Susana Aurelia Moncayo

She is survived by her brother Andrew Moncayo, niece Susan Campbell, and nephews William David Campbell and Abelardo Moncayo (Meghan) and his sons Alejandro and William. Predeceased are her parents, Aurelia Andrade Moncayo and Abelardo Moncayo, sister Angela Campbell (William Paul), brother Abelardo Moncayo (Yolanda) and niece Yolanda Moncayo. She also leaves behind many relatives and wonderful friends in Quito, Ecuador and in the United States. Her brother Andrew Moncayo and Maruja Andrade Ubelaker, her cousin, both provided great support in her final years.

As part of her continuing education, Susana earned a translator certificate (Spanish-English) at Georgetown University and applied it both at her job in the Organization of American States and with St. Charles Church. She traveled extensively and visited countries all around the world with her friends. She also spoke fluent French.

Below is an article about her published in the Arlington Catholic Herald on December 19-25, 2013 that speaks of her life and her faith:

"Feeling at Home in Her Parish"

Longest-serving worker at St. Charles is proud to belong to church's vibrant community.

By: Maria-Pia Negro - Catholic Herald Staff Writer

Susana Moncayo fell in love with St. Charles Borromeo Church in Arlington soon after she joined the parish 56 years ago. She felt so at home that she walked up to the pastor to ask to work at the parish just a few days after she retired in 1989. Now Moncayo, who is in charge of the parish's sacramental records, is the longest-serving staff member at the church.

"I feel very happy to be here, " Moncayo said with a smile. "I'm very proud of my parish."

At her part-time job at St. Charles, Moncayo takes care of the records of every parishioner, meticulously keeping track of their sacraments and life events. Described by her friends as "sweet, yet strict, yet compassionate," she inspires respect and fondness. Parishioners often see Moncayo at Mass or at the many events that the parish organizes. And on Sundays, many children run up to her to give her a hug or a kiss before Mass.

Friendly and Active

Moncayo was born in Ecuador as the second of four children. Growing up, Moncayo often would go to Mass at the Church of Santa Teresita in Quito, where she received her first Communion. The faith of her family was not necessarily transmitted at school or through special devotions; it was just something that was part of their lives.

“I never stop going to Mass on Sundays or on a holy day. It is very important to me,” she said. “I have always fulfilled my Catholic duties and followed the commandments.”

Some parishioners may not know that Moncayo studied German up until the sixth grade. She attended the Colegio Alemán de Quito, which is part of a network of international German schools. She said she only remembers a few words, though. “That’s what happens when you don’t practice,” she said. After Moncayo graduated from high school, she studied at the Central University of Ecuador in Quito, one of the oldest universities in the Americas.

There, Moncayo studied economics for three years until she moved to the United States in 1957. She came to Northern Virginia with her mother and youngest brother. Her mother, a teacher, had just retired and wanted to see her daughter who had immigrated earlier.

Living in Arlington with her family, Moncayo experienced what it was like to belong to a parish. And she loved her new community at St. Charles.

“I did not have a specific parish in Ecuador. We just go to Mass at the church that is closest to us,” she recalled.“(St. Charles) is a beautiful church because it is friendly and active. We are always celebrating something or creating a new program.”

When she was not getting involved in parish programs or enjoying time with her family, Moncayo worked for an insurance company. Later, she worked for the Organization of American States in Washington for nearly two decades in their department of statistics and scholarship department until she retired in 1989.

During her 24 years serving the parish, Moncayo has worked with countless parishioners and three pastors — twice with Father Horace H. “Tuck” Grinnell, who calls her a faithful worker and active parishioner. “Right after I retired, I came to talk to Father Tuck who was the pastor here. I told him I wanted to help in the parish,” she said. “He hired me, and at first I was a receptionist on the weekends, or only on Sundays.”

Seeing her drive to help others, she was assigned more responsibilities at St. Charles and eventually took over the organizing of the sacraments.

By 1992, Moncayo was asked to be the coordinator for the baptisms in the parish, in addition to keeping the records of St. Charles parishioners.

“That’s my favorite part, the baptisms,” she said. “The moms come to ask questions, and they are very young and they are bringing their babies. I really enjoy that.”

Moncayo has parents register, attend baptism classes and schedule a date for the baptism. “I established the systems for the baptisms here; we have a lot of them — about 20 every month,” she said.

After she checks every line on the forms, the new parishioners are baptized and registered.

Moncayo also keeps handwritten records of every parishioner’s sacramental milestones such as first Communions, confirmations and marriages.

‘Everybody knows Susanita’

Teresa Reyes, who coordinates the ministry for the Latin American community at St. Charles, said Moncayo generously gives her time to the parish even hours after her work is done.

“I met her more than 30 years ago,” Reyes said. “I really admire her because she has never stopped working. And I have never seen her lose patience. … She is gentle, but very sincere, very straightforward.”

Reyes added that she seeks Moncayo whenever she needs input on a project. And Moncayo always makes time to help. Even when Moncayo visits her relatives in Ohio or Tennessee, she always triple-checks everything so the coordinators of the sacraments have an easy time.

Moncayo has taught Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at the parish and oversees the weekly bulletin in Spanish. She volunteered to proofread the Catholic Herald’s Spanish page a few years ago. Around the same time, she took classes at the Spanish Apostolate’s Institute for Pastoral Formation in Arlington to continue cultivating her faith.

Moncayo is very close to her family, and her close-knit relationships with her brothers, nephews and nieces strengthened after her mother and sister passed away. And she has a great friendship with her sister-in-law, Yolanda, who lives in Ohio.

In addition to visiting her family, Mon- cayo enjoys spending time with her best friends from Ecuador and her friends from past jobs. “I go to the movies with my girlfriends fairly often, sometimes every week,” Moncayo said.

She participates in the religious traditions of the diverse community at St. Charles, including the celebrations of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Lord of Miracles. She remembers details about the devotions from other people’s countries.

“She is somebody who is very dedicated to the community and constantly worries about the needs of its members,” Reyes said. “If somebody needs to go back to their countries, she always organizes something for them, either a farewell party or a way to acknowledge them.”

Moncayo, who no longer drives, comes to Mass with a family from St. Charles. When she can’t come with them, she has a line of volunteers ready to pick her up so she does not miss Mass.

“This is an acknowledgement of how loved she is in the community,” Reyes said. “Everybody — children and adults — knows Señora Susanita.”

Moncayo’s patience and sweet nature has won the love and admiration of her fellow parishioners. The love is mutual.

“It is very nice when I go to a social function at the parish and find friends that I have not seen in a while,” she said. “There is this great sense of community in this church.”