Launched in February 2022, Twelve Wicker Baskets, the Steier Group’s podcast, broadly explores all the many ways God meets the spiritual and temporal needs of parishes, Catholic schools, dioceses and beyond.
The idea for the podcast arose when firm management began to reflect on 25 years of service and how to engage the depth and breadth of knowledge that has accumulated over many different capital campaigns for Catholic dioceses, churches, schools and organizations.
“We wanted to connect the work of the development professional and the pastoral leader with the deep roots of stewardship in the Catholic tradition, and it’s become so much more,” said Christopher Beaudet, President of Diocesan Services and host of Twelve Wicker Baskets. “The relationships forged, and inspiration drawn from these conversations has served many. It’s deeply humbling work.”
Themes of Stewardship
There are themes that have emerged over a year of podcasting on the topic of stewardship in the Church.
“Many of our guests are looking at the same Biblical references and are inspired; but the Spirit leads in so many ways,” Beaudet said.
The name of the program itself lends to reflection on Gospel-led stewardship.
“I like the name of this program,” said Bishop Peter Christensen of the Diocese of Boise. “Twelve Wicker Baskets, we all know that comes from the multiplication of the loaves where there seems to be not enough to feed 5,000-plus. … Jesus says, ‘Give them what you have.’ And five loaves and two fish becomes more than enough with leftovers, twelve wicker baskets full. … That’s the walk in faith that we all have to do when we talk about money. It’s often times the goal is not seen or the means to that goal is not known and yet somehow in faith we get there.”
Another poignant moment in the Gospel that has led to reflection on stewardship is the story of the widow’s mite. Considering the idea of deep stewardship, Quentin Schesnuik, Associate Director of Parish Vitality and Stewardship for the Archdiocese of Toronto considered this story.
“This leads back very much to the widow and the widow’s mite,” Schesnuik said. “For example, when she had made her donation, he kind of singled it out … what led her to make that gift wasn’t so much the change in her hands, and for her that was a large amount, but it was underlying the spirituality of deep stewardship. She was a steward at the end of the day. That called out a response.”
It’s through reflecting on these moments that Schesnuik brings a nuanced understanding of stewardship, “It points to a deeper spirituality.” There are further questions to consider like “How do we develop this spirituality in ourselves? How do we help our parish communities to develop this kind of spirituality?” The depth of stewardship in a Catholic setting becomes more than a program, but the basis for formation in the home and the parish.
Podcasting as Ministry
It was in episode nine that Renee Underwood, Chief Development Officer for the Catholic Diocese of Forth Worth Advancement Foundation, communicated the idea of fundraising and Twelve Wicker Baskets as a ministry.
“This work, working with people and guiding them into philanthropy and determining what their legacy will be is very much God-ordained,” Underwood said.
She added that she observed the same in the service of Twelve Wicker Baskets creating a platform, working as a facilitator for God’s direction in the work of fundraising, “It’s very much like my work in spiritual direction, that it is …
The idea of working for mission often pulls people towards working for the Church over other corporate ventures.
“There’s just something higher about working for something for the purpose of the Church,” Underwood said. “And the more you know about the Church and the good work that it makes possible in so many ways, I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
Twelve Wicker Baskets emboldens those with talent and acumen in the fundraising and development field to offer those talents in service to the Church.
Friendships Forged
“When I reflect on the ways that Twelve Wicker Baskets has been a vehicle for relationship, it’s astounding,” Beaudet said. “The podcast has afforded the opportunity to connect with so many pastoral leaders and development professionals in different areas of the Church. Guests have connected me with other guests. It’s been greatly edifying to continue to make connections with both guests and listeners of the podcast this way.”
