Guest column
By Fr. Cole Kennett
Editor’s Note: Father Cole Kennett, pastor of St. Michael Parish in Lincoln, shared a reflection about his parish’s recent video on tithing. While Father Kennett’s column focuses on St. Michael Parish, the principles of stewardship, the mission
of Catholic education and the call to make Christian disciples are true at parishes throughout the Diocese of Lincoln.
The ministry of Catholic schools doesn’t simply happen. Schools aren’t sustained by wishful thinking, nostalgia, or false hope. They exist because a community chooses—intentionally, sacrificially, and repeatedly—to make them possible. At St. Michael School in Lincoln, we are blessed with a parish family that loves its children, loves its faith, and loves the mission of forming disciples of Jesus. But love alone doesn’t pay the bills.
Recently, our Director of Business Operations, Shannon Dohmen, and the Head of our Finance Council, Brad Koehn, shared a video message with our families about how our school is funded. Their words were honest, clear, and necessary. And they deserve to be heard—not just as a financial update, but as a call to deeper discipleship.
They began with the question every Catholic school hears: Where does my tuition go? It’s a fair question, and the answer is both simple and sobering. Tuition covers only 45% of the actual cost to educate each child. Nearly all of that cost goes directly to the salaries of the teachers who pour their lives into our children every day. The remaining 55%—more than half the cost of education—is covered by the parish family.
This is not an accident. It is a deliberate model of stewardship, one rooted in the belief that forming young disciples is not the responsibility of parents alone, nor of teachers alone, but of the entire parish community. It is a beautiful but fragile model.
This model only works when parish families tithe.
Right now, St. Michael has 1,132 registered families. Of those, 604 families have tithed so far this fiscal year. That generosity is real, and it is deeply appreciated. But it also means 528 families—nearly half—have not given anything yet this year.
This is not about guilt. It is about reality.
When more than half of the cost of education depends on parish support, and a large portion of families are not contributing, the strain becomes unsustainable. The parish cannot continue covering more than half the cost of education if only a portion of families participate. The model works only when the community works together.
And this is where the conversation must shift from dollars to discipleship.
As Shannon reminded us, tithing is not merely a financial practice. It is a spiritual one. Scripture teaches the offering of 10 percent not as a tax, but as an act of trust—a recognition that everything we have is a gift from God. Brad put it plainly: the blessings we enjoy, including our material resources, come from the Father of Goodness. When we tithe, we are responding to His generosity by giving generously in return. We bless others because He has blessed us abundantly.
This is not about meeting a budget line. It is about living the Gospel.
Still, the practical implications cannot be ignored. Without a majority of families tithing, the current model of funding Catholic education at St. Michael simply cannot continue long term. When only some families give, the burden becomes too heavy for the parish to carry alone. But when most families participate—even at different levels—the model becomes not only sustainable, but strong enough to serve future generations.
This is the heart of the invitation Shannon and Brad offered: prayerfully consider your role in supporting this mission.
If you are already tithing, thank you. Your generosity directly supports every child in our school. You are helping form disciples. You are sustaining a mission that will outlive all of us.
If you have not begun tithing yet, now is the time. Not because the parish is desperate, but because the mission is too important to leave to someone else. Every gift matters. Every family matters. Every act of stewardship strengthens the community we claim to be.
St. Michael is a family that has always risen to the occasion. I believe we will rise again.
Together, we can ensure that our school continues to mold children into disciples of Jesus—children who know Him, love Him, and follow Him. That is worth every sacrifice. That is worth every gift. That is worth our wholehearted stewardship.
Thank you for your support, your generosity, and your commitment to our parish family.
