When the Rev. Leo Ortiz of St. Anne's Church was asked to name a few of the projects Marcella Ortiz Gonzales has been involved in at the church, he paused for a very long moment. One could almost hear the pastor thinking over the phone.

"There are just so many to mention," he finally said. "I'll have to have someone type up a list for you."

By the next day, parish business manager Christine Romero had provided a list of Ortiz Gonzales' many contributions to life at St. Anne's.

"She's always that one person you know you can rely on," Romero said. "Her gentle nature in dealing with our parishioners attests to her willingness to be a generous giver of her talent and time."

Whether teaching a Catechism class, as she did for Romero's children 12 years ago, rounding up last-minute donors to the St. Anne's Parish Fiesta or delivering Holy Communion to home-bound parishioners on Sundays, Ortiz Gonzales is a force to be reckoned with. She also is a member of the parish council and organizes post-funeral dinners in the parish hall for bereaved families.

"Anytime something of importance is happening here, Marcella is in the middle of it," said parish deacon Enrique Montoya. "Her faith drives her like gasoline drives a car."

Ortiz Gonzales considers her devout Catholicism and her family — she and her husband, Rudy, raised five children — very much intertwined.

"My family has always been faith-based," she said, "as have all my relatives before me."

At home, drawings or photographs of all the Catholic churches in Santa Fe decorate a living-room wall, and a collection of crosses hangs above the fireplace.

There were two milestone anniversaries in the Ortiz Gonzales family this year. Marcella's parents, Jose and Isabel Ortiz, both 92, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary, and Marcella and Rudy marked their 50th. On both occasions, Mass at St. Anne's amid family and friends was an integral part of the celebration.

Marcella Ortiz Gonzales, 67, a member of the first graduating class at St. Anne's Elementary School in 1953, taught Catechism classes at the church when her children were young.

Of her work as a mother to five children, she says, "I just did what a normal parent is obliged to do."

Ortiz Gonzales' daughter, Eileen Gonzales, and her brother, Tom Ortiz, nominated her for 10 Who Made a Difference.

Eileen describes her mother as devoted to her children and 17 grandchildren. She said Ortiz Gonzales participates in her grandchildren's fundraisers and school field trips, and cheers them on at sporting events.

Ortiz Gonzales shares her time and talents not only with her family and church, but also with the Santa Fe community at large.

She was a Habitat for Humanity board member for more than 10 years. "I figured my experiences in the home-mortgage business could help out," said Ortiz Gonzales, who retired from a career in banking in 1996 and has lived in Santa Fe all her life.

She also was involved with the Civitan community service organization, which is focused on helping the disabled, and served on the board of Visiting Nurse Service. Eileen said Ortiz Gonzales also makes daily visits to a friend in an assisted-living center who suffers from dementia, and helps with others at the center.

These days, you will find her not only involved with St. Anne's or with her family, but also walking along Rabbit Road, tossing litter into the trash bags she carries with her on her daily three-mile walks.

"People really seem to appreciate me doing that," she said. Ortiz Gonzales said it's not unusual for passing motorists, as a way of saying thanks, to stop and hand her gift certificates to local stores.