Marian Helper Winter 2012-2013

M ary was born on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, so it’s not surprising that her par- ents named her Mary. Since she was born early, Mary has always taken it as a sign that Our Blessed Mother was claiming her as her spiritual daughter. As Mary grew up, her grandmother nurtured her faith. “I can still pic- ture my grandmother on her knees in front of an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” Mary says. “When I was a little girl, she gave me an image of the Holy Family, and I hung it over my bed. I knew that they would always be there for me.” When Mary got her first job in 1971, she decided that she would give a portion of her income to charity. Her mother suggested that she become a Marian Helper and support the Marians of the Immaculate Conception. Mary says, “Of course, I thought this was perfect.” In addition to sending offerings and inten- tions to be remembered in the novenas of Masses at the Shrine of The Divine Mercy, Mary followed the example of her grandmother and purchased images of the Sacred Heart from the Marian Helpers Center to give to friends and loved ones. “At that time, the Marian Fathers were not promoting The Divine Mercy message and devo- tion. [This was before the ban was lifted in 1978.] The Sacred Heart devotion prepared me for devotion to The Divine Mercy,” she says. “I still order holy cards, pictures, and books to give to friends and my teenage niece and nephews. We all need to be encouraged in our faith.” A number of years ago, Mary read an arti- cle about a woman who collects religious materials to send to prisons. She contacted the woman and discovered that she lived only five miles from her. With her encouragement and help, Mary started her own ministry of sending Divine Mercy materials to prisons. She includes her old issues of Marian Helper magazine. Reflecting on more than 40 years as a Marian Helper, Mary says, “The Marians are a spiritual rock that supports the foundation of my faith. Life is full of challenges. I find inspi- ration in Marian Helper magazine. I remember when the community celebrated the 300th anniversary of its founding in 1673. The magazine had a picture of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the cover. It was a beautiful image that I had never seen before. I framed it, and it still hangs over my desk.” I first spoke to Mary when she was prepar- ing her last will and testament and wanted to find out how to arrange a bequest to the Marian Fathers. She said, “I have been sup- porting the Marians since I was in my 20s. So many people today are hurting. The Marians are getting out the message of God’s love and mercy. People need to hear this message.” To get ready for her meeting with her attorney, she was preparing a list of the people and charities that she wanted to include in her plans. She called me to get the Marians’ proper name and address: Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M., Eden Hill, Stockbridge, MA 01262. If you have ques- tions regarding your will or want to make a gift to help the Marian Fathers, please feel free to contact me. He l pe r s Outstanding by Ellen Miller ‘The Marians are a spiritual rock … of my faith’ Ellen Miller is Fr. Joseph’s Director for Special Gifts. You can contact her at: Association of Marian Helpers, Stockbridge, MA 01263, or call her toll free at 1-800-671-2020. E-mail : [email protected]. Shown with her husband, Bob, Mary said, “I have been supporting the Marians since I was in my 20s. So many people today are hurting. The Marians are getting out the message of God’s love and mercy.” C OURTESY OF M ARY M ARIAN H ELPER • W INTER 2012-13 • www.marian.org 29 Back to Index