Luke attributes the Holy Spirit for planting on his heart from an early age the desire to do ministry. Growing up as an older sibling of eleven children, he learned leadership and responsibility early on. Led to a habit of daily prayer in college by FOCUS and the personal witness of a friend, Luke knew firsthand the importance of community, fraternal support, and individual invitation in coming to deeper discipleship. “Truth becomes transformation through relationship,” Luke said. God, revealed through his Son, who came among us in relationship is how we all come to know the truth.

Inferno, which its members call “an apostolate of friendship,” was started in 2017 with a group of men who got together for community and prayer. While it is largely a Colorado Springs ministry where it started, the fire has begun to spread. Inferno aims at empowering men to lead in evangelization and the battle for sainthood. Men often experience isolation, which is why Inferno is so focused on building friendship and honest, confidential fellowship while, at the same time, inviting others into the community. More information about Inferno or to make a donation in support of the ministry, visit www.infernomen.com. 

Guest: Luke Vercollone
Title: Co-Founder, Inferno Men

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In this episode, Twelve Wicker Baskets host, Christopher Beaudet, shares a Christmas message of hope, allowing a story from a Civil War battlefield to be lesson for us all that Christmas is a joyful celebration of hope because it is about God coming to dwell among us; coming to dwell in our pain and suffering, in our fear and worry; coming to dwell with us in such a place as this. On behalf of everyone at the Steier Group, we wish you a very blessed and merry Christmas.

Guest: Christopher Beaudet
Title: President of Diocesan Engagement

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Leisa’s leadership in helping parish communities to “look at one another from the perspective of gift and abundance” allows parishes to experience an invitation to enter more deeply into the life of the community. “Everyone has something to give. And not only does everyone have something to give, but everyone needs to give.” Gratitude is a virtue, requiring us to foster, develop and practice the habit of being grateful. Leisa reminds us that the perfect place to bring stewardship to life is at the Eucharist, which itself means Thanksgiving. “In the celebration of the Mass, we celebrate Christ’s sacrifice. And we are called to be sacrificial people…we’re called to give without counting the cost.”

Leisa also shares in this episode about the central role of gratitude in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s pastoral plan, Beacons of Light. The plan has six guiding principles focused on renewing parishes to be vibrant communities. One of the principles is stewardship, which speaks of parishes as communities of grateful disciples.  Leisa shares how Beacons of Light has already provided new life to parish communities across the archdiocese. 

Guest: Leisa Anslinger
Title: Author, Coach & Leader in Parish Vitality and Leadership Development

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Steve Homiack advises pastors that, when it comes to addressing finances from the pulpit, “the best time to talk about money is when you’re not asking for it.” When people complain “all they do is talk about money,” it’s probably because talking about money from the pulpit is only done when people are asked to give it for a need; it’s always linked to an appeal. But the multitude of scriptural references and parables about money throughout the year provide opportunities to emphasize the spiritual connection between our treasure and our heart. In Steve’s role in the Archdiocese of Seattle, he seeks to serve and support parishes to embrace and live stewardship. “The strength of our diocese is the integrity of each and every one of these parishes,” Steve noted. Supporting parishes is always a challenge since each parish community is unique. And in the Archdiocese of Seattle, entirely new parish families have recently been created as part of the Partners in the Gospel strategic plan to renew the local Church in Western Washington.

Guest: Steve Homiack
Title: Director of Parish Support and Annual Campaigns, Archdiocese of Seattle

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A native of Ohio and a product of Catholic education, Colin Campbell knows very well the value and impact Catholic education has on a child, the character formation and critical thinking it instills, and the openness it creates to mystery and vocation in life.  All Saints Catholic School, where Colin serves as President, partnered with the Steier Group to conduct a transformative campaign to allow the school to continue its charism of excellence in faith, character, academics and service well into the future. 

All Saints, a three blue ribbon school in its 25 year history, is grounded in three immutable strategic anchors that define its community and mission. Of the first anchor, Colin states, “we are a Catholic school, not a private school that happens to be Catholic.” Second, the school is intentional about its size with no more than 20 students in each classroom. And the third strategic anchor is to lead students to discover and live their passion. “It is never easier and more fun to lead a place than a community that is really articulate in why they do what they do,” Colin said. 

Being anchored also allows All Saints to be innovative without compromising the school’s central mission. Trends in Catholic education, like starting Catholic education in pre-school, or the renewed interest in a classical curriculum, or the many families who homeschool, all provide All Saints opportunities to incorporate aspects of the trends in such a way that what makes All Saints unique is preserved. Colin notes that his role as President gives him the vantage point to see the big picture and to think in terms of months and years. “When you put things in the Holy Spirit’s hands,” he said, “it tends to work!”

Guest: Colin Campbell
Title: President, All Saints Catholic School, Dallas TX

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With a history over 400 years, the religious sisters who belong to the Order of the Company of Mary Our Lady have a rich tradition of Catholic education inspired by the charism and vision of the community’s foundress, St. Jeanne de Lestonnac. St. Jeanne’s own familial and vocation experiences helped form her practical application of education in a time when education meant largely memorization of facts and was open only to boys. 

St. Jeanne de Lestonnac school, of which Sister Ernestine Velarde, serves as President, carries on the universal mission of the religious order but in the practical context of California to educate students in dialogue with reality, which is to say to educate students to live practically in the circumstances and conditions of the world, to discern the needs around them and apply what they’ve learned in service to others, and to live in joyful witness to the faith. “We educate by our attitudes,” Sister Ernestine said. “We don’t see education just when we’re in front of the classroom, but also by how we respond to things.” Forming each student, not just for himself or herself, but for communal, social and global good is at the heart of authentic education in the tradition of St. Jeanne de Lestonnac. Personal development with socialization, freedom with responsibility, and personal autonomy with collaboration are the aims of the Company of Mary our Lady in educating the young. 

