Connecticut Donor Finds Peace of Mind Knowing Others Will Benefit From Bequest
Although Patricia Berberich doesn’t remember how she first became aware of Glenmary’s home mission work and interested in financially supporting it, she does know why she has continued as a donor since 1999: Because it’s a Catholic organization working here at home.
“So many times we tend to think about supporting Catholic organizations working overseas,” she says. “While it’s important to support that type of missionary work, it’s also important to remember those in need here at home.”
Patricia, a retired librarian for the Hartford Public Library, lives in Simsbury, Conn., and contributes to many charitable organizations. She has remembered four of those in her will, including Glenmary. In addition, she has given a gift of stock to Glenmary in the past and makes yearly donations.
“I would encourage everyone, even if you think you are too young, to make out a will,” she says. “It’s such a simple procedure and easy to do. And, it gives you peace of mind to know things are in order—because we never know what the future holds.”
She finds that peace of mind in knowing that others will benefit from a bequest after she is gone and that she has been able to share the many blessings she’s received in her life with others.
“It’s important to support the work of nonprofits, like Glenmary, because it’s usually the nonprofit organizations—especially the faith-based ones—who are reaching out to those neglected by society,” she says.
“Those organizations are there to serve a need that may not be able to be served in any other way.”
Among the blessings in her life that she talks about are the members of her family: her siblings, nieces, nephews and great-nieces and -nephews. “We’re quite close,” she says. She’s also quite close to her parish family. A member of St. Mary Church for several decades, she has been a member of the parish choir since 1947.
“We really aren’t given our talent and treasure to hoard, given that we can use them while we’re here,” she says. “We’re called to share them with the wider community, and I am hopeful that how we handle our blessings and resources in this life will be part of our reward in the next.”
Glenmary, she says, reaches out to those who, in all likelihood, would be left behind or ignored by society. “We need, as Christians, to do outreach and think of others as we are blessed with so much.”
And, she adds, one doesn’t need to be financially wealthy to do outreach. It can be done by sharing time or talent or treasure or any combination thereof.
“I certainly hope to continue my association with Glenmary for many years to come,” she says. “I so much enjoy learning about all the work Glenmary does—and feeling like, in some small way, I am a part of that work.”
