Fall 2008 - Good Shepherd Catholic Church

Peg Mastal
I
s it appropriate for leaders to be servants? When Robert K.
Greenleaf first introduced the notion of leaders as servants in
1977, it was a very radical idea. Organizations and
corporations were accustomed to having the leader at the top, and
certainly not to serve the employees. It was more likely that
everyone served the leader at the top. Why should leaders serve
others? The typical organizational model looked like Figure 1.
However, Greenleaf persisted and, with the support of
subsequent leadership experts over the years, changed the face of
leadership in business and academic organizations. Now Good
Shepherd is implementing the concepts and practices of Servant
Leadership in our parish where it will serve as an important tool
in our becoming the people and parish that God wants us to be.
Jesus is our model for Servant Leadership. First, He set the
vision – love God and then your neighbor. “The Son of Man did
not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28). He came to
serve his Father’s vision; he came as teacher, leader, and trainer
of people so that they may go and help others live according to
the vision. Servant leadership starts with the vision and ends with
a servant heart that helps people live by the vision (Blanchard K
& Hodges P, 2003).
What is a Servant Leader?
Servant leaders advocate teamwork and community, actively
seek to involve others in decision making, exhibit strongly based
ethical and caring behaviors, support the personal and
Fall 2008 • Issue No. 4
Good Shepherd Catholic Church
loving as Christ loves, serving as Christ serves
Servant Leadership:
Oxymoron or Journey into Greatness??
LEADER
professional growth of others, and strive to improve the caring
ability of the institution and the quality of its products and
services. They are experts at listening to others, accepting and
recognizing them for their special, unique spirits and talents
(Greenleaf, 1977). Further, servant leaders believe that people
have intrinsic value beyond their tangible contributions and
provide nurturing support so people grow and reach even greater
capabilities. Servant leaders live and model the values of Christ.
Our model, Jesus, lived His values of love of God and love of His
neighbor all the way to the cross.
In summary, servant leadership involves the following:
• Setting and living the vision
• Defining and modeling the operating values, structure, and
behavior norms
• Creating the follower environment as partners in the vision
• Moving to the bottom of the hierarchy with service in mind.
(Blanchard & Hodges 2003).
Servant leaders exist at all levels of ministries and programs
of Good Shepherd. Yet, these servant leaders are not at the top of
our parish organization – they work to serve other parishioners
and our community neighbors. In our parish organization the old
model is inverted. Our main leader, our pastor is a the very
bottom of the pyramid serving the Good Shepherd leadership
team - the Pastoral Team, Parish Staff, active volunteers, every
member of our parish. The leadership teams spread their service/s
to others, so that all may grow into being what God wants us to
be. (See Figure 2).
PARISHIONERS/NEIGHBORS
SERVANT LEADERS
MINOR LEADERS
Figure 2. Servant Leadership Model
SERVANT LEADER
EVERYONE ELSE
Figure 1. Traditional Model of Organizational Leadership
Figures courtesy of the Parish Pastoral Council
Blanchard K & Hodges P (2003). The Servant Leaders. Nashville TN:
Countrymen.

A
s I look back on my childhood, I
realize that Jesus started early
preparing me for serving others as
the core of my personhood and priesthood.
Even as far back as the fifth grade, I recall
others phoning me to talk about something
that was on their mind. I also remember my
parents asking, “What was that all about?”
I’d tell them that all my friend wanted to do
was talk and have someone listen to him or
her. I just enjoyed helping others any way I
could, but I’ll bet Mom and Dad shook their heads in private.
As I grew into a relationship with Jesus as a young adult
and began to discern my priestly vocation, I learned to integrate
my natural willingness to help with Jesus’ mission to serve
others. He served people in so many ways – educated and
coached his disciples in the tenets of Christianity, cured
diseases, raised the old and young from the dead and opened the
door to heaven for all generations.
