By Catholic Stewardship Consultants
www.CatholicSteward.com
For Marcelino Ulep and Dr. Clementina Ceria-Ulep — Marc and Clem for short — being part of parish life at Our Lady of the Mount Church in Kalihi has shown them how involvement strengthens both faith and community. Their advice to anyone unsure about getting involved is simple — come and see.
“I would say, ‘Come and see, come and join,’” Ulep said. “You may think you don’t have anything to give, but you’d be surprised.”
They have observed time and again how taking that first step helps parishioners discover gifts they didn’t realize they had and find belonging in the parish.
The couple has been involved in numerous ministries over the years — currently, they are active in the Stewardship Committee and the Filipino Catholic Club. Ulep is a member of the Knights of Columbus.
The couple enjoys all of the ministries — each is rewarding in its own way.
“The enjoyable part of the Stewardship Committee is seeing people become more active and realize that what they have comes from God, and out of gratitude, they give something in return,” Ulep said. “We encourage people to understand the deeper spiritual meaning behind giving, not just the act of donating.”
The Filipino Catholic Club has been a part of their lives for many years and a rewarding way for them to create relationships and be involved.
“The people have become like extended family,” said Ceria-Ulep. “I have friends I’ve had for 50 years.”
The Filipino Catholic Club raises funds for special initiatives, decorates and cleans the church, gives scholarships, and more.
Clem and Marc have two adopted sons from the Philippines. They don’t feel like they have much free time, and that’s OK — it’s work, chores on Saturdays, and Mass and church activities on Sundays.
Our Lady of the Mount is woven into the fabric of the couple’s daily lives. They consider their fellow parishioners to be family.
“It’s a close-knit parish,” Ulep said. “We call each other by name.”
Clem and Marc are happy to have their faith. It has been their strength through both good times and hard times.
“You have to believe someone greater than you is there for you,” Ceria-Ulep said.
Both offered reminders to always be thankful. Don’t let God’s many blessings go unnoticed.
“Everything we have comes from God and belongs to God,” Ceria-Ulep said. “We are just vehicles of his blessings.”
“Every day is a gift from God,” added Ulep. “Every breath we take is a blessing. We entrust everything to him and ask for wisdom to serve him the best we can while we’re here on earth.”