By Mila Glodava
US missionaries offered their expertise in stewardship over the last 20 years, from 2003 through 2019. They are often seen on Facebook in group photos (like our featured image above), which do not give justice to their missionary spirit and the sacrifices they made to share their expertise in stewardship and evangelization. It’s time we share their credentials and say “thank you” to each one of them, for their profound and lasting contributions and sacrifices to the spread of the message of stewardship as a way of life in the Church in the Philippines. Not only did they not receive any honorarium to share their expertise (on multiple occasions for a number of them), they also even paid their own travel expenses. The Pastoral Statement on Stewardship and the new Episcopal Office on Stewardship are, directly or indirectly, fruits of their labor of love, and clear signs that the Church in the Philippines, too, is even more ready to carry out its 5th Centenary “Gifted to Give” mission ad gentes, to all nations. A million thanks to you, Fr. Andrew Kemberling, Fr. Dan Mahan, Mrs. Sharon Hueckel, Mrs. & Mrs. Phil Lindemer, Mr. Rick Jeric, Mrs. Terry Polakovic, Dr. Tim Gray, Mrs. Mary Ann Otto, Mr. Michael Murphy, Ms. Shannon Webster Lee, Mr. Jim Kelley, and Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila! We are profoundly grateful for your generosity of time, talent, and treasure!
Father Andrew Kemberling, co-author, Making Stewardship a Way of Life: A complete guide for Catholic Parishes (Our Sunday Visitor, 2009)and former pastor of St. Thomas More and St. Vincent de Paul parishes in the Archdiocese of Denver, has taken the Church in the Philippines as his personal mission. He first visited the Philippines in 2003 at the request of the late Bishop Julio X. Labayen, OCD, to introduce the message of stewardship as a spirituality and a way of life at an Inter-diocesan Conference on “Sustainability of the Church of the Poor through Stewardship,” which was hosted by the late Cardinal Ricardo Vidal in the Archdiocese of Cebu.
His four core values of stewardship—identity, trust, gratitude and love have depth to the three T’s: time, talent and treasure. He has visited the Philippines four more times, even though he has been suffering severe leg pains, including a couple of appearances at the plenary assemblies of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP): in 2005 for “A Day of Reflection on Stewardship” along with Mila Glodava, and in 2013, along with other experts in stewardship and evangelization—Mr. Rick Jeric, Mrs. Sharon Hueckel, Dr. Tim Gray, and Mrs. Terry Polakovic—in celebration of the 10th year anniversary of promoting stewardship as a way of life in the Church in the Philippines.
He also headlined two other conferences: in 2009, the Buhay-Katiwala International Conference in Tagaytay with delegates from the United States, Guam and Myanmar, and 2019, the first Asian Pacific Stewardship Conference at the St. Paul Center for Renewal in Alfonso, Cavite. The latter was the culmination of his mission trips to the Philippines. It was also his last year (since 2016) as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the International Catholic Stewardship Council which co-hosted the conference, along with Socio Pastoral Institute.
Father Dan Mahan, author of More than Silver and Gold: Homilies of a Stewardship Priest (Saint Catherine of Sienna Press, 2005) visited the Philippines in 2006 as a resource person, along with Mila Glodava, at the Second Regional Clergy Retreat and Congress for the Southern Luzon Tagalog Region Clergy Retreat in Lucena City. He came back in 2007 for the January plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. Fr. Mahan was a board member of the International Catholic Stewardship Council (ICSC), serving as Director of Formation and as a faculty of the ICSC Institute. He also chaired the program planning committee of the ICSC’s 2009 stewardship conference.
He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in 1988 and holds a degree in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm. Fr. Mahan writes that “stewardship is not a contrived, politically correct euphemism for talking about money, but a way of life. a spirituality, deeply rooted in the person of Jesus Christ, with the power to change our lives for the better and to transform our deeply troubled world.” He believes that “the spirituality of stewardship is integral to Catholic thought, undergirding Chruch teaching on human dignity marriage and family life.”
Mrs. Sharon Hueckel visited the Philippines in 2009 for an International Stewardship Conference convened by the late Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, then president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), in Tagaytay. She did not mind that she had to pay for her own travel expenses (a requirement of all US stewardship missionaries) to do so. In fact, she came again to speak at the CBCP January 2013 plenary assembly in celebration of the 10-year anniversary of promoting stewardship in the Church in the Philippines. Sharon believes that one of the tasks of those committed to stewardship as a way of life is to recognize and celebrate wherever we find it, she said at he 2009 conference, and “to be intentional about intentional about integrating the spirituality and language of stewardship whenever and wherever it it not yet so obvious.”
