Parishioner leaves a legacy of service, faith and perseverance

Friday, Aug. 07, 2015

MIDVALE — Humble, hard-working, always happy and willing to help: Saint Therese of the Child Jesus parishioner Saul Morales left a legacy of faith.

On July 5 at 9:45 p.m. Morales drew his last breath; he had started chemotherapy a year before due to stomach cancer, but the disease put him in a coma before his death.

At St. Therese of Child Jesus Parish, Morales was an usher, a catechist and a lector. He also started a youth soccer league.

“As a parishioner and as a friend, he was a great human being,” said Nestor Lozano, also a St. Therese parishioner.

Born and raised in Durango, Mexico, Morales moved to the United States more than 20 years ago. He and his wife, Margarita, had two children. 

Margarita Morales said her husband’s death has been hard, but she and her family made a promise to follow in his footsteps.

“He had God always present. … He never complained, and he taught us to never give up and to always be positive and never ever lose faith in God,” she said.

That feeling was shared by many who were present at his funeral Mass, during which Father Joseph Frez, the parish pastor, expressed his gratitude for Morales’ life.

“The fact that all of you are here to celebrate his life and remember him, talks a lot of all of what he has done. We know he is a man of God that shared a lot of good during his time with us,” Fr. Frez said.

When Morales was diagnosed with stomach cancer, the doctors told him that there was nothing they could do.

“But he never gave up. … He always responded that his life was in God’s hands, so he kept on going to chemotherapy,” said Margarita Morales.

Despite expecting to lose his hair and being very tired, Morales never stopped serving and tending to the parish; he also had all his hair until his last day.

“He was always strong. When we were at the parish, even when he was very, very sick, people asked him how he was doing, and his answer always was that he was great, that he was getting better; always smiling until we were alone and the tears started coming out of his eyes from the pain that he suffered,” said Margarita Morales.

Lozano added that Morales was always sharing and interested in helping in whatever capacity he could.

“He deserved all my admiration. He was full of talents that he always shared with everyone; his love and care for the wellbeing of our youth was contagious. … He was very noble and always open to find solutions and to give a hand,” said Lozano.