When you first meet Bob Crowley, you will quickly see he is a kind and genuine man. His big smile will envelope your heart and welcome you into his circle. Bob has many memories from his time as a child attending Saint Raphael Parish in Eldred, PA. As a young boy he served at Sunday Mass, and he specifically remembers when Saint Raphael hosted a 40-Hour Devotion and multiple priests attended. He says, “I can still recite a lot of those prayers in Latin.” It was this Catholic discipline that taught Bob about commitment and responsibility. His childhood years and the many memories at Saint Raphael Parish were so meaningful to Bob and his family that even after moving out of the area, Bob, his wife Barb, and their children would return to Saint Raphael Parish for Christmas and Easter Masses.
Along Barden Brook Road, half a mile from the old Crowley family homestead where Bob and his siblings grew up, is Saint Raphael Cemetery. About 30 years ago, Bob purchased ten plots in the cemetery for members of his family. Since that time, three of those plots have been filled by Bob’s parents and sister Ann, while the others are reserved for siblings and spouses.
Bob and his wife, Barb, saw a growing need to support the perpetual care, upkeep, and maintenance of the grounds of the cemetery, so they decided to establish the Crowley Family Endowment for Saint Raphael Cemetery with the Catholic Foundation. After discussing it with his brothers, Bill and Dick, and nephew Ryan, they decided to contribute to the endowment as well.
Bob chose to partner with the Catholic Foundation for his charitable giving because he believes in the Foundation’s mission. He says, “the Catholic Foundation is 100% rooted in Catholic values and I feel that its sustainability is the most guaranteed in our diocese. It has allowed us to define our own personal Catholic legacy.”
He further reflects on the future of the Catholic community in northwest Pennsylvania, especially small rural parishes like Saint Raphael. Given the disparity between the number of parishes, the number of parishioners, and the number of priests, their fates in the upcoming years are uncertain. Especially in rural areas, consolidation and closures mean not every parish will remain in its current status. But the cemeteries, and those resting within them, will remain. Endowments like Bob and Barb’s guarantee there will be funds available annually to maintain these burial grounds for generations.
“I feel that cemeteries must continue to be cared for,” Bob says. “With my parents, siblings and relatives buried at Saint Raphael Cemetery, it’s extremely important to me to provide support in perpetuity to honor the memory of our loved ones.” Establishing this endowment for the Saint Raphael Cemetery helps Bob and his family feel comforted knowing they are helping to fund the perpetual care of these grounds.
“The Catholic Foundation has allowed us to define our own personal Catholic legacy.”