Since joining the Co-Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in 2008, Wanda Murphy has become a familiar and joyful presence in parish life. Whether serving at Mass, preparing a funeral luncheon, or quietly caring for something behind the scenes, she brings reverence, attentiveness, and a joy that is hard to miss.
Wanda serves as a Eucharistic Minister and sacristan and helps train others for both ministries. She organizes the funeral luncheons and assists with honoring retired and deceased priests, the Anointing Mass, and has served for many years in other areas of parish life, including OCIA and music ministry.
Some of Wanda’s most meaningful service, however, have taken place beyond the walls of the parish. For many years she has brought the Eucharist to patients at the hospital, helping ensure that Catholics who are ill and unable to attend Mass can still receive Holy Communion. She has also visited residents at Charter House and participated in parish hospital visitation. “It has impacted my faith to see people coming to receive the Lord,” Wanda said. She is especially moved by “the reverence people have” as they receive the Eucharist.
Visiting people who are hospitalized or homebound is different from many other ministries because it also requires the ministry of presence. She remembers initially wondering whether visiting and praying with people would be a good fit for her. She decided to give it a try and discovered how meaningful those encounters could be. “You meet people and sometimes they’re not at their best, and sometimes they’re dying,” she said. Those visits may include prayer, conversation, listening, and simply letting someone know that their parish community has not forgotten them.
Her understanding of funeral ministry also reaches back to her own family. Wanda’s father died suddenly when she was only 19. Over time, she came to appreciate how important gathering after a funeral can be for grieving families. “It’s just a wonderful time for people to be together,” she said. “It’s very dear to my heart to be there and to serve these people in their time of need.
Wanda and Joe
Wanda experienced that care herself when her husband, Joe, died after 54 years of marriage. Joe also volunteered at the Co-Cathedral as a money counter, helped with Sunday donuts and assisted with parking for funerals and other events. When Joe died, Wanda remembers how the parish surrounded her. “People were just wonderful,” she said. “Lots of hugs, and just very caring. It was very special.”
For Wanda, volunteering has created friendships, strengthened her faith, and deepened her sense of belonging. “I’ve met so many people in the kitchen,” she says with a laugh and a smile. After years of bringing Christ and the care of the parish to others—and experiencing that same care herself—Wanda sums it up simply: “I’m blessed to belong here.”