Name: Mary Kathryn Kunkel

Parish: Member of Old Cathedral, Vincennes, for 17 years.

Married, number of children: Married to Ray Kunkel for the past 51 years. They   have five children (one is deceased) and five grandchildren.

Tell us about your childhood: I grew up in a happy home in Lawrenceville, Ill. I was the youngest of three children. My parents were both devout Catholics, and my grandfather lived with us, and he was also very devout. My father went to Mass every day. I have a sister who is a year and a half older than I. We were always good friends, and we still are. We liked to roller-skate and swim in the summer. In high school, we enjoyed going to the teen center in Lawrenceville, which was a great gathering place.

What form does stewardship take in your life? How do you give of your time, talent and treasure to your parish? Right now, I’m working on a fundraiser for the Old Cathedral. We need to raise $1,200,000 for renovations. I’ve been going around, begging! Having been a stockbroker, it doesn’t bother me to hear people say “no,” so I’ve been asking a lot of people for donations! The Old Cathedral is a very important church, historically. It is the oldest church in the state of Indiana. It is one of only two basilicas in the state . . . the other one is at the University of Notre Dame. There hasn’t been anything done to the church for many years. We need a new heating and air-conditioning system, it needs to be painted, and the oil paintings need to be restored, as well as the Stations of the Cross and the stained-glass windows. One of the windows was in really bad shape, so we had to go ahead and restore it. This window alone cost $10,000. But when you see that window now, it is so beautiful. There’s no question it would be a benefit to restore all of them.

How else do you stay active? I help with the “Loaves and Fishes,” which is a program our parish participates in with other Vincennes churches to provide meals for the needy. I also help with the Wisdom Days, which is a ministry for older Catholics. I have been a member of the board for The Catholic Foundation for the past two years, and I enjoy playing bridge.

Why is stewardship important? We have an absolute obligation, and God won’t be outdone in generosity. The endowments that have been established through The Catholic Foundation leave a legacy to the church.

What was your first job and what did it pay? Where else have you worked? My first job was working as a telephone operator. It paid 57 and a half cents an hour. I’ve enjoyed two careers: one as a nurse, the other as a stockbroker. I graduated from the DePaul Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis. I worked off and on as a nurse for several years while raising my family. In 1979, I became a stockbroker and worked at that full-time for 12 years and part-time until last year. I like to say that both careers require a lot of handholding!

Who influenced you growing up? My grandfather was a great role model for grandparenting. He was not at all judgmental, and that’s the way I like to be with my grandchildren. He was my great protector. When the other kids picked on me, he’d say “Leave her alone, she’s just a baby!” For a few years, my grandfather drove us to St. Rose Academy in Vincennes so we could attend Catholic school.

What do you like most about being Catholic? It is important to me to be part of a community of faith. I enjoy being acquainted with others and sharing that faith.

Is there a time in your life when you have had to rely on your faith? When we lost our son. He was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1990, just two days before he turned 25 years old. It was a time when it was more important than ever to pray. I think God saw us through it. I’ve thought so many times about people who do lose a child. If they don’t have faith, I don’t know how they manage to get through it. My faith meant so very much to me during this time.

What is your favorite religious item? The rosary. Although I don’t pray it every day, I’m very much inclined to pray the rosary when I’m in need. It gives me comfort. Growing up, we prayed the rosary quite often. My father belonged to the Third Order of St. Francis. Every night, we said 12 Our Fathers, 12 Hail Marys, and 12 Glory Bes, which was his office of the Third Order.

Who is your favorite saint? St. Anthony. My dad had a devotion to St. Anthony, and of course, I’m always calling on him to help me find my glasses or car keys!

What’s the best advice you can give others? I think it’s very important not to put too much emphasis on little things. Think about what matters in terms of the whole big picture.