Sixty-two participants representing 29 parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston recently took part in a stewardship workshop at St. Julia parish center in Weston. The workshop, which was sponsored by the Parish Stewardship Office of the Catholic Foundation sought to bring 11 new stewardship parishes together with those 18 offering stewardship projects to their parishioners during the past several years.

Stewardship is based on Jesus’ request “to give back to the Lord a portion of the time, talent and treasure He has given to you.” The archdiocesan Parish Stewardship Office is headed up by Ken Chisholm, director of parish stewardship, and provides visits, print materials, technical assistance and guidance to those parishes seeking to establish or maintain stewardship projects. The office is supported, in part, by donations made to the annual Catholic Appeal.

Bishop John P. Boles opened the four-hour workshop with a prayer and welcoming remarks. He then discussed the “Spirituality of Stewardship” and was joined by speakers Father Paul O’Brien, pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Lawrence, Father Thomas F. Wyndham, pastor of St. Jerome Parish in Weymouth, Father Nicholas C. Ciccone, pastor of St. Margaret Parish in Dorchester, and Father John MacInnis, pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Peabody. Lay leaders joining the panel discussions were Maureen Conway of Sacred Heart Parish in Quincy and Sue McCormack of St. Cecilia Parish in Ashland.

Ann P. Lally, director of the archdiocesan Office of Volunteer Resources, led a discussion on “Inviting and Accompanying Volunteers in Ministry.”

According to Chisholm, participants from long-time and new stewardship parishes alike benefited from attending the session. “Our 11 new stewardship parishes learned details of the archdiocesan stewardship plan, while the participants from our 18 long-time established stewardship parishes sought to re-energize their activities with an exchange of ideas.”

For more information on creating a stewardship project in your parish, call Ken Chisholm, at the Parish Stewardship Office, at 617-746-5623.