Dear Friends,
We are so blessed to have more elderly Marist Brothers than ever before living in our retirement homes. As I crisscross the country, visiting these men who are both my friends and mentors, I am grateful for their words of wisdom and the gift of their time.
They have lived long and compassionate lives, fully devoted to the Marist Brothers’ founding spirit of making Jesus Christ known and loved. They have forever put the welfare of others before their own – as they served in missions and taught in some of the most impoverished neighborhoods in the country.
This year, however, meeting our elderly Brothers’ essential daily requirements is proving to be an alarming challenge. Rising costs and increasing needs have made it impossible to balance the coming year’s budget.
Our 2017 budget is $73,412 short and there’s nothing left to cut. We urgently need your help to erase the looming deficit.
I turn to our extended Marist Brothers’ family and ask for your financial help. I pray that you will send whatever amount you can afford – so that our elderly and disabled Brothers never suffer due to lacking funds.
Of course, not a man among them would ever ask anything for themselves. So…I humbly ask in their honor.
Only with your help can I find the urgently needed $73,412 to balance our 2017 budget.
I assure you, every nickel you send will go toward supporting our elderly Brothers and allow them to continue living a dignified, safe, and modestly comfortable life. If you send your gift today, we will have the means to continue the care that these men so richly deserve.
Here’s another important point. Every gift matters! Some of our Marist Brothers’ friends send larger gifts, for which we are grateful. Some of our friends send what they can afford – and we are very thankful for these gifts, too. It’s like the coins tucked in with my letter. Two nickels multiply quickly when all our friends add as many “nickels” as possible! Likewise, when we put every gift into the 2017 budget account, the total grows. Eventually, it’s entirely possible that everything will neatly fit together and we’ll reach our $73,412 goal.
With our 2017 expenses cut to the bone, I truly have nowhere else to turn but to friends like you who have so generously supported us in the past. Can we count on your support once again? I pray we can!
When your gift arrives, every Marist Brother will want to thank God for your kindness – so please remember to write your prayer intentions on the enclosed response slip and send the slip back to me along with your gift. It will be such a joy to include your intentions in our prayers, for you and your loved ones in this new year.
Until then, know that you are in our hearts, and we send warm wishes for a glorious 2017! May God bless you and your loved ones in the coming year.
With sincerest gratitude,
Br. Hugh P. Turley, F.M.S.
Director of Development
