by Antonina Zielinska

Our Lady of Refuge parish, Flatbush, holds the record for the number of graduates from the diocesan lay ministry program. Twenty-seven people have graduated from the curriculum, and three more are graduating this year.

Father Michael A. Perry, pastor, said this has been an incredible blessing for the parish.

A couple of years ago, the pastor suffered a heart attack right before Easter and was hospitalized on Holy Wednesday. He said he was able to recover in ease knowing that his lay leadership would take care of everything, which they did, he said, by bringing in priests from other parishes to celebrate the Masses and organizing everything that needed to happen during the most important week of the liturgical calendar.

“We saw what we have here,” he said of his parishioners. “It was treasure, not in gold, but in earthly vessels.”

The diocesan lay ministry training program spans three years. It meets once a week and has a full course load including weekly homework.

Graduate Nidia Rivera said the work was a bit overwhelming at first. There were many dates to learn and historical events to understand. However, with the support of her parish and her classmates, she was able to meet the demands.

Graduate Antolin Ramon said that although the course work was heavy with history and theology, everyone took their responsibility to learn seriously. He said that in his class of 26 students, only two people were not able to finish: One had a heart attack, and the other had a death in the family.

Realized What Was Missing

“After entering the classroom, we realized that there is so much missing in our life,” said graduate Jennifer Baptiste. “Our life was based on spirituality, but we didn’t know the theology of the Church. For us, as lay ministers, we have to share what the Church is saying not what we think the Church is saying. We have to be knowledgeable.”

Celina Elvir, graduate, said even simple realizations helped open her mind. For example, she said the course helped her realize that Moses could not have physically brought down the tablets holding the Ten Commandments from Mt. Sinai because they would have been too heavy.

Father Perry said moving away from childhood imagery helps adults grow in their faith. He said that adults can understand that the weight of Moses’ burden was in the importance of the commandments, not in the physical weight of the tablets.

Ramon said the courses also helped provide historical context to well-known stories. For example, he said, when Jesus said to turn the other cheek, He wasn’t exactly saying to be a passive victim. When someone is struck on the right cheek, the clean cheek in Jewish tradition, then they should offer the left cheek, the one considered to be dirty. This would force the assaulter to use his or her right, or clean, hand to hit the dirty part of the person. Read in this way, the story suggests a non-violent but practical solution to assault.

“That doesn’t diminish your faith in any degree,” Ramon said. “We understand the context, but our faith is already built.”

Angel S. Cruz, graduate, said he read the Bible before and after the course.

“Now that I have the theology: Wow – what a different Bible,” he said.

Father Perry said the course helped his parishioners use theology to deepen their spirituality.

“It helped me to better understand my Catholic faith and appreciate it,” said graduate Enid Blas Rosas. “It got me closer to Mary and Jesus, and through them to God. I see life different now. Material things are not as important now. I just leave it to God.”

“It helped me a lot to understand what God wanted me to do,” Rivera said. “It requires you to learn and teach others to be better than you.”

Rivera said she is now able to delegate others to be leaders in the Church. Her training allows her to help others be important members of the Church and to not try to do everything herself.

The lay ministers at Our Lady of Refuge work in both strengthening their own parish community and reaching out to others. Among the many services they provide for the parish are bereavement services, preparation for sacraments, religious education, pastoral care of the sick, hospitality and interfaith outreach.

Father Perry said that every lay leader and each ministry is indispensible to the parish.

“We are baptized Catholics, but I didn’t always understand what my responsibility to the Church is,” graduate Claire Marie Sejour said. That responsibility, in part, Sejour said is to share with others the grace they received.

“As a church, as a parish, as a community we are one in God,” she said. “That unity is what we try to teach others.”

“It starts with the individual, it ends with the Church,” Father Perry said. “That is the work of the Holy Spirit.”