For Francis Tuturice (pictured right), supporting the IHM is more than a charitable gift. It is a way of honoring the sisters who helped shape his life and the lives of his family for generations. A lifelong member of Holy Savior Parish in Norristown, Francis was educated by IHMs for 12 years, first at Holy Savior School and later at Bishop Kenrick High School. His mother and sisters were also taught by the IHMs, creating a family connection that spans decades. “I always say, ‘you’re making me the man I am today’,” Francis shares. “They were good educators. When you think back about what you got from them, you want to give back.”
That gratitude has inspired Francis to become a generous supporter of the IHM’s for the last six years. As a member of the Holy Savior Senior Citizen Club in Norristown, he also helped the club become a sponsor of the IHM Nun Run. Over the years, Francis has remained connected to the congregation through both his philanthropy and the cherished memories of the sisters who influenced him. He fondly recalls visiting Sister Ann Loftus, his sixth-grade teacher, at Camilla Hall and continued to make donations in memory of his beloved eighth-grade teacher, Sister Marie Amabilis Cassidy.
One of Francis’s most meaningful connections to the IHM community, however, began with a simple thank-you phone call. Several years ago, Sister Marian Bernadette Chuk of the Mission Advancement Office called to thank Francis for one of his generous donations. What began as a routine outreach soon became something much more personal.
At the time, Francis was grieving the loss of his mother. “When she called me, it was not long after my mother had passed away,” he recalls. “She sent me a Mass card. I was so touched because I really didn’t know her. She offered condolences and that was so beautiful – to be so respectful to someone that you don’t even really know.”
For Sister Marian Bernadette, the gesture came naturally. “I called Francis to thank him for his donation, and his mother had just died a few days earlier,” she remembers. “I felt so sorry for him that I wrote a sympathy card and sent it to him.”
The kindness left a lasting impression when about a year later, while helping prepare Christmas cards for donors, Sister Marian Bernadette added a short-handwritten note to Francis’s card, wishing him a blessed Christmas. The personal touch meant so much to him that he responded with a Christmas card of his own and a donation made in her honor. “I was so overwhelmed that he would think to do that,” Sister Marian Bernadette says.
The following year, Francis once again sent a card and a gift in her honor, continuing a friendship built on mutual appreciation and compassion. Today, Francis remains one of the congregation’s faithful supporters, motivated by the example of the IHM’s who educated him and the relationships he has formed through the years. Although he and Sister Marian Bernadette have spoken many times by phone, they have yet to meet face-to-face. “I need someday to stop by there just to introduce myself,” says Francis. “I’ve talked to her several times over the years, and I should just say hello.”
Their story is a beautiful reminder that generosity is about more than financial support. Through a phone call, a sympathy card, and a few handwritten notes, a devoted donor and an IHM formed a friendship rooted in gratitude, kindness, and a shared commitment to the IHM mission.