While I don’t have Christ’s abilities, as pastor of Good
Shepherd and as a person on the journey with you back to
heaven, I love serving all who I encounter, including Bishop
Loverde, the parish staff, the parishioners and people in the
Washing Feet for Jesus
community. It is a joy and pleasure for me to
be open to the people God sends to me,
aware of my own gifts and limitations, but
more aware of other’s needs and, perhaps,
ways that I can support them. Whether I’m
administering the sacraments, giving a
homily, having a meeting with staff or
committees, counseling those who are
engaged to be married, mourning with those
who have lost loved ones, it is a joy for me
to act with and for people. The task doesn’t
matter to me; whatever I do I think of in terms of “washing feet
for Jesus.” He is the ultimate role model for service for us all.
There is a universal appeal in serving others, regardless of
our position or what we do. Serving others gets me out of
myself and builds bridges with others. Being a servant leader
means serving others – for me I know joy and pleasure and
realize an added sense of purpose to life. Can we count on you
to be a servant leader as well?
The Shepherd’s Watch
Publisher:
Editor:
Editorial Staff:
Translators:
Design/Layout:
E-mail:
Rev. Charles C. McCoart, Jr.
Peg Mastal
Mary Ciske, Alice Outerbridge,
Joan Peterschmidt, Rosalie Targonski
Ana Pilato, Jennifer Miller, Clara Campos,
Rosie Driscoll, Mauricio Hernandez,
Maria Isabel Diaz Restrepo, Essy O’Connor,
Sarah Grubb
Sue De Angel
newsletter@gs-cc.org
GOOD SHEPHERD CATHOLIC CHURCH
8710 Mount Vernon Highway • Alexandria, VA 22309
Telephone: (703) 780-4055 • Fax: (703) 360-5385
E-mail: office@gs-cc.org • Internet: www.gs-cc.org
In Memoriam
This issue is dedicated to Good Shepherd’s
servant leaders who have passed on. Their
selfless dedication to Good Shepherd’s
mission of loving as Christ loves and
serving as Christ serves lives on in our
collective parish memory and is a constant
inspiration to each of us. May we remember
them and their families in our prayers.
2 The Shepherd’s Watch

Christ House Reflection
Jessica Dixon
A
s I rode in the back seat of that
suburban, I had no idea what to
expect. Here I was, a senior in
high school, and it was my first time ever
going to Christ House. For one reason or
another, I never seemed to have the time
to make it there, but finally here was my
chance to experience it. It only took that
first visit to make me realize so much.
I have some peers in youth ministry who are veterans at
Christ House. Every first Thursday of the month they are there.
My friends would often come back telling me how great it is to
simply serve hot-dogs (of all things) to people. I remember
sitting there thinking, sarcastically, “Wow, that sounds great.”
Could serving hot-dogs to people I didn’t know really be that
awesome?
These past few years have been a process of me delving
into the idea of what it means to be human. I know deep within
me there is something that we all share no matter what
conditions we come from. For me, going to Christ House played
a large role in unveiling the answer.
I remember, vividly, the feeling of awkwardness I had
before I stepped into the door of Christ House. Could I, a
privileged, middle-class girl, really relate to people who have
been through so much? I didn’t want to appear distant, but I
didn’t want to come across as condescending. I was nervous
and I’m sure my face gave that away. And yet, it’s amazing
how everything can change so quickly.
The first dinner group came in. We stepped out of the
kitchen to introduce ourselves and, then, the moment that
relieved me of all awkwardness, of all fears. One of the people
who were there for dinner led us in prayer. Ah! I wish I could
express in words the presence that was there. There, in that
moment, I felt the unifying, healing power of the Spirit. It is
that we all share—the presence of Christ.
I returned to the kitchen with a smile on my face. Here I
was, having the opportunity to serve Christ within my brothers
and sisters. I realized that all the car-ride there I was worried
about the things that made us different rather than rejoicing in
the one, overwhelming similarity—God’s love within us. There
is no poverty, no sin, and no grime that cover up that fact.
The evening progressed as people came up to get their
food. I handed plates to everyone as I smiled warmly. The men
and women received their plates with gleaming eyes. One
person in particular, I remember, sealed the deal for me;
something about him really confirmed in my heart the presence
of Christ within us all. He stepped up to the counter and I
remember feeling an almost feeling of shock. There, in front of
me, was Jesus. I cannot describe it anymore than a feeling of
simply knowing—knowing it was Him. I was utterly amazed.
