Donor Stories: Marty Rendon

A Treasure of the Church

I have had deep respect and affection for our Catholic religious throughout my life. I was blessed to be educated in Catholic grade school and high school by the Sisters of Charity.

It became clear as time went on that support would be needed for them as they advanced in age. SOAR! has been getting the job done and has worked to keep its supporters informed and engaged in its efforts. When you read the stories about the Sisters they serve, you are reminded of what you owe to the Sisters who served you!

Even if you don’t know them personally, you can appreciate how they reflect the work of those Sisters you knew and admired. When you give to SOAR!, you are giving back to them, too. We truly are one family!

In my work on Capitol Hill and later with UNICEF in Washington, I was inspired by the many Sisters I met from a variety of orders who were making a difference to advance Catholic principles of peace and charity and to promote social justice.

In my travels overseas on humanitarian missions, I always met women religious who were A Treasure of Our Church working at the community level to meet the needs of vulnerable people. They themselves were living the reality of the challenges of those they served. They were well-positioned to recommend actions the decision-makers could take to help respond to those challenges.

Our women religious have made — and continue to make — an irreplaceable impact on the work of the Church.

Our retired Sisters are a treasure of our Church. Thank you, SOAR!, for your essential work.

Martin “Marty” Rendon retired in 2018 after 25 years as Vice President for Public Policy and Advocacy for UNICEF USA. Prior to that, he worked for over two decades on Capitol Hill. He currently sits on the Delaware Human and Civil Rights Commission.