As a small girl growing up in Massachusetts, Helen Wilayto had no way of knowing that her cousin and playmate, Walter Barrett, would one day hear God’s calling and grow up to be a Missionary Oblate, or that his presence would so deeply affect her choice when giving back to the community.

Helen and her husband, Hank, have always felt the need to give back. In thanksgiving for the many blessings in their lives, including their five children and nine grandchildren, they knew that they needed to show the kindness that so many people had shown to them.

When Hank was serving overseas for the Army during World War II, he was captured by enemy forces in the Philippines. For the next three years, he was a Prisoner of War. He survived the infamous Bataan Death March, and he was put on a prison ship headed for Japan. Many ships were sunk by bombing, but Hank managed to make it through alive. When his ship reached Japan, Hank was forced to work many hours in a mining camp. Still, he never lost faith, and he explained how grateful he was to his Japanese captors. “Even though they had very little to eat or drink, they shared it with us. They gave us just enough of a break to keep us going,” Hank explained. When the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan, Hank’s guards fled in fear. Hank and the other prisoners were left on their own to find their way to Tokyo and eventually back home to the United States and to his love, Helen.

Through the grace of God and the kindness of his captors, Hank survived. Today, at the age of 88, he shows his appreciation for life by volunteering at the Veterans’ Administration Hospital. Helen demonstrates her thanksgiving by donating to the Oblates. Although she and her cousin Walter grew apart as they grew older, his service as an Oblate always had an impact on her. As a way of remembering her cousin, who passed away in 1992, Helen donates to every Oblate appeal. “We may not have much money,” Helen quietly stated, “but we try to give as much as we can. . . .The Oblates’ work is such a worthy cause, and they have helped so many people.”

Helen’s devotion is so strong that she decided to participate in the annuity program through the Missionary Oblates. “It was just one more way of contributing,” she said. Helen and Hank count their many blessings, and the Oblates count the Wilaytos as two blessings from God.