Read about supporters who sustain Capuchin missionaries and transform lives in the most remote and challenging circumstances across the world.
Coletta Zubler
A career in a county government legal department in record keeping gave Coletta Zubler many opportunities to assist others. Amid the paper shuffle connect with mortgages, deeds, and divorces, Coletta enjoyed the opportunity to serve others for many, many years.
But when she was offered early retirement, Coletta accepted. She knew she had other things to do to.
Ladies of the Lord, a women’s prayer ministry in Coletta’s parish of 19,000 parishioners is one example. The group gathers regularly to pray the rosary and chaplet of Divine Mercy for priests, peace, and personal petitions. Members also pray for and with the sick and dying.
Prayer is important to Coletta. She has always felt a special connection with the Communion of Saints, but that connection was heightened recently.
“I lost many friends and relatives in the past couple of years, and was searching for a way to honor their memories,” Coletta said. “I particularly wanted to offer them prayers to help them in their journey to union with God.”
This was just the beginning.
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Coletta knows the Communion of Saints connects all of humanity. At every Mass in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we pray for those who have gone before us. Praying for the poor souls in purgatory is especially important to Coletta.
She found the perfect model in Capuchin missionaries supported by the Seraphic Mass Association. “That’s why the Capuchins are so important to me…they recognize the need for prayers for those who have died,” she reflects.
“These missionaries dedicate themselves to the spiritual and physical needs of these people,” Coletta said. “Supporting the Seraphic Mass Association affords me a chance to gain great graces through Masses for loved ones as well as an opportunity to support the Church’s missionary work – a win-win – for myself and the missions.
“I was aware of the Gregorian Mass tradition of 30 Masses for the Holy Souls, and was looking for an organization to help me. I found the Seraphic Mass Association on the internet, and wrote to them for the Masses. They were able to set up Masses for my loved ones, which gave me great peace.”
Coletta’s partnership with the Seraphic Mass Association deepened when she made the decision to leave a legacy gift to support the Capuchin missionaries and the people they serve.
“I wanted to leave a financial legacy to the Seraphic Mass Association to help them continue their mission work around the world. I feel I am helping people find God’s love and care through the friars’ efforts. It gives me peace to know the Capuchin missionaries will be praying for me and others.
“As did St. Therese, the Little Flower and patron of the missions, I can work in the mission field even though I am not able to be there in person.
“The Seraphic Mass Association – what a blessed organization!”
Rita Shea
As a young girl, Rita Shea loved visiting churches. Studying the statues and stained-glass windows was part of her faith formation. There were stories and lessons in every sculpture and colored pane.
Always a canvas artist, Rita’s passion for liturgical art launched her exploration of how to restore aged, cracked, broken, and damaged statues. The self-taught entrepreneur tapped chemical companies to learn chemical properties so she could strip a statue without harming its integrity. Over time, she honed her skills to mix paints to enhance her three-dimensional approach to statue restoration.
Rita ended a 22-year career with Polaroid to follow her passion…restoring religious statues full time. Today, decades later, the 83-year-old exclaims: “it’s a joy!” In retrospect, Rita looks upon her childhood fascination of visiting churches to her life’s vocation of statue restoration. “The Lord was forming me to do this work.”
Statue restoration is but one love in Rita’s life. Her apostolate to the Seraphic Mass Association is another.
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Throughout her life, Rita was involved in different apostolates, but that has changed as she has gotten older.
Referring to Capuchin missionaries Rita said, “I love the Seraphic Fathers. It’s like a missionary apostolate having Masses offered. The Mass is so important. I’m just a missionary apostolate.
“I love the missionaries because they live with the people they’re serving,” Rita said. “They bring Christ to people. They teach them what they need to know…all done with great love. They’re just wonderful.
As Rita prepared to meet with her attorney to update her estate plans, she reflected on her gratefulness to God.
“I’m very grateful to God. I am a single woman, never married. As time goes on and things unravel in your life, you begin to wonder: how did I get through that? It was Jesus there all the time….and our Mother Mary. I just want to give back to Him.”
Rita has named the Seraphic Mass Association as a beneficiary in her will.
“The Seraphic Mass Association is the apostolate I want as I get older. I can have Masses said for my loved ones and for the souls in purgatory. When I see someone in need of conversion or is ill, I turn to the Seraphic Mass Association. This is my apostolate.”
