By Peter G. Sánchez and Carl Peters
Eleven members of Vineland’s Divine Mercy Parish were commissioned as Stephen Ministers at their church on Aug. 23, ready to provide spiritual and emotional support to any fellow parishioners who are struggling.
“Ministers are trained to listen and be present, with a compassionate heart in whatever a person is facing,” said Celia Gutierrez, who, with her husband Hugo Cayetano, brought the ministry to the parish after undergoing training last summer.
Supported through the Camden Diocesan VITALity Catholic Healthcare Services, with chapters throughout the diocese and internationally, Stephen Ministry aims at assisting those in difficult times, such as the death of a loved one, family struggles or health issues.
The majority of Divine Mercy’s Stephen Ministers are bilingual, and are capable of ministering to both English- and Spanish-speaking parishioners. Materials for ministers are also available, for the first time, in Spanish.
With Divine Mercy’s chapter the first of its kind in Cumberland County, Stephen Ministry now serves five counties in South Jersey, with 310 ministers in 16 Catholic parishes.
Calling the commissioning “a great blessing,” Father Sanjai Devis, diocesan director of Stephen Ministry, says he is “excited for the vibrant, committed” Stephen Ministers and those who will receive their care.
For Mildred Lopez, being a Stephen Minister will be a continuation of a career spent helping people.
A social worker who sometimes worked with victims of domestic violence, she has been retired for five years.
“I missed working with people,” she said, so she didn’t hesitate to become involved when she saw an opportunity to be of service to others through the church.
Both Lopez and Gutierrez noted that priests and deacons have limited time to spend one-one-one with parishioners, and Stephen Ministers can help fill that gap.
“Our priests are few, and hurting people are just too many for them to care for,” Gutierrez said. “No one should feel alone in their pain. Stephen Ministry embraces our Christian call to be present when someone needs it the most, one hour a week. Is that too much to give to Jesus?”
Becoming a Stephen Minister requires more than 50 hours of training, and the group had completed only a fifth of that when the coronavirus caused abrupt changes in daily life.
The 11 began meeting on Zoom
Exchanging in-person training for technology-assisted meetings was “a challenge that was overcome by the support we got from one another,” Gutierrez said.
“It’s amazing what good will combined with team work can do. COVID-19, did not stop us from getting together weekly. Instead, it helped us to care for one another first, by listening to each other’s concerns, praying and remaining hopeful.” That is essentially what Stephen Ministers try to do: listen to others, pray with them and inspire hope.
“Our members, put into practice our motto: Christ caring for people, through people. Our Stephen Ministers are trained to listen and be present with a compassionate heart in whatever trouble a person is facing,” Gutierrez said. “COVID-19 reaffirmed the call to serve as Stephen Ministers in our parish in a Christ-like manner.”
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