Although the coronavirus pandemic has seriously affected the routines of people’s lives, stewardship as a daily spiritual practice and way of living may be more important now than ever before, says Beth Mullen, a member of the board of directors of The Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Sacramento.
Expressing gratitude to God in prayer and action, as well as spending time helping others and community organizations, can all be a part of daily stewardship, she notes.
“Definitely there’s always something to be thankful for, even if it is something minor in very dark times,” she says. “We are called to reach out to others who have lost their jobs, who are risking their health by doing their jobs, or who are worried about being able to pay their rent.”
Doing a daily check-in can help make stewardship a way of life, Beth notes. People can set time aside for prayer each day; ask God to help you see how you used your time, abilities and resources; and thank God for the ways you are able to serve others and make good use of your gifts.
Beth, a member since 2004 of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Sacramento, is a certified public accountant and an affordable housing industry leader for CohnReznick in Sacramento. She has more than 30 years of experience providing consulting, tax and accounting services to real estate owners and developers and the community redevelopment industry. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University.
Serving as a eucharistic minister and being on the parish finance council helped her connect with others and grow in an authentic life of stewardship. She’s now part of the parish discernment on what parishioners should do for community outreach to replace the Step breakfast ministry for the homeless, which had to be suspended during the pandemic.
For a number of years parishioners have had “a covenant of sharing, focusing on what gifts, talents and capabilities each person possesses,” she says. “Some have more time, some have more money, and others can share specific talents to share. We are always looking to expand to make it meaningful to all parishioners. We continue to focus on the hospitality that our parish has always been known for: welcoming all persons through prayer, formation and education, as well as service to our local community.”
In Beth’s view, stewardship is inseparable from discipleship. Stewardship “is sharing all the gifts you have been given and reflecting on the ways you can best use those gifts for others. I have been incredibly blessed with a strong family, a great education, and a job that pays me well. Everyone has a responsibility to share at least something that they have. It’s not always money; many times it’s other talents and things they can do. Our focus at the parish is more active involvement by everyone. It could be companionship, prayer groups or helping others. It all conveys the message.”
Beth enjoys being part of The Catholic Foundation’s board of directors, whose members represent many professional fields of expertise and areas of the diocese. She supports the mission of witnessing to Christ and the gospel values of love, justice, forgiveness and service to all by ensuring that financial donors can effectively support the well-being of Catholic works in the diocese.
The Catholic Foundation currently manages more than 150 endowments and funds with assets in excess of $100 million. Donors to the Foundation can choose among a number of fund options to benefit their favorite Catholic ministry. They include outright gifts, bequests, gifts in trust, endowments and other types of gifts to the Foundation, where the assets are received and managed. The Foundation holds many individual endowment funds for the benefit of parishes, schools and agencies of the diocese.
"My sincere hope is that everybody finds some way to live out stewardship, to make a contribution by sharing their time, talents and skills."
- Beth Mullen
Since 2003, the Annual Catholic Appeal has helped to ensure through donations that Northern California charities and parishes can continue to extend love and mercy to men, women, children and families in their neighborhoods. Parishes invite parishioners to make a donation each year in February, to assist Catholic charitable organizations and parish ministries who help people in desperate need; seminarians and Catholic education; and parish social service ministries.
In her work with the ACA over many years, Beth emphasizes how 25 percent of the funds contributed are returned to each parish for its own social service ministries. This has enabled parishes to add new ministries, expand existing programs or support local Catholic community charities. “We have more donors than ever participating in the ACA, which brings everyone into a communal approach to caring for the neediest in our diocese,” she says.
“My sincere hope is that everybody finds some way to live out stewardship, to make a contribution by sharing their time, talents and skills,” Beth concludes. “I hope for more active involvement among all the faithful, because you receive gifts when you are involved, whether it is from people you are helping or people you are working with in your parish – all of those relationships are incredibly important, life-giving and fulfilling.”
Learn More
About The Catholic Foundation at www.scd.org/foundation
About the Annual Catholic Appeal at www.scd.org/appeal
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