The quiet work that keeps the Church alive
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Long before the opening hymn fills the church, someone is already at work — checking schedules, calming nerves, fixing microphones, and carrying the weight of everyone else’s concerns, often without being noticed.
That hidden life of service is finally given voice in To Serve You as I Should: A Lay Church Worker’s Chronicles of Mission, Ministry, and Mercy by Tessa Mangahas, a deeply personal and moving account of what it truly means to serve the Church when no one is watching.
Rooted in nearly four decades of parish ministry, the book is not a glossy success story. Instead, it gathers real moments — fatigue, doubt, disappointment, small victories, and quiet grace — that define the everyday lives of lay church workers.
The book takes its title from the well-loved “Prayer for Generosity,” whose words — “Teach me to serve You as I should” — have guided generations of church workers.
In Mangahas’ hands, the prayer becomes lived experience.
It captures what service looks like in real time: juggling responsibilities, enduring misunderstandings, surviving long meetings, stretching limited resources, and learning that faithfulness matters more than recognition.
This is not a story about being indispensable.
It is about choosing to stay.
In the foreword, Honesto F. Ongtioco acknowledges the quiet courage it takes to remain committed to Church work despite exhaustion and frustration.
That perseverance runs through the book — the decision to keep showing up even when service feels invisible.
It speaks directly to catechists, choir members, coordinators, youth leaders, parish staff, and volunteers who “keep the lights on” without applause. It also invites priests and pastoral leaders to better understand what their lay partners quietly carry.
In his endorsement, Pablo Virgilio S. David underscores the book’s central message: real service is not about titles, but about fidelity — especially when no one is looking.
In a one-on-one interview, Mangahas said writing the book took time — and courage.
“Friends had been encouraging me for a long time to write about my service. Maybe they didn’t expect that I would take it seriously. But it was only in June 2025 that I finally began. It was a milestone year for me,” she said.
“I think the stories were waiting for the right season. After many years in ministry, I learned to listen more and to notice grace in small things. This book is less about me and more about the people who taught me how to serve — quietly, imperfectly, but with love. Writing it felt like a way of giving thanks.”
For her, the timing mattered as much as the stories. Only after years of experience did she feel ready to tell them honestly.
When asked what she hopes readers will take away from the book, Mangahas was clear.
“Your quiet yes matters. Service is love made visible. Small acts of service matter — from the humble workers who clean the church to those in the highest positions,” she said.
“I hope readers feel seen. I hope they realize that their quiet efforts are important. Even when service feels tiring or unnoticed, God receives it with tenderness. If this book helps even one person rediscover joy in serving, or encourages someone who feels weary to keep going with hope, then it has done its work.”
That affirmation runs through every chapter: a reminder that no sincere act of service is ever wasted.
One of Mangahas’ most personal chapters deals with disappointment — particularly when it comes from people in authority.
“There is a chapter that’s like a real-life ‘Good Samaritan’ story,” she shared. “It talks about how priests — friends or mentors — can sometimes disappoint and act in very un-Samaritan ways.”
She emphasized that the book does not idealize Church service.
“It shares real stories, even hurtful and painful ones involving both clergy and lay people. I witnessed these. And yet, I still chose to go back to serving — to my own ‘Jerusalem’ — because Jesus Himself served.”
For Mangahas, honesty is an act of faith.
Service is not perfect. But it is still holy.
Now that she has published her first book, Mangahas said friends are already urging her to write another — this time about her pilgrimages.
“The next book they want me to write — before I become forgetful,” she said with a laugh, “is about my pilgrimages.”
She has traveled to more than 40 countries, including visits to Auschwitz, the Vatican, and the Holy Land.
“It won’t just be about the sights,” she explained. “It will be about the people you meet, the food, the experiences, and the stories behind every journey.”
For now, she is letting the idea grow quietly — much like her first book did.
At its heart, To Serve You as I Should is a love letter to those who keep choosing faithfulness in small ways.
It tells every tired volunteer, every discouraged coordinator, every unnoticed worker:
Your service counts.
Your struggles make sense.
Your yes is sacred — even when it looks messy.
In giving voice to the invisible, Mangahas reminds readers that in God’s eyes, nothing done in love is ever small.
