by Katie Ostgren
Family life comes with a lot of joys and special moments, especially this time of year. Graduations, vacations, first Communions, final days of school. These special moments create lasting memories and strong impressions.
But more frequently than these special moments, family life often involves simple, boring moments and the commitment to mundane, ordinary work. After all, bills have to be paid, laundry has to be washed, meals have to be prepared, lawns have to be mowed (A little peek at the Ostgren family weekend to-do list for you there). There is nothing exciting or flashy about these types of ordinary tasks, but we all know they are absolutely necessary for our families to thrive.
Having worked for the Church for over a year now, it has become evident to me that the Church is much the same way. Sure, there are exciting gatherings that bring everyone together, special events we celebrate as a community, and joy-filled conversations and relationships that renew our spirits. But just like a family, a large portion of the work that needs to be done in the Church is mundane and hidden. Budgets have to be balanced, software programs have to be updated, copies have to be made, e-mails have to be sent. Not all of the work of the Church is flashy or exhilarating. Some of the work of the Church is simply necessary for its functioning to support the great mission that has been entrusted to our bishop, and by extension, his priests and all of us who have been baptized.
That ordinary work is certainly done in parishes, by pastors and their staff. But a great deal of it is also done in the office of the bishop as well—at the Chancery and in the Curia (these are canonical terms for the various offices that support the bishop’s mission). I’ve learned in my time working here that there can be a great “mystery” surrounding the Chancery and Curia’s function. And I believe much of the reason for that is that a lot of the work done here is just plain, well, “less-than-flashy,” shall we say.
Employees at the Chancery and in the Curia assist in many of the administrative functions of the bishop’s mission. Among many other things, they send out mailings and letters, import data into software programs, assist parishes with payroll, update diocesan archives, and ensure there are enough chaperones and volunteers for youth retreats or trips. Certainly there is also a great deal of exciting work going on—developing strategies and policies, identifying priorities, brainstorming solutions to problems, and—more than anything—collaborating to assist the bishop in carrying out his mission to evangelize and care for all of the souls in southern Nebraska. As the culture changes, the Church must also go through a transformation to address the needs of the present age, and those exciting conversations often happen here, guided by the Holy Spirit and the leadership of the people called to serve in various roles across the diocese and the greater Church.
But, as in the life of a family, much of the work at the Chancery and in the Curia is ordinary and mundane. Does that mean it is of little value or importance? Of course not. In fact, many saints have declared the great value of hidden work and hidden people, declaring that the Lord sees this work and loves it when united to Him. There is much fruit born from the faithful and simple performance of ordinary tasks. The Church relies on ordinary people doing ordinary work to carry out its life-saving mission.
Speaking of the people, the team at the Chancery and in the Curia is blessed with the presence of many faithful, joyful, servant-hearted folks. They are beloved children of God, with a heart for the Church and others. They are Tracey, Tracy, Cindy, Kevin, Staci, Marilyn, Ruth, Aubrey, Mary Jo, Lori, Marsha, Michele, Joan, Rachael, Ricardo, Jeff, Sean, Joel, Cathy, Dennis, Dave, Matt, Kealey, Marilyn, Kim, and Jeff, working closely alongside a number of wonderful priests and religious. The Diocese of Lincoln runs a lean operation, and that is possible because the people working here are truly models of servant leadership—often taking on more than they have time or capacity for—in order to advance the mission of the Church.
I think about these people and their ordinary but holy work, especially as we prepare to kick off our annual diocesan Charity & Stewardship Appeal. As most of us know, almost 70% of the money given to this appeal is returned to parishes to assist with important local needs—projects, operating expenses, schools or other mission-related activities. Another 10% of the funds are directed to apostolates that benefit our entire diocese which the bishop desires to support (Camp Kateri, Villa Marie School, the Newman Center, and more). The remaining 20% supports the operations and offices of the Chancery and in the Curia, where great people work extremely hard day in and day out to help the bishop exercise his mission—a mission he needs all of us to help him with in one way or another. Much of the work of the Chancery and in the Curia may be unseen, but it’s still extremely crucial to the life of our diocese—our family—and the bishop and his team are grateful for your support. Grateful because it helps him (and us) serve you well as we work together to reach souls for Jesus.
