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The Gratitude Foundation was formed in the fall of 2023 as an IRS approved 501(c)3 organization. The mission of the foundation is to give voice to God’s Word in an ever challenging and even hostile social environment. St. John the Baptist proclaimed himself to be a “voice of one crying in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord.” At his birth, his father Zachariah, six months mute, was given his voice. It was the birth of a voice. The Gratitude Foundation is the birth of a voice, the voice of God taking on flesh in a new wilderness.
After Jesus cured the ten lepers only one came back to give thanks to God. And Jesus asks the question, “Where are the other nine, has only this foreigner come back to give thanks to God?” These are some of the most haunting words of Jesus. Where is the gratitude? Two thousand years later we have to ask the same question. There is an amazing lack of gratitude in our world today and an overwhelming sense of entitlement. What a different world view this dichotomy projects!
Fr. Glenn is deeply convinced from his own experience that faith begins with gratitude. In his words, “Only when we see ourselves as we truly are, God’s beloved sons and daughters, redeemed by the Blood of Christ; only then can we see the world through the eyes of gratitude, gratitude for a God who loved us into existence and does not want a world without us, and gratitude for His Only Begotten Son who took our place on the Cross and died for our sins, who rose from the dead to show us the gift of eternal life. Only then can we begin to live a life in Christ Jesus. Gratitude opens our hearts to union with Him.
The mission of the Gratitude Foundation is to follow the example of Jesus, to meet people where they are, not to judge but to love. Jesus did not leave them where He found them. He invited them to follow Him, to begin a journey with Him to the Father. At the Last Supper Jesus prayed, “Father may they be One as You and I are One.” The starting point varies from one soul to another. The battle is the societal grip of entitlement. The journey is with Jesus, through His Church and His Sacraments. The journey is through His Altar of Sacrifice, the Table of Plenty where Jesus takes and blesses and gives thanks to the Father. The ultimate goal is oneness with God. Ultimately the journey begins with gratitude and ends with gratitude which itself is a gift from God.
Please join us in our mission of gratitude!
Fr. Glenn Theoret is a retired priest of the Diocese of Marquette. His 25 years of full-time parish ministry earned him a reputation as a powerful preacher, filled with and guided by the Holy Spirit. He now continues his passion of proclaiming the Word of God through his new role as Executive Director of the Gratitude Foundation.
Fr. Glenn was ordained to the priesthood on May 21, 1999 at the age of 47. Prior to entering The University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein Seminary, Fr. Glenn spent 19 years working as a Certified Public Accountant. After graduating college he joined a small accounting practice in his home town of Escanaba, Michigan and became a partner in just 4 years. In his time as a CPA he helped to build the company into a large regional firm with 12 offices in two states. He also served for a year as a regional Controller for a large national conglomerate.
At the age of 33 Glenn heard the story of St. Maximillian Kolbe for the first time during a parish Lenten mission. Fr. Kolbe was the man who would step forward and take another man’s place on death row at Auschwitz. The homilist pointed to the large crucifix and said, “Did not Jesus do that for you? Did he not take your place and die for you, for your sins.” Fr. Glenn says that he fell to his knees at that moment thanked God. He said, “Filled with gratitude I thanked Jesus for the first time in my life.” At that moment real faith began to overwhelm him and his life would be forever changed. A moment of real gratitude would change his heart forever.
Once aging kneeling under the crucifix in a Blessed Sacrament Chapel a few months later Fr. Glenn felt the overwhelming embrace of God’s love. At that moment he experienced a clear and concise call to the priesthood. In his words, “It was more of a revelation of my true self than a calling. The words spoken to my heart in the voice of my late grandfather were, ‘you are a priest.’” As confusing at that was to him he soon realized that that was in fact his true identity, an identity that he had been searching for his entire life. The discovery of God as loving father and self as priest continues lead and his guide his life.
Fr Glenn firmly believes that his new role with the Gratitude Foundation is God’s plan and not his. In his words, “There is a burning in my heart that I cannot contain to share God’s Word. I feel if I don’t I will burst! Out of the foundational gratitude that governs my life, I must proclaim God’s love and infinite mercy to the world, if I don’t the stones will cry out!”
John J. Hern, Jr.’s practice involves advising corporations of all sizes, public and private, on a
wide range of issues such as incorporation, financing, leasing, contracting, mergers, acquisitions,
and leveraged buyouts. He previously served as Clark Hill’s Chief Executive Officer.
John has been involved in multimillion dollar corporate mergers and acquisitions with manufacturing, service, and
financial organizations. His participation has included virtually every aspect of these transactions from the
negotiation and structuring to the closing.
In the securities area, John has been involved with both private offerings of securities and public offerings. In this
area, he has extensive experience dealing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, he has been
involved with many of the ongoing compliance requirements imposed by the securities laws, such as preparing
Form 10 Ks, proxy statements, annual reports, and monitoring insider trading.
John has broad experience advising the closely held corporation and its officers, directors, and shareholders,
including issues relating to incorporation, dissolution, tax advice, shareholder agreements, and employment and
compensation agreements. Further, he has dealt with minority shareholder rights.
John has substantial experience regarding non-compete agreements and restrictive covenants. He has traveled
abroad to provide advice regarding antitrust issues and has advised clients regarding the application of U.S. as
well as E.C. antitrust laws in a variety of contexts, including business combinations and exclusive supply and
distribution arrangements. He also has significant experience in forming joint ventures and strategic alliances, and
has employed the limited liability company for these and other purposes.
John also routinely advises a variety of clients regarding the protection of technology. His intellectual property
practice includes regular dealings with the Patent and the Trademark Office in connection with the processing of
trademark and servicemark registrations, security instruments, and assignments of trademarks. He has also
developed expertise in the area of trade secrets, confidentiality agreements, ownership and transfer of proprietary
information and developments, and related legal fields.
