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Alex Trujillo grew up in the coal-mining town of Blossburg, New Mexico, northwest of Raton, near the Colorado border. His father, John Trujillo, worked in the mines there for more than 40 years.

鈥淢y father was in charge of the blasting crew,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e was from Ojo Feliz, (in Mora County). My mother was from Ocate (nine miles northeast of Ojo Feliz). It was nice in Blossburg. We had our own garden. At Ocate, we had cattle and sheep, a big garden and orchards 鈥� apples, plumbs. We always picked chokecherry and had chokecherry jelly.鈥�

There were 12 children in his family, although one, a boy, died in infancy. Trujillo was a middle child, growing up with five brothers and five sisters. The family was Catholic.

鈥淲e went to St. Joseph (Catholic Church) in Raton, and I went to St. Patrick High School in Raton,鈥� said Trujillo, who turned 95 this month. 鈥淚 was an altar boy at St. Joseph. I had to be. It went with the territory.鈥�

'It's a lifetime job': Coal miner's son finds purpose by serving others as a Catholic deacon

It鈥檚 the day before Ash Wednesday and Trujillo is sitting in the spacious, circular entryway of sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 St. John XXIII Catholic Community church, 4831 Tramway Ridge Drive NE.

Two of Trujillo鈥檚 boyhood friends and neighbors, brothers Clarence and Bobby Galli, became priests and served churches in different parts of New Mexico, including sa国际传媒官网网页入口. That resonated with Trujillo.

鈥淚 thought about becoming a priest,鈥� he said.

That didn鈥檛 happen, but on Wednesday, Trujillo planned to mark the start of the Lenten season by helping dispense ashes at St. John XXIII.

He has been a Catholic deacon for more than 51 years.

鈥楢lways joyful鈥�In November 1972, Archbishop of Santa Fe James Peter Davis ordained Trujillo a deacon during ceremonies at sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 Queen of Heaven Church. Trujillo was 43 at the time, married and the father of a daughter.

Unlike men ordained priests, Catholic deacons are not permitted to celebrate Mass, hear confessions and grant absolution, or anoint the sick. But deacons can baptize, officiate at weddings and distribute the Holy Eucharist. During Mass, deacons assist the priest at the altar, proclaim the gospel and may be invited to preach the homily. And deacons are permitted to be married if they are married at the time of their ordination.

Trujillo married his wife Margaret in 1948 in Raton.

鈥淚 cut back about 10 years ago,鈥� he said, referring to his work as a deacon. 鈥淥ld age gets hold of you.鈥�

Trujillo carries a cane and uses hearing aids. His face is etched with the wrinkles one earns with long life, and his gray hair has retreated from his forehead.

But he appears trim and fit and gets to the gym three to five times a week. His mental muscle and facile wit is not in question. He jokes with much younger staff members at John XXIII and teaches Italian once a week at a senior center. When he gets the time, he paints wildlife and nature scenes in oils or acrylics or draws them in charcoal.

He said his duties as a deacon these days consist mostly of visiting the sick and presiding at rosary services for the dead.

鈥淰isiting with individuals in the hospital is very moving and humbling,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ome of them 鈥� many of them 鈥� are my friends.鈥� He has assisted at the funerals of his wife, daughter, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews and friends.

He continues to assist at Mass and delivers homilies every few weeks.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a blessing to have him around,鈥� said the Rev. Tai Pham, pastor at St. John XXIII. 鈥淗e is always joyful, and you feel the sense of service that is his nature. His service gives his life meaning and is something he looks forward to.鈥�

A lifetime jobAfter finishing high school, Trujillo joined the Army in 1945, just as World War II was ending. Four of his brothers had preceded him into the Army. One of them served in North Africa and France, and three in the South Pacific. Of those three in the South Pacific, one was taken prisoner by the Japanese during the fall of Bataan and another died on the Philippine island of Luzon.

Trujillo served three years in the Army before going to school at Trinidad (Colorado) Junior College. From there, he enrolled at the University of New Mexico, where he got undergraduate degrees in secondary education and languages.

鈥淚 speak Spanish, Italian, some English and a very little Portuguese,鈥� he said. He also earned a master鈥檚 in Spanish folklore at UNM and a master鈥檚 in human relations and counseling at Webster College (now Webster University), a Catholic institution in a suburb of St. Louis.

His career early on did not suggest his future vocation as a deacon. He joined the Navy in 1956 and retired after more than 20 years of service, and he worked as a Department of Defense mechanical engineer at the Air Force Weapons Lab at Kirtland Air Force Base.

鈥淚 took engineering courses along with my language courses at UNM,鈥� he said.

But the tug of his Catholic faith was persistent.

鈥淚 always liked to go to church, serving (at Mass) or doing whatever, I could 鈥� ushering,鈥� he said. In the late 鈥�60s, he entered Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Santa Fe to begin his studies for the diaconate.

He has served three Catholic parishes in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 鈥� Holy Ghost, Sangre de Christo and now St. John XXIII.

鈥淚t has helped me appreciate people more,鈥� he said of his life as a deacon. 鈥淚鈥檓 a people person anyway. I can go to the grocery store to get milk, and it鈥檇 take me two hours because I talk to everybody.鈥�

The sense of service Rev. Pham spoke of is evident when Trujillo, talking with a visitor, paraphrases the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.

鈥淲hen you die, Ollie, God is going to say, 鈥楽how me your hands. Where are the scars from giving? Show me your feet. Where are the wounds from serving? Show me your heart. Did you leave a little space for divine love?鈥� 鈥�

Trujillo said he will retire when he passes from this world.

鈥淚 know if I quit, I would not last very long,鈥� he said. 鈥淎s long as my mental health lasts, I am going to keep on going. Being a Christian is getting involved and helping others. It鈥檚 a lifetime job.鈥