ARDEN — Devoted to the Church and the poor, the late Catherine Holzworth designated in her will that nearly $78,000 be given to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul – a charitable organization that follows in the footsteps of the French saint known for his compassion for the poor.
Holzworth, a member of St. Barnabas Parish in Arden, passed away aged 83 on Dec. 27, 2020. As a student at St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ind., she felt called to a religious vocation and became a Sister of the Holy Cross. Holzworth was a member of the order for 13 years until she left over concerns that there would not be enough money to support her retirement there or in any other order given the overall funding issues at the time.
Leaving the order wasn’t an easy decision.
“Being a religious sister meant a lot to Catherine,” said Mary Unterborn of Dayton, Tenn., Holzworth’s youngest sister and executor of her estate. “She read everything she could about Mother Teresa and her mission to serve the poor. She was Catherine’s inspiration.”
Holzworth moved to Montana, married and lived there for 30 years. Throughout her life, her love for the Lord and His Church never wavered. After her husband passed away, she retired to North Carolina. Holzworth remained active in the Church, working at St. Barnabas and teaching confirmation classes.
“Our parents also supported the Society of St. Vincent de Paul,” Unterborn said. “Giving to a charity that serves our communities in this way was a natural choice for Catherine. The good to come from her donation would bring her so much joy.”
The gift was split between three conferences of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul: 50 percent went to the St. Barnabas Conference in Arden, 25 percent went to the St. Eugene-St. Lawrence-St. Joan of Arc Conference in Asheville, and another 25 percent went to the St. Margaret Mary Conference in Swannanoa.
“With the way the estate was drawn up, there was a problem with the wording. It was left to St. Vincent de Paul, Asheville, which is an entity that doesn’t technically exist, and Catherine may not have been aware of how it was made out,” explained Jim Loosemore, president of the Arden conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
The estate attorney contacted the Diocese of Charlotte to ask how it addresses this type of situation.
“Our office was able to organize meetings and discussions between all the parties – the leadership of the three conferences, the estate attorney and Catherine’s sister. We came up with a solution that all parties supported. We all wanted to make sure Catherine’s wishes were honored,” said Jim Kelley, development director for the diocese. “Like all those who leave an estate gift to the Church, Catherine’s gift will change lives. She is one of over 1,500 people we have worked with who either have or will leave a gift to the Church in their estate plans.”
The Arden conference’s clientele is split evenly between Buncombe and Henderson counties, helping with utilities, rent, mortgage and food.
“We are very grateful for the money from the estate. It came at a perfect time. The food pantry is taking up a lot of our funds. With the increase in food prices and inability to receive goods from the food banks, all the sources are drying up,” said Loosemore. “Because of the COVID issues, there are a lot of people pushed into situations they never expected. They don’t know who to call first, and we help them with that. The other conferences do the same.”
With this gift, Holzworth’s legacy lives on as the fruits of her labor continue to help those in need.
— Annie Ferguson