Holy Trinity Parish in El Dorado Hills has a booming membership of 3,000 households, a number which amazingly increases by one each day.

While that definitely qualifies as “good news” for Msgr. James Kidder, pastor of Holy Trinity, it also presents some fairly substantial challenges.

“For priests, sacramental growth within the life of a parish is a full-time project in itself,” he said.

The rest of the story is that Holy Trinity’s mission envisions stewardship as integral to all aspects of parish life.

David Lopez, director of stewardship at Holy Trinity, said that he began his ministry after stopping by the church one Tuesday to attend Mass.

“For the first time ever I was greeted by someone who gave me a songbook and welcomed me to the parish,” said Lopez, a resident of Gold River. “She understood that to create a spiritual home you begin with hospitality.”

David Lopez, who previously worked for 20 years as chief of staff for Congressman John Doolittle, said after meeting Msgr. Kidder and learning about a new staff position as stewardship director, he “felt a calling to be a part of it.”

Lopez, who holds bachelor’s degrees in political science and communication from Stanford University, is involved in managing the parish’s financial resources, but he also “keeps all the balls in the air,” sitting in on meetings with parish leaders, including the school principal, faith formation director and parishioners.

Lopez coordinates the “time and talent” of hundreds of people involved in 63 parish ministries.

“If we’re going to talk about stewardship, a spiritual conversion to a way of life needs to be exemplified by the stewardship director,” Msgr. Kidder said.

Lopez, who with his wife, Kathy, is raising three boys ages 12 to 16, says being “visibly present” to others is an incredibly rich experience.

“You have to have that desire to help others with their own journey,” he said. “I’m constantly amazed to see God at work.”

Jim Hughes, parish financial services coordinator for the Diocese of Sacramento, says a growing number of parishes in the diocese have begun implementing leadership positions similar to the one held by Lopez.

“Vatican II means creating things we haven’t created before in the church,” said Hughes, adding that parishes are in some cases adding new lay ministries in response to need and letting others go that are no longer relevant.

A 2005 study by the National Pastoral Life Center in New York City found that approximately 10 percent of U.S. parishes have a non-resident pastor. The percentage of parishes under the care of someone other than a priest grew from 1.9 percent in 1990 to 3.6 percent in 2005.

“The reality nationwide is there are fewer priests, especially in rural areas,” said Hughes, who explained that because of this, priests are more commonly being appointed pastors sooner than they would have been in previous decades.

Also playing into this new paradigm shift, Hughes said, is that “in the contemporary business environment, parishes need people who have a financial and human resource background.”

“There is a need for these people, because priests are usually very busy caring for the sacramental needs of their people,” he said.

To address similar challenges in the 105 parishes throughout the diocese, Bishop William K. Weigand recently approved the position of director of parish operations to provide for the “effective and sound financial management of parishes and parish-related organizations.”

Directors of parish operations will support pastors by providing leadership management, resource development and administration of the financial aspects of parish life.

Hughes said establishing this new position is a reflection of Pastoral Initiative 3 of the Diocesan Synod, which calls for maintaining collaborative leadership in parishes through active pastoral councils and finance councils, as well as good communication with parishioners. Directors of parish operations may help further this goal, Hughes said.

“Vatican II called for increased lay involvement in the church and called for it in many ways,” said Hughes, who pointed out that the synod went a long way “to awaken people” to that mission. “Lay people need to step up and assume leadership,” he said.

Hughes has experience in working in partnership with a pastor to guide the financial management of a parish.

Just four years ago, following his retirement as a teacher and administrator for 32 years at Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento, Hughes received a telephone call from Father Michael Carroll, then pastor of Presentation Parish in Sacramento.

Knowing his parochial vicar was leaving, Father Carroll felt he would not be able to “cover all the bases” to meet the needs of parishioners.

“I needed a professional to help with organizing the ministries and knew Jim would be very good at that,” said Father Carroll, current pastor of St. Teresa of Avila Parish in Auburn. “The gifts of the laity are a blessing preparing us for the present and future.”

Hughes, who holds bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics from California State University, Sacramento, and has taken additional religious education studies at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, soon found himself as the parish’s director of parish operations.

“Being open to what God calls us to do is very intimate to me,” said Hughes, who was given oversight of the parish budget, made quarterly reports to parishioners and attended finance council meetings.

“I found it very enjoyable learning how I could complement what (Father Carroll) needed as a pastor and the needs of the parish. We have to keep listening to what (God) wants us to do.”

On any given weekend, Deacon Larry Niekamp can be spotted at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Carmichael, his warm handshake welcoming people arriving for Mass.

Deacon Niekamp is also a familiar face at parish finance council meetings or doing his daily walk through the church, making sure all is as it should be.

Since 2003, Deacon Niekamp, a retired state employee, has worked as director of parish operations for the church’s 1,560 households.

“Larry brings a pastoral dimension to his work,” said Father Thomas Bland, pastor. “It’s one thing to be good at your skills, but we’re a Catholic organization and working with people in a pastoral way is very important.”

St. John the Evangelist Parish is one of an increasing number of parishes in the diocese instituting this new model of parish leadership.

Deacon Niekamp said he finds personal satisfaction playing a role to ensure parishioners’ contributions are being spent wisely and as a resource to the parish’s many ministries.

In addition to administrative expertise gained working at his last state job with the Franchise Tax Board, Niekamp’s holds a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University in New Orleans.

“I’ve long thought parishes need to have this kind of position. Priests can’t do it all,” he said. “I think most laypeople have experience to do this work whether they realize it or not.”

Father Bland, who is co-vicar of the secretariat for clergy and religious in addition to serving as pastor of St. John the Evangelist, said there is no way he could effectively balance both assignments without Deacon Niekamp fulfilling numerous administrative responsibilities at the parish.

“As I began to work with Larry, I realized his talents,” Father Bland said. “He organized the finances in accordance with diocesan policies and updated our computer system. It was a tremendous gift.”

To ensure the uniform and sound financial procedures are practiced all churches throughout the diocese, Bishop Weigand sent a letter and copies of the Parish Financial Management Handbook to parishes in April.

Bishop Weigand stated in the letter that good stewardship of parish resources enables parishes to better serve the needs of faith communities.

“Promoting and maintaining the financial health of the parish will foster an atmosphere of trust and confidence,” he said. “In our daily priestly ministry, we strive to be living examples of God’s love and teachings.”

Hughes said that while having a director of parish operations is not the answer for every parish, it is a great support system to manage growing responsibilities inherent in parish life.

“Potentially in the 105 parishes in the diocese there could be many directors of parish operations as the hearts of lay professionals are open to this calling,” he said.

For more information about the parish director of operations position, see the job description on the Diocese of Sacramento’s Web site at www.diocese-sacramento.org or call the Office of Lay Personnel at (916) 733-0240.

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