Be a Gloria

Nicole Berlucchi recalls an elderly woman from her parish who modeled the kind of friendship and encouragement every mom needs.

A year ago our parish lost a lovely lady, Gloria Witte. This little spritely lady captured the hearts of our parish, simply by being as her name reflects a Glory to God.  

Gloria and her husband of 70 years, Earl, were hard to miss. The significant difference in their height alone drew your eye immediately. She is as petite as he is very tall. You rarely saw one without the other. If you did, usually someone was sick. 

The week following her death our moms’ group met at church, and we began sharing stories about Gloria and her husband, Earl. As we approach one year without her, I felt compelled to carry on her legacy in words by sharing some of the ways she loved us and how you might be able to do the same in your own faith community. 

Know their names.

Gloria first started saying hello to me and my toddler son at daily Mass. While we weren’t often engaged in conversation, she wanted to know our names and would continue to reconfirm our names each time she saw us until she was certain she had them committed to memory. 

A courteous hello is much different than a hello with your name attached. When someone really desires to call you by name, they want to know you. I always noticed how Gloria seemed to do this with everyone; she knew their names. By knowing their name, she was subtly communicating: "You are important in this parish and to me."  

Make the children feel loved and included.

Gloria was known for telling children how much they were loved by Jesus and how happy Jesus was to have them at Church. If she spotted children at a parish Rosary, she would walk over to them and assure them that Mary and Jesus were so delighted to have little children offering their prayers.  

Gloria also kept $2 bills on hand to give as a special surprise for children, a unique gift that came with a wow factor, making a child feel extra special. When she passed away, Earl made sure every child at our Church preschool received one from the stash she still had left: one last little love of Gloria being showered down on the children of the parish. 

Look out for the moms in your community.

Gloria was always on the lookout for moms who might need an extra set of hands or a little encouraging word. She was known to spot a little girl who had tucked her dress into her tights and get her dress rearranged before she walked into Mass. She was also known for checking in on those of us looking a little weary. She would ask us if anything was going on and if we shared something, she would offer encouraging words, assuring us that mothering can be challenging but that we would survive. She would often promise her prayers for whatever was weighing heavily on our minds. She always related that we were not alone, and her encouragement assured us we were not. 

Make connections.

Because everyone was used to Gloria being a constant presence at church, she was commonly approached with questions about the Church. While she didn’t always know the answer, she usually knew the person who did or someone who could point you in the right direction. When people have a familiar face who they can go to with questions, it makes them feel informed. When you don’t have that, people can often end up feeling lost and become disconnected. 

Care for the sanctuary and the church facilities.

Part of the reason Gloria and Earl were so well known is they took great care of our narthex, kitchen, and church sanctuary. Every day before and after Mass this handsome elderly couple were always hard at work, wiping down windows and handles, arranging the books in the pews, picking up left behind toys and papers. The church kitchen had little notes from Gloria providing directions on keeping the kitchen in working order. She and Earl worked tirelessly for the Church, simply to keep the Lord’s House looking its best! 

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She always related that we were not alone, and her encouragement assured us we were not. #CatholicMom

Earl still attends daily Mass. He sits on the same side of the church, but not in exactly the spot he sat with her. He still straightens the sanctuary, greets me by name, and checks on how the kids are. He reminds me that even though Gloria is gone, she taught us a lot about how to live and about how doing simple things can give great glory to God. While she is dearly missed, her legacy is ever present and so today, I am asking you to be a Gloria in your own faith community by putting these little lessons into practice in her memory.

Copyright 2023 Nicole Berlucchi
Images: Canva; center image created in Canva with elements provided by the author, all rights reserved.