S T. ISI DOR E C AT H OL I C CHURCH
MEET PARISHIONER JOE SAAVEDRA: LIVING OUT STRONG EXAMPLES OF FAITH AND SERVICE
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ou never know the impact that your example might When Joe and his wife, Andrea, started their own have on another person. Over the course of his life, family, involvement in the parish and school became a parishioner Joe Saavedra has had several people who priority. From school fundraisers to maintenance of the stand out in his mind of models of faith and service. grounds, Joe was part of it all. Born and raised Catholic in the farm town of Nicolaus, “It takes a village — it takes the accountant, the lawJoe’s father passed away when he was a teenager, leaving yer, the electrician, the contractor," Joe says. "In the '90s, his mother to raise seven chilI saw a lot of that — a lot of these dren alone. St. Isidore’s pastor at people who gave of their talents the time — Fr. Joseph Bishop — to help out, in whatever way they reached out the support the famcould." ily. And whether he realized it or But in retirement, he connectnot, his care for Joe’s family, and ed with another “Joe” — longtime others in the community, would parishioner Joe Patane, who had a leave a lasting impact. significant impact on Saavedra’s un“Fr. Bishop recognized the derstanding of what it meant to care circumstances of our family and for the parish as a “second home.” he became invested in our family,” “Joe Patane would say, ‘I need Joe says. “From that point forward, help,’ so I’d go with him,” Joe says. he was always in our lives, he was “I’d ask, ‘Why are you here so always looking out for us. much?’ And he said, ‘Joe, this is my “As a teenager, he was always home. This is our home. The Church there to question me and guide me, is our home away from home. Would because I didn’t have a true father you let your yard fall apart?’ I said, image in my life,” he adds. “He ‘Absolutely not.’ He said, ‘We can’t instilled in me the idea that it takes let our Church fall apart.’” a village to raise a child. For us, he And from that point, Joe began was the extension of our village.” to see the parish campus as the 10Joe’s family maintained a close acre yard of his parish home. From Longtime parishioner Joe Saavedra credits everyday landscaping and grounds relationship with the Fr. Bishop — his faith and commitment to service to those maintenance, to putting in the much like extended family — with who have inspired him along the way. the priest witnessing the marriages fountain and plaza in the front of of all the children, and them caring the church — at the inspiration and for him in his later years, until he passed away from caninitiative of Joe Patane — Joe has taken seriously the care cer. Today, Joe honors his memory by serving the parish, and beautification of our parish home. particularly as part of the Pastoral Council. “Joe Patane inspired me tremendously about what it “I do what I do for one person in my life who directed meant to be a parishioner and to take care of our second me this way, Fr. Bishop,” Joe says. “If it wasn’t for him, I home,” Joe says. “I try to live my life, knowing that many wouldn’t be here. people ahead of me have done the same.” “I watched him do his work with the people in our In addition to his involvement at St. Isidore, Joe also community,” Joe continues. “He instilled in me what it serves as a board member for the Regional Emergency was to give more of yourself.” Shelter Team, or REST, a local organization that partners continued on page 8 6
