Stewardship in the service of uniting communities

ATCO — John O’Donnell’s philosophy on stewardship isn’t very complicated. He simply believes that to whom much is given, much should be expected in return.

“People who share our faith, who survive on volunteerism, look fondly on stewardship,” he said. “At this stage of my life I’m able to give more in treasures as compared to time and talents just a few years ago.”

John was a core team member of the committee that studied the merger of Assumption Parish here with St. Anthony of Waterford and Blessed John XXIII (Sacred Heart and St. Lucy churches). The new parish, Christ the Redeemer, will have Masses celebrated in the former Assumption Church.

John would seem to be a good choice to be a member of the core committee. Assumption has always been his parish and his family’s, he said, and he attended and graduated from Assumption School.

“We had our diocese review,” John said, “and Christ the Redeemer was established.”

Father Thomas Barcellona, who was pastor of Assumption, is now pastor of Christ the Redeemer Parish. The name of the school will remain Assumption, he said.

Sacred Heart Church originally merged with St. Lucy’s awhile ago to form Blessed John XXIII, but this name will no longer be used, said John. The original merger plan called for Assumption, Blessed John XXIII, and St. Anthony to merge, with Assumption being the serving parish, he noted.

“Sacred Heart, which has an old cemetery, will be kept as a worship site,” John explained. “The core team, with three members from each parish, suggested that St. Anthony also be kept as a worship site.”

John, 38, and his wife of 15 years, Colene, have been active in both Assumption Parish and the school.

“I’m on the school board now,” John said, “and my wife had been a member and now volunteers to help with the playground. Colene is also coordinator for the House of Charity.”

“He’s a great guy,” said Father Barcellona. “I met him about nine years ago when I was an associate pastor at Assumption for a year. He has lots of faith and he’s a mover and shaker in the community and is extremely pro-church and pro-Catholic school.”

He seemed almost a natural to sit on the core committee. Five years ago John was approached to be a member of the committee and, as a young family man, he felt it would be exciting and accepted.

“I was a member of the deanery committee which was the first process for the core committee,” John explained. “The deanery committee had representatives from Blessed John, Assumption, and St. Anthony.” He was on that committee for about two years.

John credits Father Piotr (Peter) Szamocki, the administrator for St. Anthony, “for his great leadership in providing the initial guidance for the core committee,” adding that Father Szamocki “led us through the merger manual, a process that had to be followed.”

Father Szamocki was transferred to another parish, John pointed out, and Father Barcellona came to Assumption in March as the committee’s convener and administrator of St. Anthony “and did a great job in completing the process started by Father Pete.”

John also gives credit to Terry Budniack, director of Religious Education, for a smooth transition of combining all three parish religious education classes,

“Last year we merged the classes under Terry’s direction,” John said. “The merger of the 550 kids in the program went flawlessly. The classes are being held at Assumption.”

John and Colene have 8-year-old twin girls, Kylie and Kristen, and Sara, who’s 3. The twins are in Assumption and, in the second grade, had Miss Louise Tousant as their teacher…the same second-grade teacher their father had.

And Sara, said John, has turned out to be everyone’s favorite redhead.

“My mother Mary, who was from the old country, wanted all her kids to have red hair,” John said. “Unfortunately none of us did. But 17 years after she passed on, Sara was born with red hair.”

“John’s family is full of faith and love,” said Father Barcellona; “Mom, Dad, the children. John is the embodiment of stewardship. He uses his time, talent, and treasure in many, many ways. We’ll be having big fund-raisers for the school and parish and John and Colene will be at the center of the excitement.”