Finance Council

The Archdiocese of Detroit requires that each parish have a Finance Council to oversee the budgeting and financial operations of the parish. Here at St. Blase, we are fortunate to have a group of dedicated individuals who meet monthly to review the ongoing needs of the parish buildings and grounds. This Council, working collaboratively with the Business Manager and under the direction of the Pastor, reviews and approves the annual budget and monthly financial reports. For more information, please contact Dan Mariani, Finance Council Chairperson through the Parish Office at (586) 268-2244.

Stewardship Commission

The Stewardship Commission plans, recommends, and with the Parish Pastoral Council approval, implements actions on the effective encouragement, management and use of parish resources. These resources include parishioner’s time, talent, skills, and prayer. The St. Blase Stewardship Commission meets regularly to develop the goals of the Pastoral Council and the Commission. For more information or if you are interested in joining the Stewardship Commission, please contact the Parish Office at (586) 268-2244.

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To Be a Christian Steward

 A Summary of the United States Bishops' Pastoral Letter,  Stewardship: A Disciple's Response
 "As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good
stewards of God's varied grace.” (1 Peter 4: 10)
What identifies a steward? Safeguarding material and human resources and using them responsibly is one answer; so is generous giving of time, talent, and treasure.
But being a Christian steward means more. As Christian stewards, we receive
God's gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others, and return them with increase to the Lord.

Disciples as Stewards

Jesus' disciples and Christian stewards recognize God as the origin of life, giver of freedom, and source of all things. We are grateful for the gifts we have received and are eager to use them to show our love for God and for one another. We look to the life and teaching of Jesus for guidance in living as Christian stewards.

Stewards of Creation

The Bible contains a profound message about the stewardship of material creation:
God created the world, but entrusts it to human beings. Caring for and cultivating the world involves joyful appreciation for the God-given beauty and wonder of nature, protection and preservation of the environment, respect for human life and making life flourish, and development of this world through noble human effort - physical labor, the trades and professions, the arts and sciences.
The Second Vatican Council points out that, through our work, we build up not only
our world but the Reign of God, already present among us.

Stewards of Vocation

Jesus calls us, as His disciples, to a new way of life - the Christian way of life - of which stewardship is part. But Jesus does not call us as nameless people in a faceless crowd. He calls us individually, by name. Each one of us - clergy, religious, lay person; married, single; adult, child - has a personal vocation. God intends each of us to play a unique role in carrying out His divine plan.

Stewards of the Church

Stewards of God's gifts are not passive beneficiaries. We are also obliged to be stewards of the Church - collaborators and cooperators in continuing the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, which is the Church's essential mission. This mission - proclaiming and teaching, serving and sanctifying - is our task. It is the  personal responsibility of each one of us as stewards of the Church. 

Obstacles of Stewardship

People who want to live as Christian disciples and Christian stewards face serious  obstacles. In the United States and other developed nations, a dominant secular
culture often contradicts religious convictions about the meaning of life. This
culture frequently encourages us to focus on ourselves and our pleasures. At
times, we can find it far too easy to ignore spiritual realities and to deny religion a role in shaping human and social values.

As Catholics who have entered into the mainstream of American society and
experienced its advantages, many of us also have been adversely influenced
by this secular culture. We know what it is to struggle against selfishness and
greed, and we realize that it is harder for many today to accept the challenge
of being a Christian steward. It is essential, therefore, that we make a special
effort to understand the true meaning of stewardship and live accordingly. 

A Steward's Way

The life of a Christian steward models the life of Jesus. It is challenging and even difficult, in many respects, yet intense joy comes to those who risk living as Christian stewards. Women and men who seek to live as stewards learn that "all things work for good for those who love God" (Romans 8:28).
After Jesus, we look to Mary as an ideal steward. As the Mother of Christ, she lived
her ministry in a spirit of fidelity and service; she responded generously to God's call.
Central to our human and Christian vocation, as well as to the unique vocation each one of us receives from God, is that we be good stewards of the gifts we possess. God gives us this divine-human workshop, this world and Church of ours.
The Holy Spirit shows us the way.  Stewardship is a part of that journey.