Kenya and Adrian Soto: Parents going the extra mile

Raising children taught parents about faith leadership in their parish community

Published: August 29, 2023

By Arkansas Catholic Staff

Courtesy Kenya and Adrian Soto

Kenya and Adrian Soto represent the young leaders being formed at St. Andrew Church in Danville.

Courtesy Kenya and Adrian Soto

Kenya and Adrian Soto represent the young leaders being formed at St. Andrew Church in Danville.

What saint inspires you? Why?

“When my daughter was in a coma, Father Mauricio (Carrasco) anointed her and prayed that Mother Mary would receive her with open arms. I just cried because Mary knew what it was like to see her child suffer, and she became my patron saint.”

- Kenya

“St. Joseph because he knew he was not the biological father of Jesus, but he took him under his wing. He was obedient to God's commands, and he loved Jesus. He was a humble and hard-working man. I think St. Joseph was a perfect model for loving God first over anything and everything.”

- Adrian

Danville

Kenya and Adrian Soto represent the young leaders being formed at St. Andrew Church in Danville. The 30-year-old parents have two children, a 12-year-old daughter who has a severe seizure disorder and an 8-year-old son.

Kenya Soto has taught PRE classes for fourth to sixth graders and currently teaches preschool through second grade. The parish had only Spanish-language Bibles, and when one of her PRE students wished he had an English Bible, Soto helped them lead a fundraising project. With a little help from their parents, the students held a bake and snack sale and raised enough money to buy individual English Bibles. The parish now holds a monthly English children’s Mass and a monthly bilingual Mass for youth. All other Masses are celebrated in Spanish.

Adrian Soto, who teaches PRE to older students, assists pastor Father Maurcio Carrasco in leading a monthly holy hour for youth. By leading them in a structured adoration experience, the youth learn how to pray on their own, both during and outside of adoration. After an opening prayer, Soto invokes the Holy Spirit and leads students in asking for forgiveness and expressing their needs, incorporating moments of silence for personal reflection.

“Adrian’s main goal is teaching kids they can have a one-on-one encounter with God during holy hour,” Kenya Soto said.

More stories will appear in our 15 Young Adults Who Inspire Us 2023 Section as they are posted online. Subscribe to Arkansas Catholic’s digital and print publications to read more content like this.