Mrs. Hueckel is a published author on stewardship: The Disciple as Stewardship, Stewardship by the Book, and Steward Saints for Everyday. Trained in theology and education, Sharon has served as director of stewardship and development for the Diocese of Lafayette, Indiana, and as director of administration at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Claremont, California. A frequent speaker at the annual conferences of the International Catholic Stewardship Council (ICSC), Sharon served as board member and as a faculty of the ICSC institute. She also served on the Education Committee and was a contributing editor of the ICSC e-Bulletin, which she has sent regularities parish leaders she inspired at the stewardship conferences mentioned above. Sharon and her husband, Glenn, are both retired, and they enjoy traveling for pleasure and to visit their two daughters. They also enjoy volunteering to decorate the floats for the annual Rose Parade in California.
Mr. and Mrs. Phil Lindemer are members of St. Thomas More Parish for many years and are very active in parish ministries especially as coordinators and schedulers of the Extraordinary Ministers of the Holy Eucharist. Phil served as member of the St. Thomas More Stewardship Commission that oversaw that the Office of Communications and Stewardship carried out the parish goals and objectives as well as the distribution of the “tithe of the tithe” or the Charity Account. Irene, an interior designer, was a member of the Building Committee that oversaw the full renovation of the entire parish campus in 2007 and eventually agreed to serve as editor and graphic artist of the St. Thomas More news magazine, the “More Informed.” Phil and Irene gave testimonials on their embrace of stewardship at the 2009 International Stewardship Conference in Tagaytay which welcomed Msgr. David Quitugua and his parish leaders from the Diocese of Guam.
Phil and Irene met Msgr. Quitugua at the 2007 ICSC conference in Miami and asked them to visit Guam and speak about stewardship. They couldn’t accept the invitation, but recommended Mila Glodava who made a stopover to Guam in 2008. Msgr. David welcomed Phil and Irene in 2009, along with Father Andrew Kemberling and Mrs. Sharon Hueckel. Irene then reported to the parish about her experience of how the poorest of the poor have embraced stewardship as a way of life. “We witnessed the results of three priests incorporating the tools of STM’s stewardship program,” she wrote, “along with the spirituality of stewardship in their parish. WOW! What an impact.”
The Lindemers visited far-flung areas in the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao and were profoundly touched by their practice of stewardship. “These people have so little, and are giving so much,” she wrote, “I have so much, and I give so little.” She replaced Mila Glodava as director of Communications and Stewardship in 2014 until she retired in January 2023. Mr. Lindemer also retired from his real estate business in December 2022. Both are looking for to spend time with two children and two grandchildren, all close by their home in Centennial, Colorado.
Mr. Rick Jeric was serving as the chairman of the ICSC board when he visited the Philippines to speak at the January plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in celebration of the 10-year anniversary of promoting stewardship as a way of life in the Church in the Philippines. Rick gave a talk on stewardship and leadership at the plenary assembly and at the stewardship seminar for parish and diocesan leaders at St. Peter’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Novaliches. “Leaders respond to a passionate vision,” he said. “The key to good stewardship is to focus on VISION, not simply in need,” he continued. He urged the delegates to “focus on raising the standards of fully committed leaders, not those who are uncommitted or least committed.”
Mr. Jeric’s work for the Church includes serving as executive director of the Office of Development and Planning for the Diocese of Columbus (Ohio) and its Catholic Foundation. He was a member of the Diocesan Retirement Communities Board and the Institutional Advancement Board for the Pontifical College Josephinum. Rick and his wife, Theresa, who live in La Crosse Wisconsin, have three children.
Mrs. Terry Polakovic, co-founder of ENDOW (Educating on the Nature and Dignity of Women), joined other US missionaries in 2013 to share her personal evangelization and mission on the dignity of women. Previous to co-founding ENDOW, Mrs. Polakovic served as the first exec director of “Seeds of Hope,” an archdiocesan organization that provides support for poor but deserving students to attend Catholic schools the Archdiocese of Denver.
In 2010, Mrs. Polakovic received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontiface Cross Award (“For the Church and the Pontiff”) from Pope Benedict XVI. And in 2011, she was recognized as an “Outstanding Catholic Leader” by the Catholic Leadership Institute. With these accolades, Mrs. Polakovic can also boast of being a published author. Since retiring from ENDOW, she has written two books for Our Sunday Visitor—Life and Love: Opening Your Heart to God’s Design, 2018, and Women of Hope: Doctors of the Church, 2021. The latter was a finalist for the 2022 “Association of Catholic Publishers’ “Excellence in Publishing.”
