Nominate a "Modern Disciple"

Every month Grace in Action™ will feature an exemplary steward from a parish or community. You can send your submission, with a brief description of your nominee's stewardship involvement, to: Stewards, Attn: York Young, c/o Our Sunday Visitor, 200 Noll Plaza, Huntington, IN 46750, or e-mail giaction@osv.com.

A sample "Modern Disciple"

Mary Booth: A volunteer's volunteer

You might say that Mary Booth is the lifeblood of St. Thomas More Parish in Centennial, Colorado. For 22 years, she organized the parish blood drive, collecting an average of 500 donated pints annually.

Two years ago, she passed the chairperson's torch to her son and daughter-in-law, but she remains involved in the semiannual event. She also volunteers at the parish school, working in the school lunch program and in the nurse's office. Also, she participates in Helping Hands, a lay ministry that serves luncheons after parish funerals.

Over the years, Mary has participated in as many as 14 parish ministries, ranging from liturgical art to parish social action. "for me, stewardship is a chance to give back to the parish and to the community," she said. "With stewardship, everybody has to judge for themselves how much to give. For me, it's simple: When you volunteer, you get more out of it than you put into it."

To bolster stewardship in your parish, you need not volunteer for 14 ministries, but perhaps begin with one, or add one more to what you already do.

Send your nomination to giaction@osv.com.