Know Your Fellow Parishioner (Page 7)

A visitor to the home of Maria Cayetano will be greeted first by an outdoor statue of the Blessed Mother.  The statue was put there by the previous residents, but when it was time to move, the statue could not be loosened from the ground, so it stayed behind.  Now, the Blessed Mother stands protectively by the Cayetano family garden, where Maria’s husband, Rene, grows tomatoes, herbs, and quelites, a slender Mexican green. Maria has lived in Ocean City for…

Few people could trace a Christian lineage as far back as Father Thomas Kochalumchuvattil. He was born in the state of Kerala in southern India, where St. Thomas the Apostle is believed to have brought the Gospel between 48 and 58 A.D.  “We are called St. Thomas Christians,” he said of his home community, which has remained a center of Catholicism in India across the centuries. Like his namesake, Fr. Thomas has traveled long distances in the service of Christ,…

When Robert Malfitano volunteered to become an altar server at St. Augustine Church, he thought it would help him stay more alert during Mass. “I did get a little bored sometimes,” he smiled, “and I knew I wanted to help the church.” Now, beginning his third year as an altar server, 12-year-old Robert experiences a deep spiritual engagement as he performs his duties.  “I feel the closer I am to the priest, the more engaged and connected I am,” he…

When Francis McCormac attended an Ocean City High School football game a few years ago wearing his World War II Veterans cap, little did he know that he was about to be drafted. History teacher Andrew Bristol spied the cap and asked Francis if he would be willing to visit his classroom to talk firsthand about his war experience.  Of course, Francis agreed.  Saying yes to service has been a constant in his 98-year life. Francis Xavier McCormac was born…