In 2013, Cathy Taylor’s life quietly shifted course when her youngest daughter, Elisa, announced she was going to Africa on a mission trip through International Volunteer Headquarters (IVHQ). Cathy had no idea that what began as a mother’s support for her daughter’s journey would awaken her own deep calling to serve — and become a vessel of God’s compassion in Arusha, Tanzania.
Cathy, a grandmother of four and retired physical therapist, is a longtime and active parishioner of St. Helen Catholic Church in St. Helen, where she attends Mass with her husband, Brad. When their daughter first shared her heartfelt desire to serve on mission, Cathy felt a twinge of hesitation. The idea stirred both concern and curiosity in her heart — a mother’s instinct mingled with a sense of wondering what God might be calling her family into next.
“I didn’t go right away,” Cathy recalls. “Elisa kept inviting me, but the timing never worked out.” That changed in late 2016, when Cathy finally joined Elisa for five weeks in Tanzania. They visited orphanages, schools and a women’s shelter. Cathy was deeply moved. “Every day, I fell more in love with the children,” she says.
That first trip turned into many. Cathy returned in 2017 and 2018 with her daughter again. By 2019, she was confident enough to stay alone for a month. “I had built relationships and knew my way around,” she says. “It felt like going home.”
But when COVID-19 struck in 2020, Cathy’s next trip was canceled. Between travel restrictions and personal caregiving duties, it was several years before she could return. In 2023, she finally went back. “The phrase ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ never felt so true. I missed everyone so much —
it was a joyful reunion.”
What began as a trip to accompany her daughter has blossomed into a mission that spans over a decade. And Cathy’s work goes far beyond her visits.
Becoming ‘Mama Cathy’
Over the years, Cathy has become affectionately known as “Mama Cathy” to many children and families in Arusha, Tanzania. She and her husband now sponsor eight children, supporting them with tuition, uniforms, food and supplies to attend Catholic and private schools. Family and friends help co-sponsor two of the children.
Among them is Christian, a 15-year-old boy studying at Arusha Catholic Seminary Secondary School and discerning a call to the priesthood. Cathy met him when he was just 6. “There was something so special about him,” she reflects. “I always felt God had a unique purpose for this child.”
Then there's Abu, whom Cathy first heard about when he was 4 and gravely ill. Grace, a local teacher and friend, called Cathy for help. Cathy immediately arranged medical care. Abu was diagnosed with many serious conditions, including malnutrition and untreated infections. Today, at age 12, thanks to treatment and love, he’s thriving — and one of the four children Grace is raising, with some assistance from Cathy and her husband.
Each child’s story is a testimony to God’s providence and the impact of one person saying “yes” to his call.
A Life of Holy Moments
Cathy doesn’t just sponsor children — she walks the streets, rides the crowded buses, visits families in remote villages and listens to the quiet pleas of those often overlooked.
Once, while riding a packed bus, Cathy sat next to an isolated, disheveled man: “I made small talk with him, which made him smile. When I handed him some spare change, I noticed he had no fingers on either hand. He was grateful for the money. He cupped his palms to receive it and said, ‘Thank you very much.’” Cathy later wept, wondering if she could have done more.
Another time, she helped an elderly man pick beans off the ground — beans that had fallen during a woman’s market prep. Seeing his hunger, she knelt beside him to help, then bought him a full kilo of beans. “Sometimes,” she says, “the smallest acts are where Christ meets us.”
With generous donations received, Cathy has used 100 percent of the money to purchase food, medicine, clothing, school supplies, water, soap, personal hygiene items and small propane tanks to help those in need. Plus, she has distributed blessed sacramentals, provided capital to two families to establish a small business to increase self-sufficiency as well as orchestrated the purchase of desks and chairs for a school and a dining table and chairs for a family who had been eating meals off the floor.
“I go to give of myself — to do the Lord’s work,” Cathy says. “When you're dirty and exhausted at the end of the day, that’s when you know you’ve truly lived a mission day.”
God’s Mission Still Unfolding
Cathy is returning to Tanzania again this fall — from Nov. 4 to Dec. 16, 2025 — for several reasons. In particular, Christina, a young woman from Kenya whom Cathy has mentored and sponsored, is graduating from nursing school.
Their relationship began when Cathy met Christina’s aunt at a hostel. One day, the aunt contacted Cathy from Kenya and asked, “Mama Cathy, will you speak to my niece?” Christina was having trouble with her family and needed guidance. Cathy became her mentor, encouraged her health care dreams, and helped her get started with the Kenya Red Cross. Eventually, Cathy, her husband and a friend funded Christina’s nursing school tuition and all living expenses.
“She sat across from me when I told her we’d sponsor her,” Cathy remembers. “She just cried — tears of joy. I’ll never forget it.”
That spirit of joy, love and service defines Cathy’s mission. Whether she’s crocheting hats from donated yarn, bringing art supplies, food and clothing for orphan children, or simply holding hands with someone who hasn’t been touched in months — Cathy is sharing the love of Christ one moment at a time.
She knows the need in Tanzania is overwhelming. Food is a constant struggle for so many. Kids are so grateful for any food donation. “Some people only get a slice of bread a day,” she says. “But I also know this: the children are so grateful, so full of life and hope. And I feel God’s call to keep going. My mission is not finished yet.”
Called to Serve — Here and There
Cathy believes mission work begins at home — with your parish, your community, your neighbors. But her heart also aches for the “least of these” in other parts of
the world.
To those discerning their own call to mission, Cathy says, “Just go. Be open. Let God use you. You don’t have to fix everything — you just have to love.”
She’s living proof that one person, empowered by faith and a willing heart, can bring light even into the vulnerable corners.
“This has strengthened my faith and brought me closer to God,” she reflects.
As she prepares for her next journey, Cathy gives thanks to her compassionate husband and those who support this Tanzania mission — from the faithful who pray for her to the many donors who contribute funds to help the Tanzanians she meets while on mission. These supporters include numerous individuals, the Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul and the Council of Catholic Women.
Interested in Supporting Mission Work?
Cathy invites anyone who feels the tug of the Holy Spirit to reach out to her. If you have considered mission work and have questions or would like to help support Cathy’s mission work in Tanzania, you can contact her at threeet1@gmail.com. "It’s not about me," she says. "It’s about what God is doing through me.”
