Loss has been a close companion of Maryanne Lang. Her brother and only sibling, Frank died at the young age of 52. Her husband, Brad, passed in 2012. Then, a dear friend died suddenly while staying in her home.
It was her mother’s death that led her to the House of Mercy. As her mother was dying, Maryanne knew the time was near and called her church to request a priest to come and give her the last rites, but no one was available. Maryanne’s friend said, “I know someone who will come.” That someone was Fr. Neil Miller, brother of Sr. Grace. Maryanne and her husband started attending Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church when Fr. Neil was a pastor and they became friends. Soon after, Maryanne’s husband was volunteering as a handyman at the House of Mercy and Maryanne followed.
After Brad’s death and the loss of her friend, Maryanne sank into depression and knew she had to get out of the house. Three years ago, she returned to the House of Mercy to volunteer at the front desk.
“I feel close to my husband when I’m there,” Lang says. “I feel close to Fr. Miller and I love Sr. Grace, so I knew this would be a great place for me to be.”
Maryanne volunteers twice a week at the front desk, where she greets guests, answers the phone, helps people fill out job applications, provides supplies hygiene needs, and makes people smile.
“One girl came up to me and she was really depressed and feeling lost,” Lang recalls. “She just wanted somebody to listen to her. We talked for a while and she thanked me and said, ‘You’ve helped me so much.’ Sometimes, they just want a kind word or to talk with someone who cares.”
For Maryanne, that’s what radical compassion is all about. “It means going above and beyond,” she says. “Having compassion for people because you don’t know what they’ve been through and trying to help them out.”
Another guest who comes to mind for Maryanne is a gentleman who initially came to her for hygiene supplies. “We started talking and he said, ‘I’m the one who tried to commit suicide.’ I had a long talk with him and tried to make him feel better and I think he did.” Maryanne lost track of him and often wonders how he’s doing. “Last time I saw him, he seemed to be doing pretty well.”
Counseling is nothing new for Maryanne. She spent her career as a social worker, counseling clients with substance abuse issues. That’s another reason she loves volunteering at the House of Mercy. “I really missed working with them,” she says. “Being here makes me feel like I’m accomplishing something. At the end of the day, I can go home and say I helped people. For some, maybe I made their day. It’s such a good feeling.”