Aaron, Aldo, Alonso, Andres, and Mariel Rodriguez Morales were born on March 1, 2004. They are quintuplets, a miracle of life and of God. They define themselves as a gift from God, and have been altar servers for 10 years in the parish of Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza, in Candiles in state of Querétaro, Mexico.
When asked about their childhood, one of the things that they all remember is how much fun they had growing up, because they were never alone. With each other’s company and that of their parents, their life has been filled with fun, with faith in God, and with their parents’ example of loving God at all times.
The siblings will never forget all the games they’ve shared, from pillow fights to turning the furniture in the house upside down to create an obstacle course where they compete as if on a TV show. These games were forming them little by little to understand each other, as well as teaching them to help each other.
Another moment of their life that the quintuplets remember well is their school days. They’ve always been responsible and very united, even though the school divided them into two groups. They’ll always remember walking to high school together, accompanying each other and taking care of each other when arriving and leaving. These are the moments that have strengthened their bonds as siblings.
Although they were never aggressive or the kind of children who get into fights, they did defend each other whenever one of them was offended or bullied by other children at school. They shared this beautiful memory when they participated in an interview with Aleteia.
The leader: Mariel
When it comes to altar service, the boys recognize that Mariel, the only girl of the quintuplets, is the leader. She’s the one who gives them instructions for different roles, such as carrying the candlesticks and the high cross or the censer. For them, serving God at the altar is a unique and special activity that has changed their lives.
Aaron, Aldo, Alonso, Andres, and Mariel also remember how special it was when they made their First Communion and Confirmation. They say that it’s a blessing that each one has their own godparents: five pairs of godparents have accompanied them for each sacrament. It’s a wealth of companionship for their parents, and for the children it’s a wealth of blessings.
Quintuplets after five years without getting pregnant
The quintuplets feel great emotion and pride when they share how they were born. They tell how their parents had been trying to get pregnant for more than five years without success. They went to a doctor, but he couldn’t promise the couple anything, so they prayed with faith to God for the miracle of being parents. The quintuplets explain that their father asked God for at least one child, while their mother asked God for five children or as many as He might send them.
Incredibly, God granted them five children at the same time! They never imagined that their prayers would be answered. That’s why these quintuplets consider themselves to be a miracle.
The quintuplets say that their mother was very dedicated, loving, and very organized. She wrote down in a notebook everything related to the specific needs care of each one, so as not to forget any detail when bathing them, changing their diapers, feeding them, or doing anything else related to their health.
One of the babies had health problems
Blessings do not mean never facing a challenge. For this family, the challenge wasn’t only having quintuplets, but that they were born two months premature. It was an opportunity for the parents to grow in patience and faith, and to pray intensely, because the health of one of the babies, little Alonso, was so delicate that he needed emergency microsurgery at dawn without much hope of survival. For this reason, the father of the quintuplets prayed with great devotion to St. Joseph to intercede for his little baby.
Their prayers were heard, and little Alonso lived. In fulfillment of his father’s promise, Alonso’s first name is now Joseph—he’s named José Alonso—in gratitude for the healing.
The parents — Elsa and Humberto—emerged from this difficult time stronger in love and faith. After that time, God filled them with deep happiness as they saw their five babies grow physically and spiritually.
Here is what the quintuplets have said about their service at the altar:
“For me serving God at the altar is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life.” — Aldo
“We changed our lifestyle by being altar servers because it was a door to get closer to the Church.” — Mariel
“As we grew older, we also grew as altar servers; we got closer to God and we learned more things.” — Aaron
“At a very young age we learned things that many other children don’t know about faith and God.” — Alonso
“Serving as an altar server helped me a lot because we understood better what the Mass was and how it went. It helped us understand the meaning of the holy Mass.” — Andres
Bringing Communion to the sick with their parents
There’s something they particularly love to do. They describe it as unique and special, even divine. It’s when their parents, who are Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, bring the Eucharist to the sick. The children, wearing their altar serving uniforms, accompany their parents for that sublime mission. The sick are amazed when five altar servers enter the door of their house; it helps them feel God’s presence and the solemnity of the moment.
The quintuplets describe this action as if it were a moment in heaven. God comes to the sick in Communion, and the quintuplets have witnessed miracles and inexplicable healings.
They show with their joy and faith that innocence is important for living the faith and bearing witness. But above all they teach us that life in its fullness is a miracle.
And today we celebrate...