St. Mary's Parish

St. Mary's Parish school children

Monica Pittman, business manager for St. Mary's Parish in Boise, said that their parish's debt of over $1 million weighed on her so much that it became a habit at each mass to ask God for help. At the end of September, after 10 years of fighting this debt, St. Mary's received news that someone bequeathed enough money to completely pay it off.

Although Monica was overwhelmed with gratitude, she was also aware that it was not because of one donor that the debt was paid—it was because parishioners faithfully contributed to their church. "One person may have given us a million dollars, but it means just as much as the person who gave us five dollars. Everything went towards paying it off," she said.

With the debt gone, St. Mary's will focus on updating their school, which was built in 1948. The parish offices, located in the former convent at St. Mary's, are also in need of renovations.