“I met Mary during WYD in Cracow in 2016. Mary was a volunteer who was always happy to help, eager to do as many tasks as needed with a smile on her face. No matter what job was to be done, she was there to serve. In her attitude I could see real love for other people. Also, she was truly committed to the life of the Catholic Church. I believe Mary has such a dedicated heart that she can still do much more for other people, for the Church and for God.”

“I knew Mary when she was a Director of Religious Education/Youth Faith Formation at St. Mary Parish in Ridgefield, CT. Mary brought great enthusiasm to the daunting task of a managing a very large program serving 1000+ children. Throughout her time at the parish, I supported and collaborated with Mary in her ministry, volunteered as a teacher, and created and ran service projects with her for the youth. I witnessed her tremendous love and passion for the faith; her connection and commitment with the youth was unwavering in spite of additional demands on her time from various ‘constituencies’ in the parish - - clergy, staff, parents, and teens.”

“I have known Mary Grenchus since she was hired as the Director of Religious Education at Saint Mary Parish, Ridgefield. Her position at St Mary Parish was to oversee and direct the Religious Education Program that consisted of over 100 volunteer teachers and nearly twelve hundred students in the program. Ms. Grenchus is a qualified teacher and administrator/director. She managed the office which included two paid staff members along with a number of office and ancillary volunteers. Her duties went beyond that of office and program management. She was involved with the parents of the students, running parent and student meetings, organizing retreats, preparing the children and the liturgies for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation. She also created the budget for her department, wrote and presented reports, and coordinated with various parish groups such as the Finance Council and the Parish Advisory Board. She managed the program’s social media, worked with online registration for her program and created and monitored online closed groups. She did all with great competence.

Ms. Grenchus was also involved with operations of this very large parish of over three thousand families, coordinating her programs with that of the many ministries and programs in which the parish is involved. She worked well with the parish clergy and parish office staff, along with the principal, teachers and staff at Saint Mary School, which housed her program after school hours. Ms. Grenchus was well liked by the parents of the children in the Religious Education program. She provided her teachers, the students and their parents with guidance and leadership throughout the school year. Additionally, whenever possible, she attended Mass as St. Mary Church and volunteered to serve as the Lector or Eucharistic Minister.”

“I met Mary in 2011 when she kindly opened her home and became my host mother while I was a foreign student in the USA. Since then, we have built a strong friendship which, in spite of the thousand miles away, has enabled me to witness her willingness to help others, resilient attitude to overcome day-to-day challenges, devotion to foster strong family ties, deep faith in God and her unconditional support to the Catholic Church, becoming an ally of its causes and projects.
All these assets make Mary an example of what a role model woman should be like: confident, leader, kind-hearted and committed to the wellbeing to all those who surround her either as a professional, as a mother or as a friend.”

“I knew Mary as a fellow student of theology and ministry, where I observed her academic studies and participation in the life of the mind to be intelligent, sincere, and reverent. Her extracurricular pursuits, such as immersing herself wherever possible in the French language, bespoke her commitment to beauty, art, and culture. I would also add that she was unfailingly generous in her service to the communal and liturgical life of the school, helping out at the student library and chapel whenever needed. I am delighted but not surprised to hear of her ongoing commitment to these values as the creator of the Grenchus Foundation. ”

“Really happy to participate in this beautiful program Arts Program in collaboration with many talented artists from all parts of the world
Thanks Mary Grenchus & The Grenchus Foundation for hosting us and for all your tremendous work
Thanks to Julián López for participating from Argentina and share our native folk world heritage as well as Maryta de Humahuaca II to share her very unique “canto ancestral workshop “
During her tour 2021 in United States
kids and families are welcome !”

“Mary and I met at Fordham University in 2016. We had a class together called History of Christian Spirituality. I was struck immediately by how prepared Mary always was for class: plainly a student who did her work and was ready to engage the week’s conversation! But Christian Spirituality was a larger topic than what our books alone could cover. What soon impressed me even more, beyond Mary’s booksmarts, was her deep readiness to be personal and real: to share from her own experience, personal history and inner prayer life. Mary was generous and met us with a big and truthful heart. It’s a shame the Jesuits only ever accepted one woman into the Society of Jesus: for my money, Mary would have been a perfect second candidate!”