Sister Ernestine’s leadership of St. Jeanne de Lestonnac’s capital campaign led to a beautiful new building for their upper school, which continues to grow, building on the long tradition of grade school education. The beauty of the building itself educates, Sister Ernestine noted, in that contemplating beauty draws us into mystery and makes us more human.

Guest: Sr. Ernestine Velarde, ODN
Title: President, Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac School, Temecula, CA

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Abriana Chilelli describes the beginning of Fire Foundation Denver as nothing short of providential. Just as Covid came on the scene, several parents of children with disabilities wrote in large numbers to the Archdiocese of Denver with the request for support to help them educate their children in Catholic schools, many of which were not prepared for special needs students. Soon, with Archbishop Aquila’s blessing, a group of mothers of special needs children organized to start Fire Foundation Denver, replicating Fire Foundation Kansas City where the model began. With a board in place, the foundation began fundraising and awarding grants right away. With success stories to share, the foundation grew in three years from granting $100,000 to three schools to granting $500,000 to fourteen schools.

Kyle Van Frank champions Catholic education, saying it has always been a vanguard for forming young people in a way that recognizes “dignity, truth, goodness in the child and to form them in very apt and appropriate settings. I think this is the next chapter for Catholic education across our country.” 

The Church’s vision of the dignity of the human person orients the true nature of education. “It’s not for production, it’s not skills training, it’s not career preparation,” Abriana states, adding, “Education is the whole formation of the human person, for the human person himself, in order to see reality well, both naturally and supernaturally, and to come to understand the truth and the freedom of Jesus Christ himself, the Logos who created and ordered all things.” Kyle adds, “At the end of the day, the aim and purpose is to prepare our young children to be saints.” In this regard, kids with disabilities, who often live without malice, are great peacemakers and are a blessing to those around them. “All hearts are widened as a result of this work.”

Guests: Abriana Chilelli, Assistant Director of Catholic Education, Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon; Kyle Van Frank, Executive Director, Fire Foundation Denver

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After what he calls a “powerful, mystical experience” with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Robert “Bobby” Kloska’s life forever changed. The assurance he received that all would be well if he sought first the kingdom of God (Mt 6:33) has proven a calming guide through health struggles, disappointments, change of plans, and the various phases of his professional career.

As Chief Partnership Office at Notre Dame Federal Credit Union, he is tasked with advancing a nationwide Catholic financial ecosystem, building up the Church through a variety of financial services and sound, honest advice. While it’s easier to tear down and demolish people, institutions, or relationships, it’s harder but more rewarding to build. Building things that serve God and his people is the goal of Bobby’s personal and professional life, reminding us that persevering in building up what is good and beautiful, no matter if others seek to tear down, is all we’re called to do in faithfulness.

You can read Robert's blog - Side of the House - to see the remarkable photo from the grotto mentioned in the episode.

Guest: Robert Kloska
Title: Chief Partnership Officer, Notre Dame Federal Credit Union

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Michael Hoffman has years of financial services and diocesan development experience and, in this episode,  draws on that experience to share important tips for any diocese considering a capital campaign. “We knew we needed to do something… nothing was not an option,” Michael said of the diocesan financial needs at his previous position as the Director of Stewardship for the Diocese of Davenport. Priest retirement and vocations support needed long-term funding, but the third leg of the stool was the parish share, allowing parishes to determine at the parochial level how their portion of campaign funds would be applied.

Knowing “generational giving” and cultural giving is also important to tailor appeals across a diocese to reflect the variety of ways people give that tend to track with their community and peers. Regular stewardship quips in the bulletin next to financial reporting can helps parishes see a rise in offertory income. Utilizing AI for ask strings, circling back to dormant donors, and several touches with donors throughout the year are yet more tips to foster ordinary giving and prepare a diocese for the extraordinary appeal of a campaign.

At the heart of diocesan development work and long-term planning for a campaign is the vital necessity of building trust and relationship with pastors and school principals. It’s critical, Michael states, that they know you’ve got their back. “Once that trust level is there, it’s amazing what can get accomplished.”

Guest: Michael Hoffman
Title: Director of Development & Stewardship, Diocese of St. Augustine

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“The Church is the hope of the world, and the local parish is the hope of the Church,” says Tom Corcoran, co-author of ChurchMoney, a book that is part of the Rebuilt series. Tom’s experience in helping his own parish to be a thriving, vibrant community of faith inspired him, along with his pastor, Father Michael White, to help other parish communities throughout the world to experience the same renewal. Tom encourages parishes to develop a model of ministry and to invite other into that vision. Younger generations are less inclined to donate money to institutions, Tom notes, and so parishes need to shift the paradigm from supporting the Church to supporting ministry and mission. “People give to vision, and people give to people.” A renewed sense of discipleship will result in a renewed sense of stewardship.

“The way back to financial health in parishes is to start connecting the dots between money and following Jesus.” Tom has a plan for how parishes can raise givers, rather than just raise money. Since “money is a spiritual issue,” Tom stresses that raising givers begins with prayer as step one. He also notes that people will learn about money either from the culture with its emphasis on spending and saving, or from Scripture, which prioritizes giving and generosity. Frequent preaching on how often money is presented in Scripture, then, is crucial to a sound formation of Christian stewards. Giving may cause us to sacrifice parts of our lifestyle, but handing over what is dear to us—making a sacrifice—actually begets cheerfulness and joy. This is the central message that parishes must embrace, pray about, reflect on, and implement… to be brought closer to God requires us to imitate his generosity and freedom.

Guest: Tom Corcoran
Title: Author, Speaker, and Evangelist

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