Seminarians spend summer helping at Mother Teresa Shelter

Just a few short years ago, Michael James Winterroth considered himself a bit of a lost soul.

“I had been away from the Church for a bit and an odd set of circumstances occurred that led me to quit my overnight job at a convenience store. It was almost instantaneously that I felt called back to the Church,” he explained. “I started talking with my parish priest at St. Paul the Apostle in Flour Bluff about vocations. Soon, I was looking into retreats and praying about becoming a seminarian.”

Winterroth and two of his fellow seminarians, Mark Valdez and Matthew Martin Kyle, are currently spending their summer working for the Diocese of Corpus Christi. While in Corpus Christi during their break from St. Joseph College Seminary in Louisiana, most of their time is spent working at Mother Teresa Shelter.

The shelter, located across the street from City Hall, provides day services to the homeless population of Corpus Christi. Homeless individuals can take a shower, eat a nutritious hot meal and take part in activities that will assist them in gaining back their stability and dignity. They also enjoy fun games like bingo, and during the summer, are able to escape the deadly south Texas heat.

Winterroth, 21, said he loves working alongside the sisters at the shelter.

“When I see the sisters and how much love they have for the people here, it inspires me,” he said. “They make me want to do my best. The clients themselves are great and come from all sorts of backgrounds, including a lot of veterans.”

Sister Rency Moonjely, a Sister of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and operations supervisor at Mother Teresa Shelter said the assistance from the seminarians is a great blessing for the shelter.

“Every summer we have seminarians help us with a variety of activities at the shelter, including working in the kitchen, assisting with laundry, playing games with the clients and picking up donations from around the city in our van,” Sister Moonjely said.

Seminarian Matthew Martin Kyle, 20, said he knew from a young age he wanted to live a life dedicated to God.
 

Matthew Martin Kyle, 20, calls out numbers during a game of friendly bingo at the Mother Teresa Shelter. Kyle is one of three seminarians who are working at the shelter during their summer break. Rebecca Esparza for | STC

“Actually, I wanted to be a Monk. But as I grew older I realized Monks are not as active in their community as a parish priest. After some time of discernment with local priests, I realized I had a longing for the priesthood. It brought me peace and joy just thinking about it,” he said with a broad smile.

Working at Mother Teresa Shelter has been rewarding for Kyle.

“Anything we are asked to do, we do it to the best of our abilities, but it is hard to hear all the stories from the clients. We want to help them. Hearing everyone’s stories but not being able to help them better their lives immediately is the hardest part,” he said. “But we are here for them and lend a listening ear when they need it the most. It is a good community here. There are no bad people, just people who need a little bit of help while they try to get back on their feet.”
 

Seminarian Mark Valdez, 22, wrings out a mop during clean up of the laundry room at Mother Teresa Shelter recently. Three seminarians from St. Joseph College Seminary in Louisiana are working their summer break at the shelter. Rebecca Esparza for | STC

22-year-old Mark Valdez, a seminarian from Beeville, felt a tug at his heart for the priesthood. But even before he had even made the decision to attend seminary school, it was something that kept coming up as he met complete strangers.

“Whether it was at my church, work or handing out flyers at the Newman Center at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, people would ask me if I was a priest or they would tell me I would make a great priest. Those little tugs led to me giving it a deeper discernment,” he said.
Valdez has words of advice for anyone considering a life dedicated to the Church.

“Apply and see. Pray. Pray a lot, including Adoration. It’s like any relationship and requires good communication. Keep the lines of communication open and you’ll find the answer you are looking for,” he advised.

As for working at the shelter, Valdez said he loves it.

“There’s never a dull moment. It’s always interesting to meet all sorts of different people from such diverse backgrounds. I like to clean and organize, so doing this type of work alongside these clients is wonderful. I love learning about them and finding out who they really are, not just what society sees,” he said.

Mother Teresa Shelter is always seeking volunteers and donations. To learn more, visit motherteresashelter.org or email [email protected].