Edwin Lucero, 34, is a production engineer in manufacturing in Rockland County. In his spare time, he takes photos for Young Adult and Hispanic ministries, which post the images on their social media sites. Lucero does this on a freelance basis, but also often without pay, volunteering his time and talent.
Years ago, at age 17, Lucero was on a multi-parish, nine-day trip to Italy visiting sacred sites, including the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. It was at the basilica, while praying in the crypt, that he experienced a spiritually decisive moment, one that led the teen to return home to the Bronx and become a more active member of his church, Santa Maria in the Bronx, later closed. That included serving as an altar boy. He has remained an active church volunteer since.
In the crypt, Lucero prayed for the overall well-being of his family. He grew up as the oldest of five children, three boys and two girls. He commutes to Rockland County from the Bronx, where his current parish is St. Dominic. He teaches catechism and is involved with the Encounter NYC ministry there. One of his sisters died of leukemia last December at age 23. He noted that the family’s strong faith helped a great deal in coping with her death.
Chasing profound peace
“It was a special moment of peace, ever since that moment, I’ve been chasing that peace,” Lucero said of his time praying in the basilica crypt. He spoke with The Good Newsroom in the sacristy of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Wednesday, Aug. 19. “It was profound, up until that point, it felt like it was just about going to Mass on Sundays, just to go.”
Lucero, Bronx-born of Mexican descent, added, “The Church is really what I’m trying to promote; my focus is transmitting the faith through the images, capturing the beauty of the faith.” After Assisi, he said, “I wanted to understand the faith more, in a deeper manner. When I came back, I felt that I couldn’t stay the same. I made it a point to be more present in the Church, to serve more … It becomes practical, volunteering. It becomes a practical aspect of our lives.”
In addition to photos, Lucero has lent his time and talent as a videographer throughout the archdiocese, in many parishes, including the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. Bernard, West 14th Street, Manhattan, and St. Anthony of Padua Church in the Bronx. He often takes photos during the monthly Young Adult Mass celebrations at the cathedral.
A longtime friend recalls
Pjetër Nilaj, director of the archdiocesan Youth Ministry, Young Adult Ministry, and University Apostolate, said Lucero has been “definitely serving the Lord, capturing our evangelization efforts and those of so many different parishes, like moments of Confirmations, First Communions, and also some of our Young Adult Masses; his faith is very strong, for sure.” Nilaj and Lucero are friends, going back to their teenage years in the Bronx.
“And he has been capturing the beauty of our Church, through his photography and videography. This leads to young people getting to know more about our parishes, about the beautiful gatherings, archdiocesan and parish level,” Nilaj noted, “It brings people to community, in-person community, which is more important than the likes and the clicks … He tries to get people to encounter Jesus through his work. Pope Leo talked about this last summer, when he got digital missionaries in Rome together.”
Facts Only
* Edwin Lucero is 34 years old and works as a production engineer in manufacturing in Rockland County.
* Lucero photographs for Young Adult and Hispanic ministries on a freelance or volunteer basis.
* At age 17, Lucero visited Italy and prayed in the crypt of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi.
* This experience led Lucero to return to the Bronx and become more active in his church, Santa Maria in the Bronx.
* Lucero prayed for his family's well-being in the basilica crypt.
* Lucero grew up as the oldest of five children (three boys and two girls).
* Lucero commutes from the Bronx to Rockland County; his current parish is St. Dominic.
* He teaches catechism and is involved with the Encounter NYC ministry.
* One of Lucero's sisters died of leukemia at age 23.
* Lucero has volunteered time and talent as a videographer in many parishes, including the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Anthony of Padua Church.
* Pjetër Nilaj stated Lucero captures evangelization efforts through photography and videography.
Executive Summary
Full Take
The narrative constructs an appeal to spiritual transformation, linking a singular profound experience in a sacred space to a sustained life mission centered on faith transmission. The pattern observed is the establishment of a personal, experiential catalyst (the basilica crypt) that then becomes the primary mechanism for external action (photography and videography for evangelization). This shifts the focus from internal spiritual seeking to external manifestation of belief, framing art as a conduit for faith rather than mere expression. The tension lies between the stated goal—chasing peace and transmitting faith—and the practical execution—freelance/volunteer work—suggesting an effort to make profound spiritual pursuit actionable in mundane life contexts. The narrative positions Lucero as an embodiment of a specific type of missionary work, where personal history is utilized not for self-reflection alone, but to foster communal encounter with religious belief. This structure implicitly suggests that authentic faith engagement requires translating private spiritual resonance into public, visible forms.
Bridge Questions: What are the tangible costs or benefits associated with the trade-off between spiritual pursuit and artistic labor? How does the reliance on a singular, transcendent event define the scope of an individual’s subsequent service? What other modalities exist for transmitting faith that do not rely on aesthetic representation?