For the Martins, Giving Back Is a Family Affair
Allan and Marie Martin’s commitment to supporting the USA Central and Southern Province of the Society of Jesus is rooted in Jesuit education. Growing up in New Orleans, the daughter of a Jesuit High School alumnus, Marie Martin has known the Jesuits her whole life. Her husband, Allan, a native of Millinocket, Maine, became acquainted with the Jesuits through Jesuit High School of Tampa. Both members of this generous couple have been inspired by the Jesuits’ approach to education and the many Jesuits they’ve encountered.
“I continue to be inspired by the Jesuits’ commitment to excellence, their rigor, their clarity, the quality of their teaching and preaching,” Marie Martin said. “They are a light for us; they point us to Christ.”
When the couple married and moved to Florida in 1992, they became members of Sacred Heart Church in downtown Tampa, a Jesuit parish at the time. “We appreciated the preaching, the reverence of the Mass, and of course the beauty of the church building,” Marie recalls.
Years later, the Martins chose to send their older son to Jesuit High School Tampa. “I was not so aware of the Jesuits until our older son arrived at Jesuit High School,” Allan said. “At the start of his freshman year, President Fr. Joe Doyle, SJ, introduced the virtue that he hoped would especially mark the Class of 2009: the word was ‘gracious.’ This was a key moment for me. The formation that my son received at Jesuit had a huge impact on me, as well, especially the concept of being a man for others. I quickly adopted that for myself.”
Marie agrees with her husband about the impact Fr. Doyle had on their lives. “He was there when we were reintroduced to the Society of Jesus,” she said. “Fr. Doyle touched my heart. He spoke so beautifully when he would address the parents or say Mass. He also had a charismatic side, which I appreciated.”
When his son first began at Tampa Jesuit, Allan hadn’t given much thought to public service or serving on a board, he says now. But his son’s experience at Jesuit and his own involvement at the school helped him to gain a sense of obligation to serve others.
“I was blessed with several opportunities to serve. The formation I received and the opportunities were intertwined,” he said. He went on to serve two terms as a trustee of Jesuit High School.
“As a trustee, I got to meet Jesuits from all over the province,” Allan said. “This deepened my appreciation for the Society of Jesus. I got to see the depth of their talents, the rigor of their training and formation, their faith, their brilliance. The Jesuits bring their characteristic excellence to everything they do. Finally, I love their focus on education.”
Around the same time that Allan was beginning to serve in new ways, Marie says she found herself drawn into missionary work. For years, she has collaborated with a graduate of Jesuit High School, Fr. Jose Maria Castillo, FJH, a missionary priest in Peru. With the help of the Tampa Jesuits, she has promoted healing Masses in Jesuit High’s chapel.
The Martins’ son went on to study at Boston College, as did their daughter.
Investing for the Future
In addition to their volunteer work, the Martins have provided financial support for Jesuit High School for many years. They also support Boston College through an endowed scholarship. And they contribute to the province, focusing on formation and Jesuit works in Belize. Most recently, they have helped support the revitalization of Grand Coteau Retreats: A Jesuit Mission Since 1837 in Grand Coteau, Louisiana.
“Regarding financial support, it was important to us that we not only be good stewards of our resources, but also that we teach our children to do the same,” said Marie and Allan. “So, in 2007, we formed the Martin Family Foundation. The board consisted of us and our three children and has eventually come to include two of their spouses. At the start, our youngest was only 11. The intention was to teach them how to conduct themselves in board meetings and to teach them stewardship. The meetings over the subsequent 17 years, the rigorous discussions, the opportunities to help so many wonderful organizations, all of us together, have been so tremendously meaningful for our family.”
The Martins hope others might be inspired to support the Jesuits as they have. “The Martin Family Foundation has been an incredible blessing for us, and, we hope, successful in fulfilling our goals for it,” Marie and Allan said. “It is a model that we would recommend for other families with the same goals.”
Among the goals the Martins have that lie beyond the functioning of the foundation itself are growth in vocations to the Society of Jesus and the continued accessibility of Ignatian spirituality and Jesuit education.
“We know how powerful the Spiritual Exercises are for people looking to grow in their faith, so we hope that Jesuit-run retreats will remain accessible,” they said. “And we hope that Jesuit education remains accessible to the young men of Tampa and elsewhere throughout the province.”
“The Jesuits have had such a profound impact on me, my faith, everything,” Allan said. “So many things come to mind: to be a man for others, for instance. I learned this from Jesuit High School. The purpose of our lives is to know, love and serve God. There was a time when every Catholic memorized these words. I first heard them said so simply and clearly when I was a trustee at Jesuit. Everything we do, we do for the greater glory of God. These truths are so important, so inspiring.”
