Saints Under Construction - The Giffins

It stands to reason that Cliff and Linda Giffin first met decades ago at a Catholic Church.

The church was St. Catherine of Sienna in Metairie and that meeting took place when they were both in college.

From there, things clicked and many years of devotion and service to the Catholic faith followed.

The Giffins are now stalwarts in the army of volunteers that they say make Mary Queen of Peace such a special place.

They are involved in numerous ministries, including Family Reach, Hospitality Sunday and Project Christmas. The cradle Catholics were also involved in helping build homes in Haiti.

Individually, Cliff serves as an usher, eucharistic minister and is a member of the Knights of Columbus, where he serves as treasurer. Linda is involved with the Catholic Daughters organization at MQP.

Additionally, Cliff and Linda are members of the local Kawanis Club, a volunteer organization focuses on improving the lives of children in the community. Cliff, a retired CPA, has been involved with the organization for 50 years.

The Giffins have two grown sons and three grandchildren.

Aside from family, the two spend much of their time volunteering in the community.

“I grew up volunteering so it’s kinda in my background,” Linda said. “We feel like we have been very blessed and we feel the need to give back.”

Growing up in Metairie, Cliff said his family was strong in its Catholic faith and was devoted to serving the church.

His father was the head usher at St. Catherine. “When we had family crawfish boils, we’d invite all the priests and they all came,” Cliff said.

After marriage, the Giffins moved into St. Philip Neri Parish. There, Cliff followed the example set by his father and became an usher, eucharistic minister and lector. He was also president of the men’s club.

After moving to the north shore in the 1980s before MQP existed, they joined Our Lady of the Lake Parish. Their children attended school there and Linda’s volunteer service at OLL led to a job in the school office.

In 2012, they became members of MQP and brought their volunteerism with them. They have received the Knights of Columbus Family of the Year Award and have also received accolades for their work with the Kiwanis Club.

The Giffins said they are more than pleased to serve a church community like they found at MQP.

“We’ve heard it said before, but it’s the welcoming atmosphere here at Mary, Queen of Peace,” Linda said.

“It’s above and beyond any other place we’ve ever been. There are so many opportunities here to give back, to volunteer.”

Cliff said he’s often asked by members of other churches what makes MQP a special place to worship, with some even asking in jest if it’s the food served at events. But he has a simple explanation that doesn’t involve cuisine.

“It’s the people,” Cliff said. “It’s the people you meet, the people you work with.”