Calling lay ecclesial ministers a great blessing for the present and future Church, Cardinal Roger Mahony commissioned three women and one man as pastoral associates during mid-morning Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels May 17.

The four newly commissioned pastoral associates, who have each completed master's degrees in theology or pastoral studies as well as formation courses through the archdiocesan Office of Parish Life, include: Katherine Coolidge, St. John Fisher Church, Rancho Palos Verdes; Sandra Elizondo, St. Thomas More, Alhambra; Dianne Lumsdaine, St. Dominic Savio, Bellflower; and Giovanni Perez, St. Anthony of Padua, Gardena.

In his homily reflecting on Jesus' command to love one another (John 15: 9-17), the cardinal said true discipleship means struggling to overcome selfish tendencies in order to give of one's self in loving service to others. "As Jesus showed us, when one enters into that depth of self-giving, marvelous graces result…

"We always feel the love of God more fully in our lives and the peacefulness of Our Lord Jesus Christ when we go out of our way to love others, to lay aside our own self-interest and to be in total service to others," said Cardinal Mahony. "That always brings a very peaceful sense of God's presence and love in our own lives."

Following the homily, the cardinal urged the four pastoral associates called forth from the congregation to "bear faithfully the responsibility to lay ecclesial ministry for which we commission you."

He invited the congregation to stand and extend their hands toward the four lay ministers as he asked the Lord: "Bless those who have offered themselves as pastoral associates and lay leaders for your church [and] strengthen them with gifts that they may teach by word and example the truth that comes from you."

Resounding applause echoed the walls of the cathedral as the newly-commissioned left the altar to resume their seats among family members and friends who had come to lend their support.

"I feel extremely honored and privileged to be called to this ministry, particularly at the community of St. John Fisher to serve the people of God there," said Katherine Coolidge, who will be continuing in her current parish position as director of evangelization and stewardship as well as contributing to adult faith formation and liturgical ministries.

"I think the pastoral associate ministry models for all the baptized how we're all called to serve and share our gifts, because it's truly a calling," explained Coolidge. She says her visibility in the parish allows her to remind parishioners that, as she's been called to discern her gifts, so they are, too, called to discern how they can serve God, "whether it's in the workplace or the home or in the larger community."

Katherine Russell, a pastoral associate who served at St. Brendan Church in Los Angeles before being named director of the archdiocesan Office of Parish Life, says she hopes more parishioners will recognize that they are called to church ministry and come forward for training and formation.

"Cardinal Roger Mahony has been such a leading voice for lay ecclesial ministry. He recognizes the need, but I think he also recognizes that there are lay people truly called to this kind of service within the church," said Russell.

"I want to thank the church of Los Angeles for trusting the spirit and trusting lay men and women to take on the role of leadership in the parishes," said Giovanni Perez, newly-commissioned pastoral associate currently serving as director of religious education at St. Anthony of Padua in Gardena. "I'm hopeful that I can continue to share my gifts and talents with the community and be enriched by theirs as well."

Robert Guell, one of the St. Anthony of Padua parishioners attending the commissioning, said he had no doubt Perez will "make a great pastoral associate because he manages to motivate and lead his people."

Commenting on St. Thomas More's newly-commissioned pastoral associate, Sandra Elizondo, Father Paul Menke, pastor, said, "She loves the people, and to me, that's above all what it's all about." He added her background as a business professor at Cerritos College will be helpful when she assumes parish administration duties July 1 as the new parish life director upon his retirement as pastor. He intends to serve as parish priest minister during retirement.

"I think it's a gift to the church and what we need to be about," said Father Menke.