As a ‘cradle Catholic’ Dr Manus Maher looks back on his faith journey with gratitude. “My faith slowly developed, and with this development came the realisation that the God we worship is a loving God. Appreciating this God who is so, so generous is the basis of my faith,” he said.
Dr Manus and his wife Dr Martine are parishioners at St Agatha’s Parish in Clayfield and are actively involved in their Church. They love nothing more than taking their grandsons to Mass with them on Sunday mornings. “This can get a bit noisy, but it reinforces our faith, and it feels even more important that we’re able to pass on our faith and nurture the faith of another generation through our grandchildren,” they said.
As Eternal Guardians, they made the decision to leave a gift in their Will to their parish. “The idea of leaving a legacy is not a difficult one for us. We have left a gift in our Will, not looking for recognition, but with the hope that leaving these funds will give future Catholics the tools needed to face the challenges of their time.”
“Everything we have is a gift from God and we are simply stewards of these gifts. Our God is such a loving God.” One of those challenges may be the lack of young people at Mass. Martine recognises that when her grandchildren look around the church, there are very rarely other children there. “They don’t see other children doing the same thing as they are, and I think that’s going to prove challenging down the track.” When asked what inspires their generosity to the Church and local ministry, Martine reflects on their values as a family. “I was not born Catholic. I converted to Catholicism prior to marrying Manus, and it’s the strength of my belief that helps me through everyday life – all the little ups and downs, my role as a wife, mother, grandmother, friend and in my professional career.
Our giving is one way of treating others with kindness, respect, and dignity.” “We are still learning and developing as people. The most important lesson we’ve learned so far is that everything we have is a gift from God and that we’re simply stewards of these gifts. And that our God is such a loving God.”