Can you think of anything more special than a friendship lasting almost 30 years?  Saint Lawrence Seminary and Tom and Marilyn Blackburn are celebrating an anniversary!  For the last 30 years Tom and Marilyn have been donating to the Seminary on a regular basis.  

The Seminary has been blessed by their financial support and friendship.  They believe in Saint Lawrence because the Franciscan charisms taught here can be seen in the Seminarian’s priestly vocation or in their lives as a lay leader in the Church.  They believe the Saint Lawrence Seminarians are the kind of servant leaders the Catholic Church needs. 

Tom and Marilyn believe estate planning and the writing of a will is very important for anyone of adult age. When they had their will written they had in mind the opportunity to continue their long standing friendship with the Seminary beyond their earthly life.   

Marilyn and Tom Blackburn met at Marquette University in the spring of 1953. She was from a family of three, including her younger brother, Eugene, in West Bend, Wisconsin. Tom was an only child from Evanston, Illinois. They married in 1956 and raised five children.

Marilyn’s brother, Eugene graduated from Saint Lawrence in 1962 and was a postulant for a time but later married and raised a family.  And, while Eugene did not become a priest the Franciscan charisms he learned while at the Seminary permeated his life.  Eugene was a stalwart of his parish and participated in many works of evangelism and social justice issues.   Tom and Marilyn have always been impressed with the fine education Eugene received at Saint Lawrence and especially in the aspect of building community.  

In celebration of the long standing friendship the Blackburns have had with Saint Lawrence Seminary they will be remembering us in their estate plan.  Saint Lawrence is honored and blessed to be remembered in this way.  

The Blackburns are members of the Legacy of Vocations Society.  They will have a perpetual remembrance in our daily prayers and masses. It is the best gift we can offer to our friends who have been so generous to us.