As a high school senior preparing for the priesthood at Saint Joseph Seminary College in Covington, Lloyd Tate realized the Lord was calling him to serve in some way, but not as a priest. Although his life was starting to take a different path than anticipated, it was in no way the end of his vocation. It was just the beginning of a life dedicated to the spiritual, temporal and pastoral needs of people who often need it the most.
A strong champion of the Corporal Works of Mercy, guidelines in the teachings of Jesus that respond to the basic needs of humanity, Lloyd and his wife of 52 years, Jan, have strived to always put their faith into action in every part of their lives.
Aligned with the mission of Catholic Charities to lend a hand to those most in need, Lloyd and Jan have made arrangements to include Catholic Charities in their estate. As members of Catholic Charities’ planned giving initiative, the Legacy Society, the couple is raising the bar for serving as good stewards for the voiceless in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. They are indeed laying the groundwork for Catholic Charities’ next Century of Service.
Lloyd and Jan have both been active in the Church since they rst met. Over the decades, they have helped prepare engaged couples for marriage and trained other couples like themselves in this ministry. Lloyd and Jan have both been active in the Church since they first met. Over the decades, they have helped prepare engaged couples for marriage and trained other couples like themselves in this ministry. They authored a resource manual to mentor engaged couples that is used extensively in the Archdiocese as well as in other dioceses around the country. They are also trained Spiritual Directors serving on the staff of the Archdiocesan Spirituality Center, a ministry providing ongoing spiritual direction to clergy, religious and laity of the Archdiocese.
Lloyd’s retirement as managing partner with CPA firm Deloitte and Touche seemed like anything but. For his own edification, Lloyd enrolled in courses at Notre Dame Seminary to deepen his understanding of Scripture. He took to it so much he ended up earning a master’s in theology in 2012.
“My faith kind of animates everything. And certainly, my faith has deepened over my lifetime, which has included raising a family of ve children and having a rewarding career. So, it’s gotten more genuine and heartfelt. I really think you can’t embrace faith the way we read in Scripture just from saying ‘it’s me and you Jesus in our personal relationship.’ It has to reach out to others as an expression of love. I have grown to see the timeless wisdom in Jesus’ teaching that the two great commandments are love of God and love of neighbor,” Lloyd said.
Around the same time he retired, Lloyd was also seeking to be more involved and give back. He would join the board of Catholic Charities, a position he held in some capacity for 13 years, including eight years as an officer. His time on the board was instrumental in deepening his admiration for the organization, leading to the realization that he and Jan could do so much more for the agency.
“I’ve been very blessed. Anything I can do to help the poor. It lifts up the people who have very limited needs. If you’re looking to help change people’s lives, I don’t think you can do better than Catholic Charities. They do it with love, compassion and efficiency,” Lloyd said.