“The Lord said, ‘give to the poor.’ That’s what the missionaries do. They don’t see family or friends for years at a time. They forego an easy, comfortable lifestyle. I have such admiration for what the missionaries do.”
Rita is a missionary in spirit.
“When you want to draw closer to God,” Rita said, “you have to let go of earthly things. St. Genoa and St. Theresa of the Little Flower teach us this: ‘If you want to go straight to God, and quickly, let go of all worldly and earthly things.’ Little by little, I find God teaching me to let go of things.”
“Capuchin missionaries give up everything to serve God and their fellow man to win souls,” Rita said. “I love the Seraphic Fathers. The Seraphic Mass Association is my apostolate.”
Anna Marie O’Shea
A generational faith that inspires prayer and sacrificial giving
Anna Marie O’Shea’s Catholic faith has deep, generational roots. Ann’s story is one of conviction. There are no apologies. It’s simply about speaking the truth and living her faith.
Born to Irish immigrants, Ann’s memory of her parents is strong. They were exceptional witnesses of their Catholic faith. “My Dad and Mom were people of great faith,” Ann recalls. “They were extremely faithful.”
Ann remembers: “They asked for nothing. They were so happy to have their faith. They sacrificed. We always had a house and we had enough to eat. No fancy living. But we were blessed, we really were.
“They made many sacrifices for their faith. They were also happy to give us the life we had, which was good.”
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Despite having little, Ann’s parents never failed to turn to the Seraphic Mass Association with their prayer intentions. “In my early years, I’d see her (Mother) taking three single bills and squeeze them and put them in an envelope,” Ann recalls. The pioneer missionaries in Papua New Guinea would be honored and humbled to receive the Mass stipend.
When praised for being a living witness of her Catholic faith, Ann says: “I get that from my parents. I see how little they had. They relied on their faith.”
“My mother spread the word about the Seraphic Mass Association everywhere she went. She would always send Mass cards for Easter, Mother’s Day, whatever.” Her mother remembered loved ones’ birthdays with a Mass card from Seraphic Mass Association. When she attended wakes, she always was sure to have a Mass card promising prayers for the deceased person’s soul. And even through some family members resented the prayers, Ann knew her mother’s actions were an outward sign of her faith and confidence in God.
Ann attended a 3-year commercial high school where students learned skills to prepare them to work in business. The Sisters of Mercy played an intricate role in her training and Ann found employment in small neighborhood law offices. She would continue to work in this field for 54 years, remaining close to home and happy to make expenses.
“I lived the way I was raised,” Ann said.
Nearly 25 years ago, Ann was diagnosed with cancer. Thanks to the intercession of Padre Pio, Ann is cancer-free today. A beautiful statue of this favored saint stands in the church where Ann spends time in Eucharistic Adoration. She gives gratitude to God for her blessings, and implores the Lord to come to her aid with a host of intentions for those whom she prays.
“In Ireland, the devotion to the Holy Souls was very important. And my folks kept it up. Even as we would go to bed at night, sprinkled the holy water, maybe doused the bed and pray, ‘Remember the souls.’”
Inspired by her parents’ example, Ann continues the practice of honoring the poor souls today, supporting Capuchin missionaries and having Masses offered for her deceased family members. “I’m just carrying out the legacy of my parents,” Ann said.
No apologies. Speaking truth.
Ann struggles to see the ways of the world today. She believes in a merciful God, but believes humanity might not be as attentive as it could be.
As she reflected on eternal life, Ann said: “If we were all to die tomorrow without God’s mercy, I don’t think most of us would make it.”
Ann praises God’s love while gentling nudging others to be mindful of the Lord’s invitation to live a faith-centered life. She invites them to the sacraments and the power of prayer. She faithfully remembers the souls of her deceased loved ones with Gregorian Masses through the Seraphic Mass Association. She entrusts her petition for the healing of sick loved ones to the daily sacrifice of the Mass.
Today, Ann still supports the Capuchin missionaries in Papua New Guinea and the hundreds of others serving around the globe using her a qualified charitable deduction from her IRA.
And for those who have left the practice of the faith, she prays.
Sometimes she is dismissed.
“It doesn’t hurt me at all. I just feel sorry for them. It is like: are you going to make it?”
Ann wonders.
And she continues to pray.
“I’m very grateful to God. I am a single woman, never married. As time goes on and things unravel in your life, you begin to wonder: how did I get through that? It was Jesus there all the time….and our Mother Mary. I just want to give back to Him.”
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