VIDEO: Brooklyn Couple Shares Their Faith Through Poetry
GERRITSEN BEACH —At 98 years old, Marie DeFonzo continues to share her Catholic faith through poetry, a passion she has nurtured since childhood. With her husband, Guy, by her side, the Gerritsen Beach resident has spent more than three decades writing poems inspired by her faith, life experiences, and love for others.
“I’m 98 years old, so when I was in grade school, I used to write little poems,” Marie said. “It just comes natural to me.”
Marie writes the poems while Guy types them, turning the creative process into a shared activity that has strengthened their bond over the years.
“You won’t believe it, but the older you get, the closer you get to God,” Guy said.
Marie said her Catholic faith has been a constant throughout her life. Born in Italy, she came to the United States as a child and grew up in a culture where family and church were closely connected.
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“I was born with it, and I just kept it up,” she said of her faith. Marie added that she and Guy have been part of their parish community of Resurrection Church for 65 years.
For about 35 years, Marie has written approximately one poem a week, expressing her Catholic values and reflections on life through verse. She estimates that she has written hundreds of poems, collected in several spiral-bound notebooks.
Her writing also serves as a way to connect with others. In the past, Marie volunteered at a senior center, where she wrote poems for older adults. She also creates personalized poems for people’s birthdays instead of giving traditional greeting cards.
“I love doing it because it’s almost like journaling,” Marie said. “You know, when I was young, I used to say, ‘Dear Diary.”
She hopes her work will resonate with readers of different generations.
“Anyone that reads some of this, and they’re younger, they could relate to this,” she said.
Poetry is one of many ways Marie has shared her faith and served her community. She sang in the choir at Resurrection Church and remained active in parish life for many years.
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Although the couple is now homebound, their creative partnership continues.
“It’s really funny if you watch us because my spelling isn’t so good and his spelling isn’t so good, and we struggle through it,” Marie said. “But we’re doing something together.”
Guy said Marie has accumulated approximately 200 to 300 poems, along with several pieces of prose, over the years.
For the couple, the writing is about more than putting words on paper. It is a way to share their faith, reflect on their lives, and spend time together.