When people ask me what it means to be a Redemptorist Oblate, I often look at the official certificate hanging proudly in my office. Sent from Rome and presented to me by our Provincial Superior, that document represents a beautiful, unexpected vocation. It marks the culmination of a journey that began in 1978, when I first started working with the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. At the time, I wasn’t even familiar with the Redemptorists. I simply began working for them to promote Catholic literature, entirely unaware that this path would shape my life, my faith, and my family forever.

My early years were spent learning to understand and relate to the unique Redemptorist charism the profound spiritual truth that with God, there is plentiful redemption (Copiosa Apud Eum Redemptio). Over time, this mission became my own. I had the privilege of serving the Congregation in deeply meaningful ways, first as the Circulation Manager of the Liguorian magazine, and later at the Liguori Mission House, where I worked rebuilding their library, managing the kitchen and housekeeping staff, and helping the Liguori Mission Team.

Through all those years of daily labor, my admiration for the Redemptorists grew. I watched these priests and Brothers pour out their lives to preach the Word of God to the poor and most abandoned. What I didn’t expect was how deeply they had been watching and appreciating me, too.

The greatest surprise of my entire life came when the Redemptorists requested that I formally become an Oblate in 2003. After navigating the necessary steps with Rome, the day finally arrived to celebrate this immense honor. It was a joyful, unforgettable milestone shared with my three children and their spouses, alongside my 14 grandchildren.

Receiving that certificate didn’t just give me a title; it officially recognized what my heart already knew. The Redemptorist priests and brothers had become my true family.

Though I retired after 37 wonderful years of employment, my life with the Redemptorists did not end there. I continued to be the “secretary “for the priests giving parish missions by contacting parishes to set up missions and arranging the travel in my home office. Today, I continue to walk alongside the men I have known and loved for decades. I volunteer in the library at St. Clement’s, where many of these dedicated missionaries are now convalescing.

Every single Monday brings me a profound sense of joy and privilege. I get to attend Mass alongside them, share lunch at their table, and catch up on their health and lives. These weekly moments are a sacred reminder that a vocation to love and serve does not expire with retirement. Ultimately, I enjoy being a Redemptorist Oblate because it has given my life an enduring, beautiful purpose. It has allowed me to transition from an unfamiliar employee into a lifelong partner in a global mission of mercy. The Redemptorist priests and brothers are woven into the very fabric of my life. They are my family, and they will remain forever in my heart and in my prayers.