Here I was, going to a place to help people when it was I who
received the ultimate help. They revealed to me, in a mysterious
way, the presence of Christ within us all. From Christ House I
came home with a reassurance that we are all one; we are
unified in Christ.
Throughout the evening I mingled with different people. If
there was an empty seat, I was there. I felt such joy in a way I
don’t often feel. Christ House is definitely an experience I
recommend for all. Service, I’ve slowly learned, is more than
simply aiding people; it is about compassion and growing in
solidarity with those around us. I see my few hours at Christ
House as a time in which I was able to truly become one with
people I’d never met through the understanding that the same
God is within us. I went to give out a few hot-dogs and came
back with a greater understanding of what it means to be
human—we are all bursting with Christ’s love within us.
E M E R G E N C Y T E L E P H O N E N U M B E R S
These are more effective than 911. Call when . . .
Your bank account is empty, phone .................................................................................................... Psalm 37
You lose faith in mankind, phone ............................................................................................... Corinthians 13
It looks like people are unfriendly, phone .............................................................................................. John 15
You are losing hope, phone ................................................................................................................ Psalm 126
It feels as if the world is bigger than God, phone ............................................................................... Psalm 90
You are seeking peace, phone ............................................................................................... Matthew 11:25-30
You need Christ like insurance, phone ...................................................................................... Romans 8:1-30
You require courage for a task, phone ................................................................................................. Joshua 1
You are depressed, phone .................................................................................................................... Psalm 27
ALL OF THESE NUMBERS MAY BE PHONED DIRECTLY • NO OPERATOR ASSISTANCE IS NECESSARY
ALL LINES TO HEAVEN ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY
Fall 2008 • Issue No. 4 3

Servant Leadership...
G
ood Shepherd parish is blessed with parishioners
who have outstanding characteristics and are
willing to share them without fanfare. Examples
of Good Shepherd’s exceptional servant leaders were
acknowledged at the Volunteer Dinner in May.
Rita Dorn – Special Volunteer Presentation
We read in Scripture that whatever we do for another we
do for Jesus. Rita Dorn clearly epitomizes our vision of
loving as Christ loves, serving as Christ serves. Since the
early years of Good Shepherd, she has made the parish a
significant part of her life. In fact, she has been quoted as
saying she feels “that I was blessed to be in this area so I
could be part of this parish.” She has been a catechist, a
Eucharistic Minister, an active part of Circle of Caring, a
member of various reception committees, and a teacher for
sacramental preparation of children, youth, and adults.
Just as she served in many public ministries, she also
served in many other loving and serving capacities behind
the scenes. If parishioners or community members needed
a meal, transportation, or a place to lay their heads, she
responded in her natural caring way. We never heard
about it from her, but we did hear frequently from those
very grateful people.
Rita has two outstanding characteristics – humility
and humor. She is humble in a way that is a role model
for all of us. She says, “It is just what you do” and then
smiles, reflecting her deep faith and wonderful sense of
peace. She uses her great sense of humor to welcome and
engage others. She is very well read, is an Education for
Parish Service (EPS) graduate, participates in many small
faith-sharing communities, and knows where everything
is on our property!
David Timmons – The Haley Award
Dave Timmons, winner of the Peg and Rich Haley
Award, values most the multiple opportunities Good
Shepherd presents to be a volunteer. “There are so many
ways and ministries where we can serve others.”
Dave began volunteering at Good Shepherd shortly
after joining the parish in 1981. He is an Extraordinary
Minister of Holy Communion, makes Census visits to
INOVA Mt. Vernon Hospital, and leads Communion
Services at Good Shepherd and local assisted-living
facilities. Dave has also taught religious education classes,
coached Youth Group sports, and served on the Pastoral
Council. With his wife Sharon, he helped couples prepare
for marriage in the Sponsor Couple program.
Dave sees our parish vision as a real part of life.
“Love is an action word. Jesus’ words and actions send a
clear message – love
God, love Him, and
love your neighbor.
If we really follow
Jesus’ message, we
s h o u l d f e e l
compelled to serve
o t h e r s u s i n g
whatever our talent
or expertise may be.
