St. Irenaeus’ Lil’ Angel

By Edna Ethington

St. Irenaeus Catholic Church in Cypress has a “Lil’ Angel” actively working each day to share God’s blessing with everyone she meets. Betty Borowski is that “Lil’ Angel” who enriches the lives of people in the parish as a member of Health Ministry and a member of the parish staff. Starting first as a volunteer Pastoral Care member, she conducted funeral vigils, served also as a Hospitality Minister for funerals, and trained others to become Vigil and Hospitality ministers. She also served as a Lector, a Eucharistic Minister, a Bible Study Facilitator, and assisted the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program.
Betty’s volunteer service was so outstanding that she was nominated for the Catholic Woman of the Year Award in the Diocese of Orange in 2003 representing St. Irenaeus Parish. She really continues to be St. Irenaeus’ Catholic Woman of Today and she generously continues to serve parishioners in more and more ways each day. How does a woman become so full of spiritual energy and dedication to serve others as a Catholic Christian?
Betty was not a “cradle Catholic,” but one who became a Catholic after a few extraordinary experiences. She was a police officer for four years when her husband died unexpected from a heart attack in 1979 and left her to raise three children, ages 16,15, and 9. She continued to work in police work to support her family and became a detective in 1980. She was known then as Detective Malone and even carried a gun. The stress of the job caused her to seek a disability retirement in 1990, and that is when her conversion to the Catholic faith began.
Betty went on a pilgrimage trip to Yugoslavia with a friend who was ill. It was said that the Virgin Mary appeared to some children in Medugorje. People went to Medugorje hoping for cures for their ills, much like people who go to Fatima. While she was there, she prayed for a sign that God wanted her to become a Catholic. The sign she asked for was to have the silver parts of the rosary that had been given to her by her friend to be changed to a gold color. This did not occur while Betty was in Yugoslavia but other events happened during the trip.
A second unusual event happened while she was on her trip in the port city of Dubrovnik. As Betty received a blessing of her throat at St. Blaze Church, she experienced the sensations of being “slain in the spirit” as she felt a wave through her body and could not keep standing. She said she felt peace and serenity as she lay on the floor for a few minutes. The tickle in her throat and the cough she had, before the blessing of her throat at St. Blaze, were both gone. The rosary that she had used during the trip to Medugorje still had not turned to gold, so after her return home, she took a trip to visit her son up north. When she returned from that trip a week later, the silver chain of that rosary had turned to gold. She showed the rosary to a priest at St. Irenaeus while it was gold, and the priest said that “miracles happen.” With that sign received, Betty began her two year education in the RCIA at St. Irenaeus and was confirmed in 1992.
Betty said that she “sees God’s hand” in many miracles that she has experienced since Medugorje, God’s Spirit has guided Betty throughout her journey in faith to become a Catholic and to live her faith life to the fullest. It was after her Confirmation as Catholic in 1991 that she became active in all the activities that she became involved with in the parish and continues to work hard at all that she does both as volunteer or as a staff member.
Betty has taken many hours of training to be better able to help parishioners at St. Irenaeus. She completed 28 hours of workshops with the Center for Health Ministry Outreach in 2005 to help with the Funeral Ministry. She also attended eight sessions for a total of 20 hours of the Bereavement Training Program with The Catholic Cemeteries Department of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2007. Most recently, she completed four weekends of eight days for a total of 64 hours of Capacitar International training in 2010 and 2011 to be able to help people deal with stress in their lives.
Betty’s work is so vital to the parish that Betty was hired as a Support Staff member at St. Irenaeus Catholic Church in 2006. She is now paid to work part-time as a minister for funeral vigils and as hospitality minister for funeral. She also works with the Adult Formation Committee and does other secretarial work as needed. After working in Graphic Arts for a business by the name of “Taylor Your Memories” for three years, she designs professional quality flyers, bulletins, mass aids, invitations, and special notes that showcase her creative talents. Her work can be identified by the logo, “A Lil’ Angel Publication.”
Betty says that “the rosary is still my mainstay” as she meditates on the Mysteries of the Rosary as well as the readings from the Bible each day, and as she studies the Bible each week. She said that God has brought so much into her life, from her loneliness and emptiness, so that now, she says, “My plate is truly full.” Betty and Richard Borowski each raised two sons and one daughter, for a total of six children. They are now enjoying being grandparents of nine grandchildren together.