Efrain Zamudio, Christian Service Coordinator, Holy Redeemer, Detroit
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How did you get your position as Christian Service Coordinator at Holy Redeemer?

First, I was in the seminary in Mexico and next I was in working in the children's center in Guadalajara. All my family was here and they invited me to come here. (To Detroit) I came here and I started to work in a restaurant, and I thought, "11 years? Just to work in a restaurant?" I had friends who never went to school and they are making more money than me. I was looking for social work. At first, I was thinking of working at the Secretary of State—this kind of work because I like the contact of people but I say I want to have contact with one priest. So they can give me advice and I talked with Fr. Hanchon. I did I take the phone and make the call Fr Hanchon. He told me, "come here right now!" so I went to Holy Redeemer and he told me I'm looking for one person like you. I tried to explain the church is the best thing for me so he invited me to Holy Redeemer and I'm very happy about it.

What do you do at Holy Redeemer?

My title is Christian Service but it's food pantry, diaper program, it's a bunch of programs. The most exciting that I do at Holy Redeemer is that I work with immigrant people. Some of the people come here just arrived here from the train two hours ago and they don't have anything to eat, they don't have clothes, they don't have nothing, so I take care of this and that's the most exciting thing for me because it's my people, it's my blood.

What do you like about your job?

What I like most are the people – the contact with the people. I can't change that. I received some offers from other companies. I received some offers from the Detroit Public Schools for another places but I know that I won't have the contact with the people like I do at Holy Redeemer.

What makes you good at what you do?

I think that I have a bigger vision than some of the people, especially the people that come with a lot of problems. They are just thinking in the things that they need at the moment and I think I can help with the big vision; to have an answer for the problems the people have. They say, "I don't have place to stay, I won't find..." So I say they will find a place to stay and I don't want them to leave the office with the same problem they came in with. I want to find a solution for the problem.

Why are you committed to church work?

Because it's the best way that I can feel realizado. I don't know how to explain it. It means all the things that I've learned in the past I put into practice in the church. It's very difficult to find a place to put eleven years in the seminary into one job. It's very difficult and I'm doing it at Holy Redeemer. I feel like comfortable with it.

Do you think you will always be doing this?

Yes, when I have enough support in my life. I think that we have to think about the future, about our children, and I don't think that I am going to have all the support I need if I want my children to go to college. It's impossible to pay for college from the payment that I receive from the church. I want to be in the church for me, for a lifetime. I look in the future, but it's impossible because I'm going to have other needs.

Would you recommend lay ministry to other people?

Yes, but when they have some support in their life. When the moment that I have some support in my life I'm going to be pouring all my life in this project.

What are your gifts?

Pienso yo el mayor regalo que Dios me ha regalado él las oportunidades que yo tengo ante mi gente, ante un sacerdote en mi comunidad que yo me encuentro que me da todo las oportunidades para realizar el trabajo que yo quiero. Viene la gente y por alguno otro motivo ellos se sienten que encuentran una respuesta conmigo, entonces yo hago que ellos salgan de mi oficina con una respuesta no que se vayan con las manos bacillas si no que se vayan con algo. Yo no quiero ser una agencia de referir a la gente a otra agencia solamente dándoles un refer, yo quiero que ellos vayan o salgan de mi oficina y tengo una respuesta de la problema y yo no me quito hasta se soluciona la cosa.

Translation: I think the best gift that God has given me are the opportunities that I have with my people, with my priest in my community so that I can come to a realization in my work and do the work God wants me to do. People come to me for one motive or another and they know when they do come to me I will have or find an answer for them so then when they leave my office they are not empty handed – they have something to take back with them. I don't want to be a referral agency and tell them to look elsewhere for answers to their problems and I won't quit until I have a solution to offer.

My gifts are I listen to the people, yo encuentro una solución para la gente, les ofrezco ayuda económicas, les ayudo con todos los problemas que tengan, algunos no puedo solución el mundo pero la mayoría que yo tengo en mis manos puedo ofrecer les ayudo ofrecemos comida, ofrecemos muchas cosas, entonces todo esta supernido para la gente y esta bienvenidos el que quiere de mi.

Translation: My gifts are I listen to the people, I'm a problem solver, I offer my help with economic problems, or any other problem they have, I can't solve the world but whatever I have in my hand I will offer. I will offer food, lots of things, so anyone who needs help they are welcomed by me.

Do you like your work?

I like my work very much. I find in my job something inside of me that I can't find in another place. My satisfaction is that I help the people. It's not just me, it's a parish, and we are a team.

Are there special challenges you face in your ministry at Holy Redeemer?

I think that the hard thing that we are doing at Holy Redeemer is that we try to make the people feel that Holy Redeemer is home. It's not just a church; it's not just for the sacraments. Some people are sending money to San Ignacio. That is my small town that most of the people here at Holy Redeemer are from. They feel that they have to support the church in Mexico and they forget to support the church in Detroit where we are living. Most of the people are thinking we are going back to Mexico one day, but we are going to die here.

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