What do a former seminarian and a postulant to the life of a religious sister have in common? 48 years of marriage! Bill and Mary Tarnow of Lombard, Illinois, have deep roots in their Catholic faith. Bill was a student at St. Vincent Seminary in Lemont, Illinois, and Mary was discerning a vocation with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Together they followed the vocation of married life, and they remain enthusiastic supporters of the religious life. God has blessed their marriage with four children and eleven grandchildren.
“We have a special commitment to supporting the educational mission and seminary work of the Vincentians,” said Bill. “The Vincentians have had such a lasting impact on my life.”
Mary and Bill are regular contributors of their time and treasure. They find a special grace in participating with the Vincentians, who are quietly serving the poor, making a bond with the less fortunate among us around the world.
“We would like to tell others that by being part of the Vincentian mission, you can accomplish much more than on your own,” Mary added. “It is something we both learned
in our early lives, influenced by religious communities.”
“We admire the Vincentians’ quiet humility and gentleness.”
The couple are among the many contributors to our mission in Kenya, East Africa. The funding of the basic needs of life – food, clothing, water and medicine – is something we take for granted every day.
Mary and Bill contribute toward helping the five parishes and twenty outstations in Kenya run by Vincentians. It is like a miracle every day in the lives of hundreds of people. “Every gift helps someone, every day,” said Bill.
The Tarnows are not shy about their faith and their commitment to helping the poor. They raised their children to be grateful and generous. Not only is their faith a constant part of their family life, but it has also become a generational grace as they see their children and grandchildren living their Catholic faith . . . in the way of St. Vincent.