Louis Kolenda was living the high life as a creative director in downtown Manhattan when he had an epiphany over a bowl of room-service lobster bisque.
“Is this all there is?” he asked himself, a question that changed the trajectory of his life and career.
Former flight attendant Mollie Tobias chose a new path born of a tragedy, while stay-at-home mom Heidi Kuhn catapulted to the front of a global campaign for peace.
These local lay Catholics talk about their work, which by chance, providence or intent, springs from their faith and an understanding of their fundamental partnership with God.
Natural outgrowth of a Catholic upbringing
“I do think that a Catholic background prepares you for this type of work,” said Ed Barberini, chief of police for the City of San Mateo.
He and fellow Catholic officers Capt. Dave Peruzzaro, 50, and Lt. Todd Mefford, 52, agree that their faith and families gave them the foundation necessary to choose careers as public servants.
“I learned to treat people with compassion and respect no matter what situation they are in,” said Barberini, 52.
In a force of approximately 120 officers, about 40% are Catholic, according to Barberini.
The best and most effective cops, he said, are those that can “de-escalate” tense situations by knowing how to talk to people.
“You’re not always going to get that pat on the back,” Mefford said. The rewards of police work are a lot like the rewards of great faith. “The reward is at the end of your life.”
Using God-given gifts
“I could never tolerate anyone being in pain,” said Angela Testani, who retired in 2012 after a 40-year nursing career at Mt. Zion Hospital. As a child, she cried at the sight of Christ’s feet nailed to the cross.
The Holy Name of Jesus parishioner advocated for patients by suggesting pain-saving surgical protocols to administrators. She prayed with those who noticed the cross around her neck.
After attending a workshop for Catholics on spiritual gifts, she discovered her tender heart was a reflection of the charism of mercy.
“I’d been doing what God had called me to do all along, and it fit me like a glove,” she said. “When you are truly working with the Holy Spirit, people can sense that.”
With Nigerian priest Father Edward Inyanwachi, Testani co-founded Mother of Mercy Charitable Foundation in 2016 to help alleviate the health care, educational and humanitarian needs of the rural poor in southeastern Nigeria….
The above comes from a Nov. 21 story in Catholic San Francisco by Christina Gray.
GOD bless them!
St. Michael and his finest!
One night, years ago, I was praying a Rosary for my family and got the urge to pray the St. Michael prayer afterward when I usually did not do so. A few minutes later, my youngest daughter called and asked for her father, I told her he was not home and asked her what was wrong. She replied that the police were there, and a strange man had been caught in the backyard, The next-door neighbors had seen the man in their backyard, called the police and he jumped the fence into the yard where my daughter was staying.
To this day I wonder what urged me to say that prayer.
“The best and most effective cops, he said, are those that can “de-escalate” tense situations by knowing how to talk to people.” This is so true. I am a senior volunteer for the CHP and know many of these officers understand this and try to bring these skills to bear in their duties. It is privilege working with these fine people!
Catholics are disproportionately present in law enforcement, the Fire service and our military. Let us pray for and support our brothers and sisters so serving us and our neighbors. Saints Michael, Florian, George, Barbara and Nicholas, pray for those in the service of our country. Lord, have mercy.
I’d never be a cop. Not worth the risk and the disrespect.
Yes it is risky physically but the disrespect is corrosive personally. Human nature does, so often, not like to be called to account for sin or error. That’s what cops do: respond to human sinfulness. That is resented. In the age of entitlement, people have the attitude that they are entitled not to have to account for sin. They will shift blame away from themselves and if possible back on to the cops, if they acknowledge any blame to be had. We live in a dark and perverse world and this is a hard time for law enforcement. That is why I became a Senior Volunteer for the California Highway Patrol upon retirement. I want to say thanks to these men and women, get to know them, and be an encouragement.
you are not worthy to be a life-protection officer. your need for respect and safety does not indicate a brave heart.
Tell that to all the grieving widows and fatherless children who have lost their fathers in the line of duty, often dying at the hands of scumbags. Some officers have been ambushed. Bravery has little to do with it nowadays, when city, state and federal governments and police chiefs tie police officers’ hands, preventing them from effectively dealing with a criminal. When your department will require you to file a lengthy written report justifying unholstering your weapon, it makes cops hesitate to use the force necessary to save themselves and the innocents they are there to protect. Our society coddles criminals and accuses police officers in nearly every confrontation.
this comment was made to the poster “never free” who said it wasn’t worth the risk or disrespect., not to any fine thin blue-liners
How does someone know the religion of other police officers? Daily chatter is one thing but I hope the Chief doesn’t know because he asked. That would be against the law, wouldn’t it? Only 34% of San Mateo is Catholic, so Catholics are overrepresented. San Mateo is 55% White. Should we assume that 45% of the police force is non-white, 25% Hispanic, and 3% Black?
Bob One, I subscribe to the philosophy “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” If the people of that city are happy and crime is down, leave it alone, if not than fix it, but it is the people who actually live there who should decide. Some of those non Catholics you mention might prefer other jobs — being lawyers, judges, teachers, mechanics, CEO’s, nurses, plumbers, electricians, all of whom make good money. provide a service and support well their families. and on and on. By the way, one could ask why there are not more Japanese Americans and other ethnicities on some professional basketball teams.
Bob One, that daughter I mentioned in my previous post was and is of partial Mexican and Asian descent and was and is of medium brown skin, and as far as the policemen who came to her rescue, I have no idea what color they were as she did not tell me nor did I ask, but there are many Hispanics and Asian police offers in our area of various colors, but to me if they do the job well, they are St. Michael’s finest. I am light skinned.
Correction to fourth line: “police officers”.
Oh, and Bob One, I have no idea what skin color the stranger in the backyard was as my daughter did not tell me, and I never thought to ask.
There are good people and bad people in every profession. Don’t create idols.
You are right. I have been treated well by most police officers, but officers make mistakes, too. I once got a ticket for a minor traffic accident in which I was involved and found out later that according to the traffic code at that time the other driver was at fault. Nevertheless, the driver’s training class I had to take as a result (taught by another officer) gave me a wealth of information for avoiding serious injuries. I was later the driver in an accident caused by another person, but no one in my car or the other car were injured as we all had on our safety belts. Just damaged vehicles.
To clarify: I was later a driver, not the driver, in an accident since the other driver was at fault, and it was on the freeway at around 55 to 65 miles per hour — posted speed – so there could have been some serious injuries.