Judging Not

“Judge not, lest ye be judged,” says Matthew 7:1.  This admonition is particularly true when it comes to those who are suffering the consequences of homelessness or poverty, those served every day by Catholic Charities.    
 
“Sometimes we can be too quick to judge others without knowing their background or circumstances. I was reminded of that when I worked with James Hennigan,” said Frank G. Lidinsky, personal representative for Mr. Hennigan’s estate, speaking after his client’s funeral mass in March 2009. “Mr. Hennigan was someone who could easily have been judged for his gruff and sometimes impersonal manner.” 

Mr. Lidinsky and the few people in attendance at the funeral learned that Mr. Hennigan’s parents had both committed suicide when he was young and that he had chosen not to marry because he did not wish to risk imparting the depression from which he and his parents suffered to his children. Reflecting on the mass, Mr. Lidinsky said, “While he strived to make social connections, years of living alone had taken its toll. He lived a solitary life. This has been a powerful reminder to me not to judge, because you don’t always know what someone’s life experiences have been.”   
 
After learning of Mr. Hennigan’s death, Rebecca Rothey, Catholic Charities’ Director of Planned and Principal Gifts, said, “I first met Mr. Hennigan in 2006 when he established a charitable gift annuity with Catholic Charities. On the surface, he could seem abrupt and he was challenging to communicate with. Yet I came to know he had a generous heart. Ultimately, he left his entire estate to Catholic Charities and to his alma mater. A man of deep faith, he was passionate about helping those less fortunate than he felt he had been. He was a good man.” 

After taking a tour of Catholic Charities’ programs in 2007, Mr. Hennigan was particularly impressed with Our Daily Bread Employment Center (ODBEC). Every day, between 700 and 900 people are served at ODBEC. They are all greeted with a smile, served a warm meal and offered assistance finding employment and the help needed to move on to the next stage of their life journey.  Staff members and volunteers alike know the importance of the words displayed on banners outside every Catholic Charities location: "Cherishing the Divine Within".  And so did James Hennigan, without judgment. 

To learn more about making provision for Catholic Charities through your will, trust or beneficiary designation, contact Rebecca Rothey at 410-625-8488 or rrothey@cc-md.org or visit  http://cc-md.org/bequest

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