Bill Blaul
Special to The Michigan Catholic

Detroit -- When Catholics get involved in a parish ministry, it’s often because a pastor or fellow parishioner sparked a personal interest or recognized a professional ability. The resulting experience might be fulfilling, or perhaps not so much. Quality involvement as a parish or ministry volunteer can hinge on whether a person knows their spiritual gifts, which is the objective of an increasingly popular discernment program in Southeast Michigan.

Attended in Metro Detroit by groups from 12 to 250 parishioners, the Called and Gifted Discernment Process, offered through the Colorado-based Catherine of Siena Institute, helps Christians understand their charisms -- the special abilities given to them through the Holy Spirit.

Called and Gifted in the Detroit Archdiocese Parishes hosting previous workshops: St. Joseph the Worker, Lake Orion Holy Family, Memphis St. Augustine, Richmond Church of the Transfiguration, Southfield St. Edith, Livonia St. Clare of Assisi, Farmington St. Paul on the Lake, Grosse Pointe Farms St. Anastasia, Troy St. Daniel, Clarkston Our Lady of Good Counsel, Plymouth Parishes scheduled to participate: Our Lady of Good Counsel, Plymouth (January 2014) St. Fabian, Farmington Hills (February 2014) St. Regis, Bloomfield Hills (February 2014) St. Joseph the Worker, Lake Orion (Spring 2014) SS. Cyril and Methodius, Sterling Heights (TBD)

“Called and Gifted is an assessment of one’s charisms,” explained Chris Gawel, who leads Called and Gifted workshops for parishioners on behalf of the Detroit Archdiocese. “When the faithful learn their charisms and decide how the Holy Spirit is working through them, it can lead to profoundly improved experiences in their ministry involvement, their personal lives, and professional pursuits.”

Several parishes in Metro Detroit have sponsored Called and Gifted workshops for their parishioners and those of neighboring parishes. Word of mouth has resulted in increasing attendance and more parishes scheduling the programs in 2014.

Called and Gifted was pioneered in 2010 by parish leaders at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Lake Orion. “Some of our parish council members attended a talk on Called and Gifted, and they were so on fire about what they heard, we decided to try the program with 12 of our parish leaders,” recalled Mary Martin, stewardship and evangelization coordinator at St. Joseph. Since then, about 350 parishioners at St. Joseph have completed Called and Gifted, as well as the parish staff. Called and Gifted is now offered twice annually at the parish, in spring and fall sessions.
The preferred method for presenting a Called and Gifted workshop is a weekend model that starts on Friday night with an all-day gathering on Saturday. Some parishes divide the workshops into multiple, two-hour sessions. Participant fees vary from parish to parish, averaging about $40.

Called and Gifted identifies the charisms of participants through workshop presentations, exercises, and one-on-one interviews. “We then identify what ministries best suit their charism,” Gawel said. “For example, people who have a charism for teaching will be a good fit as a catechist or as an instructor in the parish Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program. Those with the charism of hospitality are great as parish greeters or ushers.

“If you have the charism of mercy, visiting the homebound or bringing the Eucharist to those in assisted care facilities works well.”

Participants in Called and Gifted workshops range in age from young adults to seniors. “Younger folks don’t have the benefit of life experience, but many are looking to find their place in the Church,” said Gawel. “When a young person understands their charism early on, that influences their involvement in the faith and the choices they make in life."

“It’s amazing when people understand how they have been personally presented with gifts meant to be provided to others and their ability to transform the world by bringing Christ to all,” Martin said. “We see people starting to pray more, listen more, and watch for the openings that God has created for them and their spiritual gifts. At St. Joseph, we really emphasize to Called and Gifted participants that when they discover their charisms and act upon them, to take their gifts into the world -- to their families, into their workplaces, everywhere. Part of our parish mission statement is ‘We are sent to transform the world’, which is what Called and Gifted is helping us achieve.”

Strengthening parish ministries by helping the faithful discover their charisms connects to this substantially larger task. “Called and Gifted helps parishes prepare for evangelization,” said Gawel. “When people minister according to their charisms, they tend to be happier, healthier and holier. Before parishes engage in focused evangelization, it’s a good idea to have the right people in the right places.”

Gawel, Martin and others involved in bringing Called and Gifted to Metro Detroit are meeting this week to make the program more visible and accessible.

Gawl can be contacted at (313) 237-4647 or [email protected]. For other Called and Gifted workshops, contact Mary Garlow at (313) 596-7333 or [email protected], or Fr. Sean Wenger, CC, co-director of the Catherine of Siena Institute, at (313) 531-0140 or [email protected].

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Charisms: Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Charism?
Charism is the Greek word used in the New Testament for “favor” or “gratuitous gift.” Charisms, or spiritual gifts, are special abilities given to all Christians by the Holy Spirit, providing them the power to represent Christ and to be a channel of God’s goodness. All charisms should be exercised in the service of God (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2003).

Who possesses charisms?
According to Catholic teaching, every baptized Christian possesses one or more charisms (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 951).

What’s the difference between the “Gifts of the Holy Spirit,” the “Fruits of the Holy Spirit,” and charisms?
The Holy Spirit provides some gifts to baptized Christians to keep and some to give away. The traditional seven “Gifts of the Holy Spirit” and the “Fruits of the Spirit” are to keep. They are part of the inner transformation of committed Christians and provide the inner “Christlikeness” necessary for the effective use of charisms (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1830–1832). Charisms, on the other hand, are provided to give away, and are one of the ways God continues to enter the world through individual assent and cooperation. Charisms, once discovered, always benefit other people.

How many charisms exist?
Three primary lists of gifts are in the New Testament (Romans 12; I Corinthians 12; and Ephesians 4). St. Thomas Aquinas lists 14 charisms in his Summa. The Catherine of Siena Institute’s Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory covers 24 of the most common charisms, including those in St. Paul’s letters and the writings of St. Thomas.

Source: Catherine of Siena Institute