I recently completed my summer ministry in Whittier. My formators told me to go with an open mind and be ready for anything. With all the different ministries in the parish, I quickly realized what they meant. I am very grateful to the St. Mary of the Assumption Parish and the Redemptorist communities for welcoming me into their lives and ministries.

The most enjoyable ministry that I helped in was the food distribution to needy families. At the height of the pandemic they served 600 people. While I was there over the summer, the numbers decreased to serving 200 people every other Saturday. It takes a dedicated team of volunteers and a lot of work behind the scenes to undertake such an operation. I not only learned a lot about running a large food distribution operation, but also got to meet several volunteers in the neighborhood and serve people in need of food.

I was also very grateful to be able to get involved in various sacramental ministries, such as distributing communion to people in nursing homes and hospitals. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was not able to do these ministries when I was in my first year of theology, so I made the most of my time with people in the nursing homes and hospitals. I even got to preach at a communion service at the nursing home!

I spent a lot of my time helping my confreres with funerals. Many times, the priest celebrated the Mass and then I went to the gravesite for the final prayers. If the funeral did not include a Mass, then I would lead the prayer service. It was a good – but challenging – situation to accompany family and friends as they said good bye to their loved ones.