We can serve as an
i n d i v i d u a l o r
collectively in a
group of our choice.”
Serving others
b r i n g s u n t o l d
c ha llenges and
Dave Timmons offers the blood of
Christ to a parishioner.
growth, stretching
and rewarding each
of us spiritually,
m e n t a l l y ,
emotionally, and religiously. “I truly receive more from
serving others than what I put into it. The spiritual
satisfaction and spiritual growth from my volunteer
experiences have been awesome. Truly, it is in giving that
we receive.”
Marietta and Juan Carlos Fonseca –
Hispanic Volunteers of the Year
Marietta and Juan Carol Fonseca state that, to them, the
most meaningful aspect of service at Good Shepherd is
knowing that parishioners from different cultures all have
the same end in mind and are working together to form
one community of faith. Marietta notes that at Good
Shepherd she feels “like the prodigal son who has
returned to his father’s house and is able Sunday to
Sunday to celebrate with the Lord and with my family in
Christ.” Juan Carlos finds that “the most meaningful
aspect of serving is to know that I am giving my little
grain of sand to build the Kingdom of God, with the
talents that the same God has given to me.”
Volunteer activities. The Fonsecas have served in
many activities and programs, among them are Marriage
Preparation and Enhancement, Marriage Encounter,
Lector Ministry, Youth Ministry, and Young Adult
Ministry. They also have led the effort to offer Las
Posadas annually during Advent; been the force behind
our beautiful Altar, or Monument, for Holy Thursday and
the all night adoration; and led the Meditative Stations of
4 The Shepherd’s Watch

The Fonsecas prepare to lector at the Sunday Hispanic mass
the Cross after the Good Friday service. Every year, they
help with the Corpus Christi Procession and the Hispanic
Booth at the International Festival. As leaders in many
areas of Hispanic Ministry, they are also active members
of Anawin, the Hispanic leadership council.
Outcomes. Marietta and Juan Carlos are an example
to all in the parish for their commitment to living their
faith—as a couple, as parents, and as members of the
community of Good Shepherd. They are true servant
leaders as the model our parish vision: "Loving as Christ
loves and serving as Christ serves." When we think about
“loving like Christ loves and serving like Christ serves,”
say Juan Carlos and Marietta, “we should be able to
tolerate those things we don’t agree with and to cultivate
patience and love for people who are different from us.”
Marietta feels well treated at Good Shepherd and feels
a great love for the parish. She appreciates everyone who
has reached across language and cultural differences to
welcome and help the family. She is happy to serve where
she can. Juan Carlos feels that his family was called to
serve since coming to this parish eight years ago. He and
his family have served with much love and fondness the
parish and country that have welcomed them.
Cesar Argueta – Hispanic Youth Award
Cesar Argueta, recipient of the Hispanic Youth Award,
notes that interacting with the altar servers has been the
most meaningful aspect of his service at Good Shepherd.
He particularly enjoys answering the servers’ many
questions about what needs to be done for Mass and
helping them through their nervousness when they are not
sure what to do on the altar. He relishes the great
... in Action!
experience of seeing them grow in their duty of assisting
Padre Juan. Leading the altar servers for our Spanish
liturgy has allowed Cesar to grow in leadership and
service.
Cesar has also served our parish through the youth
leadership school Escuela Juvenil de Liderazgo. Escuela
Juvenil de Liderazgo embraces the Vision and Mission of
the church, giving the group the opportunity to enhance its
love for all men and women. As a member of the group,
Cesar has learned to do everything for the "greatest glory of
God" and has learned to serve those in need, do justice,
stand for dignity, and promote peace. Cesar’s experience as
a member of the Escuela Juvenil de Liderazgo, has helped
him “to grow spiritually, seeking to become closer to God.”
Kelly Batchelder – Youth Award
Kelly Batchelder, the Youth Award recipient, serves
Good Shepherd in many ways, including through
programs such as Work Camp, Sharing Sunday, the
collection of baby supplies for new mothers, and the
collection and wrapping of Christmas gifts for needy
children. Seeing the happiness of those receiving service
makes her service worth all of the time and effort she puts
into it. Kelly tries to show to others the same compassion
Jesus showed and hopes to have inspired others to serve as
she does.