“I had the good fortune of working with Mary at St Mary Parish when she was the director of religious education. She came highly recommended, and I remember how captivated we were when we learned of her eclectic background and impressive resume. It was clear that she had a thirst for knowledge and was a lifelong learner, dabbling in many different spirit-led disciplines. I was very surprised when she was interested and willing to lead worship with our music ministry in addition to her many tasks as director of religious ed. She even went beyond to partake in our fellowship group from time to time, sharing her love for learning and connecting with community. It is great to see her continuing her call and love for God’s people through this foundation.”

“Mary and I met through a mutual friend in 2014 at Boston College, before I moved to Germany for 4 years, and then back to Boston. Mary and I connect like old friends and sharpen one another “as iron sharpens iron”. She is a fellow sister in Christ and shares many loves and interests as I do, especially in the arts, music and dance. She recently asked me to participate in her “Women of Soul” project and we had a great time connecting and sharing stories of race, faith, discrimination and marginality. Mary works tirelessly for the betterment of our society, and is constantly creating workshops, seminars, creative ways for all to connect, collaborate and find ways to gain more balance in this world. ”

“In her time at Boston College, Mary was known for her appreciation of St. Thomas Aquinas and her friendships with other students, especially with religious and foreign students.”

“Thank you very much Mary Grenchus & the Grenchus Foundation - I was so glad to participate in this Arts program as well as it was a gift to perform in the band shell with such extraordinary acoustics
Thanks to Julian Lopez for creating this very enjoyable workshop about Chacarera one of our most curious folk Argentine music”

“I just wanted to reach out to let The Grenchus Foundation know your collection of virtual tours were big help to my daughter Corrine! Her Girl Scout troop is currently working on their Arts and Culture Fun Patch and the activities on your Cultural Resources page helped us a bunch!

Corrine’s troop leader encouraged us parents to work with our girls at home to ensure we stay on track! She asked the girls to find some activities they can do from home including virtual field trips to art museums, arts and crafts projects, etc... Your page led us to some great sites to check out! We really enjoyed them and thought families could get some use out of them, especially if they’re stuck at home!

As a thank you, I wanted to pass along a couple of guides that Corrine found as well...”

“Thank you for our yesterday’s talk. It was really needed for me.
You’re like the symbol of all US for me. Having your own job, duties, responsibilities and problems you was ready to spend your energy and time for me. That’s because you’re a Human and you care, and that matters for you.
I will never ever forget that! Thank you for all you’re doing for Ukraine and the whole world. Please don’t stop! ”

“It was such a pleasure to engage in these deep conversations with you, Mary”

“This last summer was busy. I Loved being a part of the The Grenchus Foundation Summer Arts Education and Arts in the Park program in Central Park NY!”

“Today was my last day in the park thanks Mary Grenchus and the Grenchus Foundation for all your work and support facing this difficult time after the pandemic
Thanks to the New York City arts program to support this amazing program and thanks to all the arts teachers and artists that offered their time and talent
Hope to see you sometime again!”

“I’m excited to announce this Upcoming Wednesday a FREE bilingual music class at Central Park with the Grenchus foundation lectured by Argentine teacher Julián López, we will learn a traditional rhythm called “Chacarera “ 10 am, 12pm, 2pm it is open for kids and families.
Hola amigos argentinos los esperamos en el Central Park este miércoles a compartir con el público una clase sobre chacarera a cargo de Julián López traigan muchas ganas de compartir y divertirse !!!!
Gracias a la fundación Grenchus por incluir nuestra música Argentina - Thank You to The Grenchus Foundation for including Argentinian Music”

“The Grenchus Foundation Thanks for this partnership.”

“I am deeply grateful for your support!” (youth musician dream of becoming a professional pianist when I grow up. I prepared for a whole year and was accepted at Manhattan School of Music in New York and fundraising money for Pre-College tuition starting September 2022.)”

“Thank you for your continued support”