The Spirituality of Giving: “It just works out.”

By Carissa Krautscheid 
 
Nancy Campman Crofts is much like the average Catholic you’d see at Mass on Sunday, but in many ways, she is unique. After some time away, Nancy returned to the Catholic Church five years ago. Originally from Southern California, Nancy moved to Tucson in 2019 and is now an active parishioner at St. Rita in the Desert Parish in Vail, Arizona. 
 
“St. Rita’s is the most welcoming parish I’ve been in,” said Nancy. “It has a very small parish feeling, even though it's not small. Now that I’m involved, people are so welcoming, nice, and supportive. It has such a giving atmosphere.” 
 
Nancy is a passionate believer in giving of her time, talent, and treasure to support her local parish and the Diocese. She volunteers on several parish committees and sings at multiple Masses. “By sharing my time and talent,” she said, “I can contribute to the greater good and be part of something bigger than just myself. I believe in holistic giving of my time, talent, and treasure.” 
 
When it comes to giving of her treasure, Nancy shares that she doesn’t make that much money. Many Catholics in her situation might be concerned about making ends meet. But Nancy chooses to entrust everything to God – not just the easy parts of life. “If I believe that everything comes from the Lord – and that includes my salary – then it’s my job to give back to the Church,” she said. 
 
“It comes down to faith,” said Nancy. “Since I don’t believe in coincidences, it’s my job to practice faith. Even when it seems like the budget is not going to work out on paper, somehow it just works out: the reimbursement check shows up earlier than expected; I find $20 in a pocket that I forgot I left there. Too many ironic things have happened, so I choose to attribute these to faith. It just works out. I believe that when I practice that faith, the Lord blesses me because he has concern for me in my everyday life, even in financial matters. Some people think God doesn’t care about finances, but he does. It’s the little things that always work out – with just a little bit of faith.” 

"God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work." - 2 Corinthians 9:6-10 

Nancy is very particular about where she gives. Even at St. Rita’s, she designates her contributions to specific parish efforts. In addition, Nancy is a regular supporter of the Catholic Foundation and their Annual Catholic Appeal. “There is work that is done at the Diocesan level that isn’t done at the parish level,” explained Nancy. “Since I count myself as a member of the Catholic Church, then it’s my job to support our activities whether it’s at the Diocesan or parish level. By supporting the Catholic Foundation, I’m sure that I’m supporting Diocesan efforts.” 
 
The Catholic Foundation supports causes that are near and dear to Nancy’s heart: funding for Seminarians and their education as well as supporting the marginalized or homeless, battered women, and local parishes in need of supplemental resources.  
 
Giving to the Catholic Foundation connects Nancy and her parish with the rest of the Diocese, just like attending the Foundation’s annual Cornerstone Gala. Last year, Nancy was in awe, surrounded by 500 local Catholics from all across the Diocese, including both Bishop Weisenburger and Bishop Kicanas. “There was a spirit in the room because everyone was working towards the common good. It was a real honor to be there. Never in my life have I experienced something like that.” 
 
Giving to the Catholic Foundation is also easy for Nancy logistically. “I don’t have to research every organization on my own to make sure they’re true to Catholic values,” she said. “Because the Catholic Foundation supports them, it validates those organizations for me. I don’t have to jump through hoops to set up payments to several different organizations. It just goes.” 
 
This Spirituality of Giving is not new. In fact, it comes up time and again in Scripture. The Lord knows our financial needs and he asks us to trust him with everything – including our finances. 

“Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” - Luke 12:48 

Nancy says it is her responsibility to give and she encourages other “normal Catholics” like herself to try giving to the Catholic Foundation and their parish, then see what blessings come from that. 
 
“I wish I started sooner!” said Nancy. “There have been so many blessings that come from supporting the Church. In my experience, those are the types of blessings I wouldn’t want to leave on the table. Sometimes it’s easier to donate money than time. If that’s the only thing another Catholic can do is give a little bit of their resources, I would encourage them to do so. Their life will certainly be enriched from this practice.” 

Catholic Foundation