Assumption Grotto parish helps adults become computer savvy
Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published January 19, 2007
Robert Delaney | The Michigan Catholic
Fr. John Bustamante (standing) works with adult computer students (from left) Michael Powell, Marie Coules and Amy McGuckin at Assumption Grotto Parish in Detroit. | Detroit — Fr. John Bustamante developed the computer lab at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Assumption Grotto) Parish to teach children, but has found there is also interest from adults in the parish.
"First, it was some of the moms who bring their home-school kids here for the programs, then one lady needs to go back to work and needs to get her typing skills up to speed," said Fr. Bustamante, associate pastor.
Initially, when it was just a few moms of home-schooled children, they would receive instruction on Wednesdays when they brought their kids to Grotto. But then, Fr. Bustamante opened the computer lab on Sundays after Masses. Now, he wants to also have it open weekdays the same hours at the parish's gift shop – 8:30-10 a.m. – so it will be available to people who come for daily Mass.
The computer instruction he now offers draws on Fr. Bustamante's experience in the business world before he entered seminary. "I was a computer consultant for about eight years, and my specialty was doing internal networks," he said.
Marie Coules, one of the adult students, said, "I'm just very grateful to Fr. John for doing this. He's very knowledgeable about computers."
Coules, 47, said she was motivated to learn how to use a computer when Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis asked her to write up her experiences with the late Fr. John Hardon, SJ. Coules started out as a volunteer driver, became a secretary, and eventually a personal caregiver for Fr. Hardon, who was a prolific author and speaker.
Archbishop Burke is gathering information in preparation for launching Fr. Hardon's cause for sainthood.
Amy McGuckin, 18, is an intermediate-level student, learning more about computers as she takes a year off between high school and starting college. "I'm going into photography, but computers are taking over everywhere you go," she said.
McGuckin said Fr. Bustamante has a "great program" going at Grotto. "He's very computer-savvy, and he's a very patient teacher. I'm glad he's doing it," she said.
The computer lab was developed so home-schooled children could learn about computers without being exposed to negative aspects of the Internet, Fr. Bustamante explained.
But he said there are some Internet sites he makes available to students, such as the Vatican's, www.vatican.va, the U.S. Catholic bishops', www.usccb.org, the Archdiocese of Detroit's, http://www.aodonline.org, Catholic Answers, www.catholic.com, and the Catholic Encyclopaedia, www.NewAdvent.org.
To keep costs down, Fr. Bustamante came up with some innovative solutions he is willing to share with other parishes that would like to set up a computer lab.
For the parish, the computer instruction classes are already paying dividends. One group of students is preparing a Stations of the Cross booklet for use during Lent. Another group is about to begin cataloguing the parish's library.
"There was a recent article about the Holy Father saying we should use technology as part of evangelization. This is something our computer lab is helping parishioners — young and old — to do," he said.
Assumption Grotto Parish is at 13770 Gratiot Ave., Detroit 48205, telephone (313) 372-0762.
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