An Angel Amongst Us

We've all seen him at Holy Cross, either scurrying across the parking lot with a mission in mind or at the ambo proclaiming God's Word, offering us Communion, singing in the Contemporary Choir, helping with the environment, greeting us at the door, or in the sanctuary serving at the altar. This diminutive, bald-headed, ever-smiling man is Ron McLain whose official title is Maintenance Man at Holy Cross but whose skills and love know no bounds! Ron can do anything you ask and if he can't, he'll find someone who can.

He knows everyone, many by name, and he knows your children and grandchildren too. If you're gone for awhile, he'll welcome you back and let you know you've been missed. If you're helping to prepare a liturgy or setting up an event in the hall and you need something, Ron magically appears and rushes off to find it. His sudden appearance at opportune times is why some of us call him an angel. "We need Ron," and there he is. Smiling. Always smiling.

So how did this angel find his way to Holy Cross? Born in East L.A., he left in 1975 at the age of 20 after his mother died. Leaving what he called the "Diocese of Los Angeles" to head north, he spent the next 20 years in the "Diocese of San Jose," which was, he explains, part of the Archdiocese of San Francisco at the time. He met Fr. Richard Garcia (the future Bishop of Monterey) who was then pastor of St. Leo's Church as well as the Vocations Director and shared with Fr. Rich his desire for a spiritual vocation. After learning more about what that might entail, he eventually headed over the hill to the "Diocese of Monterey" and Santa Cruz where he has remained for 25 years. (If you've been counting, he's 65-years-old.)

It was late November of 1995 when he drove around the curve, saw Holy Cross Church in the distance and headed there. People were filing into the church, and he joined them, finding a place in the front pew. It was an Advent Penance Service, Pastor Mike Marini was the presider and other priests were gathering for the service. He felt a tap on his shoulder, and one of the priests told him he was sitting in the pew reserved for priests. That was the beginning of a relationship with Fr. Larry Toschi, Provincial of the Oblates of St. Joseph, for whom he eventually worked part-time. But before that happened, he needed a place to stay. He was homeless.

Gladys Cox, the Parish Secretary, arranged for him to stay in the church parking lot in his car for a month. While there, he met Sr. Delia who took him under her wings and "got me afloat." Then Fr. Larry directed him to the Jesus, Mary, Joseph House's parking lot, and it was there he met Director Pat Gorman. During this time he was volunteering at the St. Francis Catholic Soup Kitchen where one of the other volunteers got to know him and offered him a cottage he could use. He would not be homeless again.

He worked at Santa Cruz Roasting Company and at Regal Cinema 9 as a doorman (some of us remember him there!). He felt he had a calling to join the Oblates, was offered a job there and became part of the community. Sr. Barbara also offered him work at the parish, so he worked at both places until being offered full-time employment at Holy Cross by Fr. Mark Stetz. By this time he had found a permanent place to live at the Palomar Hotel in downtown Santa Cruz where he has remained.

Did we mention that he also plays the bass drum in the Palm Sunday procession? His love of music grew while a student at Cabrillo College where he had enrolled as part of his discernment process for joining the Oblates.

Ron is "retired" now, he says, but still works 20 hours for the church and 12 hours at CVS. Everything else he does is "volunteering." This includes all that was mentioned above plus setting up for Mass, helping out at concerts, and finding whatever is needed for anyone who asks. In the photos below he is with long time parishioner Lil Pinheiro in 2010 and with Fr. Cyprian Consiglio and Sr. Barbara at Fr. Cyprian's farewell Mass in 2005.

When asked how he might describe his journey thus far, he responded exuberantly in typical Ron-fashion that it has been "a miraculous miracle! From East LA to San Jose to Santa Cruz. I have tears in my eyes. What a lovely journey it's been. Everything has been a blessing, a blessing!"

And so are you, dear angel.