“The Call to Stewardship” is a periodic series profiling individuals and families throughout the Diocese of Camden who have shown an inspiring response to the call to Christian stewardship highlighted in 1 Peter 4:10 “As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”
A restaurant chef’s life, with late Saturday nights in the kitchen and early Sunday mornings preparing brunch, is not conducive to attending Sunday Mass. For Lou Caruso of Hammonton, that reality created a longing.
“I had grown up attending Mass at Saint Joseph’s every Sunday. I made my sacraments and developed a strong faith,” Caruso said. “Though my schedule at the restaurant kept me away from church physically, I prayed often. As time went on, I found that I really missed being part of the community. Despite my passion for my career, I became tired of the long weekend hours.”
At 41, he decided to make a change and worked toward becoming a public school teacher. “I started going to Mass regularly and was welcomed back enthusiastically at Saint Joseph’s [by then part of Saint Mary of Mount Carmel Parish].”
It would took a while longer before Caruso started volunteering in the parish, however.
For years, Caruso had suffered bouts of pancreatitis, which would send him to the hospital. Five years ago, during one of those visits to University of Pennsylvania Hospital, he was diagnosed with stage 1 pancreatic cancer.
“I was very fortunate. How rare is that to find stage 1 pancreatic cancer that can be treated with a positive outcome?” he said. “I had my first surgery that August, and then I had chemo. The next January, I had the second surgery, which was followed by radiation.”
Throughout his illness and treatment, Caruso, by then a culinary arts teacher at Hammonton High School, kept teaching. “My kids were great. My school was great. I was thankful, but upset that I had gotten pancreatic cancer in the first place.”
Ten years earlier, he had to say goodbye to a dear friend who had suffered from the same disease. At that time, Caruso prayed to God asking that he would never receive a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. It turned out, however, that the cancer diagnoses would save his life.
“I was being tested every three months due to my history [with pancreatic cancer]. After one test, the doctors saw a little nodule on my lung. They biopsied it and found it was cancer,” he said, explaining that he was sent back to the hospital in Philadelphia. “There I learned that it was isolated and required surgery, but I would be OK. My doctor told me I needed to thank God that I had pancreatic cancer, or they never would have screened me and found the other cancer early.”
Caruso explained that prior to his lung surgery, he was visited by Father David Rivera, pastor of Saint Mary of Mount Carmel Parish, who offered friendship and the Sacrament of Confession. “He told me to call him from the hospital and that he would be there to give me Communion or anything I needed.”
He admits the visit made quite an impact. “Father David was there for me in my hour of need. He’s the Church, and the Church came to me. I’ll never forget it.”
As soon as he recovered from surgery, Caruso started volunteering for the parish. He’s steadily increased his stewardship, which includes helping with the annual Mount Carmel Feast; landscaping; participating in three choirs – traditional, chant and bell; doing work for the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, vespers, and movie nights after Stations of the Cross during Lent. He also ran a summer cooking program for youngsters.
“I taught them life skills, how to apply math and language to cooking, and incorporated Catechism cooking with the saints,” Caruso said.
He’s quick to point out that there is a group of volunteers who work together at the parish and that he found giving back with others meaningful.
Despite volunteer opportunities being suspended during the early days of the pandemic, he remained positive by making a prayer space at home and by participating in parish activities remotely, such as decorating his front door for Easter and sharing the images.
He kept up with volunteering outside, too, such as weeding and raking leaves at Saint Anthony of Padua Church, a parish worship site. He said the efforts bring him peace. “I pray while I’m doing that work.”
Father Rivera said he appreciates Caruso’s stewardship. “Lou’s a super committed parishioner involved in music, fundraisers, anything I need. He’s part of a wonderful cadre of volunteers. We’re blessed to have volunteers like him. Without them, the parish can’t function.”
Stacy Napolitano is special events producer for the diocesan Office of Development.
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