A former Peace Corps volunteer in Iloilo, Philippines, Mrs. Polakovic and her husband Mike have been longtime supporters of Metro Infanta Foundation and its mission to address the needs of the poor through the Eleanore Mullen Weckbaugh Foundation. On behalf of the International Catholic Council, then chairman of the board Fr. Andrew Kemberling presented them with a plaque of appreciation for their support, not only for the 2019 first Asian Pacific Stewardship Conference in the Philippines but also for their general support of promoting stewardship as a way of life in the Church in the Philippines. The Polakovic’s live in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and they have two children and four grandchildren.
Dr. Tim Gray, president of the Augustine Institute and a well-known Catholic speaker and author, came to the Philippines in 2013 to speak at the plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and the Catholic Education Association of the Philippines held at the University of Santo Tomas.
Under Dr. Gray’s leadership, the Augustine Institute has established the largest Catholic graduate school of theology in the country, and has created best-selling programs including: Symbolon, a comprehensive program of faith formation for adults; The Search, a celebrated evangelization series; FORMED, a digital platform with a vast array of Catholic films, ebooks, and audio talks; and Signs of Grace, a sacramental preparation program for children.
Dr. Gray has a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from the Catholic University of America and is the author of several books including Peter: Keys to Following Jesus and Praying Scripture for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina. He is also the host of The Augustine Institute Show, a weekly live show that explores topics of the faith. Tim and his wife, Kris, live in Littleton, Colorado. They have one son, a daughter-in-law, and a granddaughter.
Mrs. Mary Ann Otto, then the Stewardship and Special Projects for the Diocese of Green Bay, visited the Philippines at least three times, and still remembers pleasant memories about her visits to share her expertise in stewardship. A StrengthFinder coach, A member of the ICSC board, Mrs. Otto served as the board secretary and chair of the ICSC Parish Education Committee that presented the International Recognition to the Holy Family Parish and Fr. Manny Catral in the Archdiocese of Tuguegarao and the San Labrador Parish and Fr. Noel Conopio in the Diocese of San Pablo. She made a couple of visits to the Archdiocese of Davao to give workshops on the Gallup’s personality assessment for a few diocesan leaders and for about 200 seminarians and clergy at the Regional Major Seminary. Mrs. Otto, along with Mils Glodava, went on to Hawaii to join Fr. Andrew Kemberling io speak at a Diocesan Stewardship Seminar for Clergy and the laity in the Diocese of Honolulu.
Summing up the 2019 first Asian Pacific Stewardship Conference at the St. Paul Center for Renewal in Alfonso, Cavite, Mrs. Otto said, “The spirituality of stewardship and the practices that give witness to its truths are changing the heart and face of the Church in the Philippines, which identifies as a Church of the Poor, and beyond.”
Mrs. Otto has decided, by this time, to return to parish work as a Minister for Missionary Discipleship at he St, Joseph a St. Mary Parish in Appleton, Wisconsin, fostering plans for infusing the stewardship message to help a culture of grateful generosity. Now retired, Mary Ann is excited about her new project, Be not Afraid- How to Follow Jesus, a small group process. She and her husband, Jeff, have five children and nine grandchildren.
Mr. Michael Murphy, executive director of the International Catholic Stewardship Council, visited the Philippines three times. In 2017, Mr. Murphy gave a presentation at the January 2017 plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. In 2018, he traveled to Manila to attend several stewardship gatherings before heading to South Korea to invite officials of the Archdiocese of Seoul to participate in the first Asian Pacific Stewardship Conference at the Saint Paul Center for Renewal in Alfonso, Cavite. Then in February 2019, not only did he coordinate the AP Conference with Socio Pastoral Institute, he, along with Mrs. Mary Ann Otto also gave a presentation on fundraising at St. Paul University Manila.
He has provided leadership in Christian stewardship formation and institutional Catholic philanthropy for more than 25 years. He established the development office for the Archdiocese of Detroit in 1994 and served as its director as well as that of the Archdiocese of Detroit Endowment Foundation until 2007. As a result of his own research and theological reflection on Christian stewardship, Mr. Murphy and his team developed a comprehensive manual for introducing parishes to stewardship. Now in its second printing, Called by Christ, Gifted by the Spirit, has enjoyed much success among parishes and dioceses in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and, in its Spanish-language version, in parts of Latin America.
Mr. Murphy’s team assisted the archbishop of Detroit in securing funds, both for the archdiocese and for Catholic institutions internationally, in an aggregate amount of $645 million over a span of 14 years. This included a $100 million archdiocesan endowment fund, the largest of its kind in the mid-90s; a $27.4 million scholarship fund for inner-city Catholic school children; and $352.6 million in archdiocesan annual appeal funds. The appeal itself yielded an average $30.2 million per year in funding over a nine-year period. It remains the largest diocesan annual appeal in North America.
