their contributions put to God’s good use, rather than have it sit in a bank.  I too felt the strength of this parish is not its money in the bank, but rather the commitment of its people.  I hoped that people would be proud of assisting this immigrant community, right here among us, as they are of helping people in Haiti.  And so this act of support would help the Hmong to a better future and make us a stronger community of faith.

How am I doing????   Again, I would be happy to meet or come to the house and talk further.  Friend, I respect your good judgment completely and so want to work this out.

Fr. Steve

Stewardship of Talent Form Click Here

To make a one time gift or to set up regular contributions 
to Holy Spirit Parish using your debit or credit card 
please click here.  Thank you for your support!!

Please Click Here to Sign Up