Volunteering brings many blessings, couple says

Friday, Apr. 19, 2024

SALT LAKE CITY — The Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, since its inception, has had the participation of volunteers who offer their time, treasure and talents to the Church. As the United States celebrates National Volunteer Month in April, we look at a pair of volunteers who have been serving the Church in Utah since they arrived in the Beehive State in 2001.

Martin and Charo Alcocer, parishioners at the Cathedral of the Madeleine, summarize their decision to volunteer in three words: need, disposition and example.

“When we heard that the cathedral was going to start having a Spanish Mass, we decided to go and check it out, because back then our children were very young and in the other parishes that offered Spanish Masses the crowds made my kids restless, which was very uncomfortable for the parishioners and for my wife and me,” Martin Alcocer said.

During their first Mass at the cathedral they felt at home, they said. They were welcomed by three parishioners, and were able to sit in the front pews, close to another family that had children the same age as theirs; the families later became good friends.

“In such a big church the Mass went on in total peace,” Alcocer said.

Back then, each family was in its own pew, “and that suited us perfectly,” Alcocer said, adding that his children were able to relax and focus, and enjoy the Eucharist.

From then on, every Sunday at 3 p.m. the Alcocer family attended Mass at the cathedral.

“As time went on, I realized that they had very few people welcoming people to the cathedral, giving them the programs, passing the offertory baskets and ushering, so I volunteered myself to do it,” Alcocer said.

Soon he became the volunteer coordinator.

At the time, different priests celebrated the Spanish Mass. However, when Father Martin Picos was ordained in 2006 and became the parochial vicar of the cathedral, “he told us, ‘Now you are going to have a steady vicar with you; but I am not the chosen one, after me many more will come,’” Alcocer said.

Less than three months later, Father Omar Ontiveros was ordained and became the cathedral’s parochial vicar for some years. Fr. Picos now is pastor of St. Mary Parish in West Haven; Fr. Ontiveros is pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Orem. These days, cathedral rector Father Martin Diaz celebrates the Spanish Mass, as do the parochial vicars.

While he was at the cathedral, “Fr. Ontiveros formed several ministries, so besides being a coordinator I started helping with selling food after Masses as well as during fairs in summertime and many other social activities to collect funds for the cathedral,” Alcocer recalled.

 Charo Alcocer also has been an active volunteer. She was a member of the first group of catechists to offer faith formation in Spanish at the cathedral.

“Having parents entrusting their kid’s faith education to us was a blessing but also a commitment,” she said.

Fr. Ontiveros invited the Alcocers to be part of the Hispanic Cathedral Council; later the couple became the cathedral’s representatives on the Diocesan Hispanic Commission.

“I was very happy and honored and tried to serve humbly,” said Martin Alcocer, who also became a member of the diocesan Stewardship Commission.

“I trusted that as I responded to the calls to cover the needs and to serve in the Church, my kids, seeing our example, were motivated to serve and so on,” he said.

As the years went on, Charo also served in the ministry of the Word and the Eucharistic ministry, and the couple’s children began helping at social gatherings.

Martin Alcocer also became a member of the cathedral’s Knights of Columbus council. The Knights are an international Catholic fraternal group that focuses on charity.

Volunteering in the cathedral has been “a great opportunity to give back to our Church and our community; a good opportunity to make and give our best day after day; to meet new friends who, as time passed, became family; to set a good example for our children; and to have very beautiful memories that makes us proud and happy,” Martin Alcocer said.

“Offering our time, talents and treasures not only makes you closer to Our Lord, it sets a good example for our children and for others,” he added.

Expressing his gratitude for more than 23 years serving and volunteering in the Catholic Church, Alcocer said he feels very blessed.

“Definitely it was the best decision that we could have made,” he said. “Our kids grew up and were formed in the best place they could have ever been, and this wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our beloved Father, to whom I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to serve his people.”

Fr. Diaz met Martin and Charo Alcocer when he was assigned to the cathedral 11 years ago to serve as the rector, he said.

At the time, the family’s two boys were students at The Madeleine Choir School, and the parents were active in that community. The children now have graduated from the school. 

These days at the cathedral, “Martin is a leader in the Hispanic community,” Fr. Diaz said. “Most recently, he took charge of the Live Passion Play for Good Friday. He organizes the ushers for the 3 p.m. Mass in Spanish.”

“I can count on Martin assisting and leading,” Fr. Diaz added, and that “like with Martin, I can count on [Charo] to be present at whatever the parish is doing and helping to make it happen. I am happy to know them as two pillars of the cathedral parish.”