A native Tennessean, Mr. Murphy was a practicing attorney who specialized in the areas of litigation, and probate and estate planning. He was an instructor in insurance law and decedent’s estates for those preparing to become certified life underwriters and financial planners at the American College of Insurance and Tax Institute in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He studied in the divinity program at the University of Notre Dame, where he also earned a master’s degree in systematic theology.
Ms. Shannon Webster Lee, the director of business development for ICSC since 2013, when she came to the Philippines to assist ICSC executive director at 2019 Asian Pacific Stewardship Conference in Alfonso, Cavite. She was also prepared to give a workshop on stewardship, but unfortunately, she fell ill. Mr. Jim Kelley and Mrs. Mary Ann Otto gave her presentation on “Introducing Stewardship in a Parish: A US Model,” on her behalf.
Prior to coming to ICSC, she served as the director of stewardship and development for the Diocese of Salt Lake City. During her 13 years at the diocese, she directed the diocesan annual appeal and began a diocesan-wide stewardship effort. She is a past member of the ICSC board of directors representing Region XIII. Most of Ms. Lee’s career has been spent with a variety of non-profit organizations in fundraising, event management, board development and volunteer recruitment and education.
Ms. Lee has returned to Diocese of Salt Lake City and resumed her previous position as stewardship director. Incidentally cementing Ms. Lee’s ties to the Church in the Philippines, Bishop Oscar A. Solis, formerly an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (2013-2017) and the 10th bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City since 2017, is the first Filipino-American to be consecrated a bishop and the first Asian-American to lead a diocese,
Mr. Jim Kelley, director of development for the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, and former chairman of the ICSC board, joined other ICSC officials at the 2019 Asian Pacific Stewardship Conference in Alfonso, Cavite. After thr conference Mr. Kelley headed to Hawaii with Fr. Andrew Kemberling to give a talk at a stewardship conference in the Diocese of Honolulu.
He manages the office which operates the diocesan support appeal, assists parishes with stewardship efforts and capital campaigns, assists Catholic schools’ development efforts, directs development efforts for Catholic social services and campus ministry, directs the planned giving and major gift programs and writes grants. He is also the executive director of the Foundation of the Diocese of Charlotte.
Mr. Kelley is the author of Stewardship Manual: A Guide for Individuals and Parishes Developing Stewardship as a Way of Life, and the book, Sustaining and Strengthening Stewardship. He is the co-author and co-editor of Stewardship: Disciples Respond – A Practical Guide for Pastoral Leaders, and the Children’s Stewardship Manual, both ICSC publications. He has been a member of the committee that organized and produced the ICSC publication, Keeping Stewardship Alive: Proven Stewardship Ideas as well.
Mr. Kelley has served ICSC in countless capacities over the last 30 years: its board of directors, numerous committees, and presentations at annual ICSC conferences and institutes. He had two tenures on its board of directors; first, from 1994 to 2000, serving as vice president from 1997 to 2000.Then, again from 2006 to 2007, serving as board president from 2007 to 2011. He was also the 2000 recipient of the ICSC Bishop Connare Award. Mr. Kelley has significant board experience having chaired 21 nonprofit boards over the last 20 years.
Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, archbishop of Denver, Colorado, accepted the in to visit the Philippines to share his passion to promote the “Restored Order” of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. He didn’t even mind that he had to pay for his own travel expenses like all the other missionaries in this group. And he would go back to the Philippines again “in a heartbeat.” Religious educators from various dioceses to hear his presentation on the topic.
As his episcopal motto, which comes from the Blessed Virgin Mary’s instructions at Cana, states, “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn. 2:5), his ministry as shepherd of the people of northern Colorado is dedicated to helping every person experience the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and be moved by that encounter to a lasting commitment to share the Gospel with enthusiasm, creativity and joy.
Archbishop Aquila was ordained to the priesthood in Denver in 1976 and served the Archdiocese of Denver for 25 years. In 1987, he began graduate studies at San Anselmo University in Rome, earning a Licentiate in Sacramental Theology in 1990. He was installed as archbishop of Denver in 2012 after serving as bishop of Fargo, North Dakota from 2002 to 2012. Archbishop Aquila serves on numerous boards and committees of the Catholic Church, including the Papal Foundation, the International Catholic Migration Commission, the Bishops’ Advisory Council for the Institute for Priestly Formation and the Board of Trustees for the Augustine Institute.
