Catherine Balzarett has been a generous donor to IHM since 2018, a commitment rooted in her long-standing friendship with Sister Patricia McDermott. The two first met in 2010, when Sister Patricia was serving as retreat director at Loyola Retreat House in Maryland. Catherine, who was raised Catholic but had become distanced from the Church, attended a weeklong silent retreat—an experience she says proved transformative.
“I just bonded with her,” Catherine said. “She led me through the Ignatian exercises, and she was very kind to me. She has such an accepting spiritual presence, and she just pulled me in.”
That initial connection grew into a lasting relationship, sustained over the years through phone calls and Zoom meetings, even after Sister Patricia relocated to Pennsylvania. During that time, Catherine worked for many years in the counseling profession, sharing her talents in service to others. Though now retired, she continues to reach out to people in need. Catherine and her husband, Joe, have been loyal supporters of the IHM Mission Advancement Fund, a commitment she traces directly to her relationship with Sister Patricia. “I came from a place of defiance to becoming deeply reliant on her spiritual guidance,” she said. “She helped me understand that God lives within me. She taught me how to do that.”