Kelly reports that her service opportunities have
helped her grow spiritually because she can always see
the way God would have wanted others to be treated. “He
also let me see how he put the less fortunate on earth so
that she can serve them just as Jesus and the apostles did,”
Kelly says.
Kelly is grateful to belong to such a loving and kind
parish. She will miss volunteering at the International
Festival, Christmas Bazaar, and many other events at
Good Shepherd while she is away at college, but she
promises to help where needed when she returns for the
summer.
Kelly Batchelder sorts food in the kitchen at Work Camp
Fall 2008 • Issue No. 4 5

Share
Your Story
How does your family
celebrate Christmas?
We’re so fortunate to have such a
wonderfully diverse parish. Share your
story (and photos, too!) with the
parish.
Send them to Peg Mastal, at
pegmastal@verizon.net or contact her
at 703.360.3302. She’ll arrange to
have them posted on Good Shepherd’s
Web site. Selected contributions will
also appear in our Shepherd’s Watch
Christmas newsletter.
Recommended Websites
Our own website, www.gs-cc.org, has much information
about our parish and also links to other websites you may
find interesting. Here are more websites that some of our
Pastoral Team members recommend.
Cynthia Drury, Director of Adult Faith Formation:
http://www.sacredspace.ie/ — “Sacred Space.” Pray
daily at your computer! Provides 10-minute prayers for
each day of the week, in many languages including
English and Spanish. Produced by the Jesuit
Communication Centre, Dublin, Ireland.
http://www.bustedhalo.com/ — “An online magazine
for spiritual seekers in their 20s and 30s.” Loaded with all
kinds of articles and other features. Produced by Busted
Halo Ministries, an outreach of the Paulist Fathers.
Patrick Drury, Director of Youth Ministry:
http://www.arlingtoncatholicyouth.org/ — Office of
Youth Ministry, Diocese of Arlington. Highlights its events
and activities throughout the diocese. Also has links to
many other youth-related websites.
http://www.homestarrunner.com/ — An incredibly fun
website full of humorous videos, games, and endless
ways to kill time.
Miguel De Angel, Assistant Director of Youth Ministry:
http://www.arlingtondiocese.org/spanishapos/
spanish_apostolate.php — Web site of the Spanish
Apostolate of the Diocese of Arlington. Find out more
about Diocesan-wide activities for Spanish-speaking
Catholics.
Marilyn Krause, Director of Child and Family Faith
Formation:
http://www.homefaith.com/ — “Nurturing the
spirituality of Catholic Families.” Articles, interviews, and
more. Offers a free Weekly Wisdom e-mail with “wise and
witty support for parents.” Links to other publications,
including ¡OLE!, a free faith and discernment magazine for
young Hispanic Catholics. Published by the Claretians.
Katie Norberg:
http://salt.claretianpubs.org/cstline/tline.html (and be
sure to click on the link to Part II at the bottom of the first
page) — “The Busy Christian’s Guide to Catholic Social
Teaching.” Summarizes a number of major papal and
bishops’ documents from 1891 to the present, all of
which are remarkably relevant to today’s world. By the
Claretians, sponsored by U.S. Catholic Magazine.
6 The Shepherd’s Watch

Servant Leadership:
Blowing Away Barriers to Diversity
Peg Mastal
“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to
speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to
proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under
heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a
large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard
them speaking in his own language.”
(Acts of the Apostles 2: 4-6)
I
t amazes me how quickly God moved to bring different
cultures and peoples together that first Pentecost – people
from every race and nation were surprised when they
realized they could all understand the apostles’ preaching about
God’s unconditional love. Salvation was proclaimed without
any religious/cultural restrictions designed to maintain the
distances between insiders and outsiders. The splendor of Jesus’
message moved their hearts and thousands are baptized that
very day.
American models of diversity
Over the course of United States history we have dealt with
cultural and linguistic diversity in a few different ways. The
early waves of Catholics generally had priests and religious
who were with them and quickly set up parishes and schools
that gave them a sense of security in an often hostile world.
