On those rare occasions that Candace Shafto’s desk is clear of paperwork, she can read a reflection about her role as a parish secretary that rests beneath her desk blotter.

“I remind myself that my job really is to be ‘the voice, the attitude, the demeanor and the personality’ of our parish,” said Shafto, a secretary in Mother of Mercy Parish, Asbury Park. “School and technology skills are necessary, but the ability to listen is also really important, especially with our elderly.”

Hired 17 years ago for the secretarial position in the shore town’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Shafto now toils alongside Spanish and Haitian secretaries in the Mother of Mercy Parish family, which also encompasses the former Holy Spirit, St. Peter Claver and Our Lady of Providence churches.

“We have as much diversity as you can have: Anglo, Latino, Haitian and African American,” she said. “You become so resourceful, and learn to think on your feet. It’s an amazing ride. I never expected us to morph into what we have morphed into.”

As one example of the parish’s “face of Christ,” Shafto’s demeanor is one of levity and grace under pressure.

“I always say, ‘If I wait to die until I get caught up, I’ll live to be a hundred,’” she chuckled. “You need a sense of humor. Remember that old saying: man plans and God laughs.

“There’s a lot of juggling with this job,” Shafto continued. “The best part of what we do is making them feel welcome, to solve their problems.” All three secretaries serve as resources to one another to best serve their diverse parish community. 

In addition to ministering to the elderly, Shafto feels the most satisfaction aiding families in time of sorrow.

“The best part of my job is the people that come in who are bereaved,” she said. “I meet with them to choose funeral readings and music, and listen to them. You don’t get the chance to bury someone twice, so you have to be careful.”