This created a church model for dealing with diversity through
dealing with parallel communities – all Catholic but also
German, Polish, Irish, etc.
However, as the descendents of the original European
Catholics entered mainstream America, the acceptance of the
church as “American” emerged. This was the assimilation
model that had a mixed impact. Descendants born in America
had a dislike and intolerance toward newly arrived immigrants
and towards those who were enslaved in America. However,
some cultures did not want to be assimilated and those that did
lost the richness of their ancestral cultural identities.
The social movements of the 1960s and 1970s and Vatican
II helped fashion a new model in the Church – the multicultural
model. Unlike the isolationism or assimilation associated with
previous models, multiculturalism welcomed cultural diversity
as a gift to be celebrated, not a problem to be solved.
Unfortunately, this model too had its shortcomings. First, it
focused on the externals of culture in order to classify and
minister to the various groups, but hadn’t recognized everyone
has a culture, even the majority group identified as white or
European-American. Second, the model did not foster cultural
groups working together, actually seemed to foster competition
and conflict as they competed for limited space and parish
resources. Third, it infrequently addressed the negative
dimensions of culture and how they influenced the perceptions
of power, stereotypes, mindsets and prejudices we carry in our
hearts. Finally, the multicultural model has ignored the systems
that institutionalize power to the advantage of some groups and
the disadvantage of others.
Multiculturalism
Bringing unity to our diversity will require special talents.
Parish leaders need the skills to help guide their communities
through the long-term, difficult process of transformative
integration. Bringing distinct cultural groups together to form
one community needs leaders who are equipped with crosscultural
skills - encouraging intercultural communication and
resolving conflict. They need to be peacemakers and bridge
builders who can lead the community through forgiveness,
reconciliation and systemic change. Parish leaders need to be
steeped in a spirituality that is disciplined and centered in the
gospel.
The transformative integration of the first Pentecost, seen
in the Acts of the Apostles, calls for an ongoing commitment to
conversion and healing as we build a Christ-centered
multicultural community. It will require time, patience and a
deep trust that the Holy Spirit will remain with us forever and
will fulfill Jesus’ Eucharistic prayer, “that they may be one.”
Most of the thoughts in this article were extracted from:
Chavez, A. (2008). Diversity Barriers Blown Away. Church
Magazine,24 (2): 8-10.)
Fall 2008 • Issue No. 4 7

Charting Our Future —
The Parish Pastoral Plan
Kathy McLean
T
he Parish Pastoral Plan is nearing completion
and will be published in October. Over the
last year, many Good Shepherd parishioners
have invested their time and passion to create a
foundation for the Pastoral Plan. The plan is
designed to move Good Shepherd in a deliberate
fashion toward the fulfillment of our vision and
mission.
The parish began the Charting Our Future
Initiative by hosting a series of seven conversations,
conducted in English and Spanish, from June-
October 2007. More than 500 parishioners attended
those conversations and shared their ideas, hopes and
dreams for Good Shepherd’s future. Next, six teams
were formed, comprised of more than 100 Englishand
Spanish-speaking parishioners. From November
to January, these teams sorted and shifted through
2000+ ideas to discern common themes. These ideas,
hopes, and dreams gradually took shape and
provided the foundation for the parish plan in the
form of six strategic outcomes:
• Build a welcoming, interconnected, fully aware
and engaged Catholic community with Christ at
our center
• Encourage full, conscious and active participation
of all parishioners
• Inspire a Life-Long Faith Journey
• Establish effective, lay-centered ministries
through servant leadership
• Invest in an Attractive, Functional Facility
• Broaden opportunities for Catholic education
Since January, a dedicated team of parishioners
has been working with the Parish Pastoral Council to
write goals, objectives, and action items for each
strategic outcome. On June 16 th, 2008, a draft
pastoral plan was presented to the parish. Over the
summer, the PPC has continued to receive
parishioner feedback and worked to finalize the plan.
The Parish Pastoral Council extends a huge thank
you to the hundreds of people who have contributed
to the development of the plan to date.
There will be a parish update on September 22 at 7pm in
Creedon Hall.
8 The Shepherd’s Watch