MELROSE -- From kindergarten to his doctorate in chemistry at Seton Hall University, almost all of Edgardo "Ed" Mantilla's education has taken place in Catholic schools.

His Jesuit high school in Houston taught him to be "a man for others." In college, he could go to the lab in the morning, drop off his things, and attend Mass. Some people tell him that science and religion cannot coexist. Having studied the two for much of his life, he disagrees.

"I don't think we would have science if it wasn't for the Lord," he said. "The Lord is making this all happen, and he wants us to be creative and inventive. It's a gift from him, so I think it is a true partnership between science and religion."

Mantilla, 60, has been a parishioner at St. Mary of the Annunciation in Melrose for 23 years. He married his wife Rebecca there. His daughter was baptized and confirmed there. St. Mary's is where he can put his calling to be "a man for others" into practice. He assists at baptisms, serves as an usher at the 4 p.m. Mass on Saturdays, taught confirmation classes for five years, and leads the men's prayer group on Monday nights. Whenever an extra altar server or extraordinary minister of Communion is needed, he steps in. One of his favorite ministries is bringing the Eucharist to residents of the local nursing home.

"The people you meet, the knowledge that they have of life, it's incredible," he said.

Sometimes he will go to the home looking for someone, only to find that they're no longer there.

"The Lord will call them home," he said, adding, "That one hits me a little harder than probably any other ministry, because I know them. We get to know them. I go to their apartments and bring Communion. But again, we're all called."

For his service to St. Mary's, Mantilla was one of 101 people who received Cheverus Awards last November. The annual archdiocesan awards, named for Boston's first bishop, honor those who have quietly given long-time service to the Church.

When nominating Mantilla for the award, Father Shawn Allen, pastor of St. Mary's, called Mantilla "a blessing across many areas of parish life." Parish secretary Lisa Hudson calls him "Superman."

"He does anything you ask him to without hesitation," she said. "I don't know what we'd do without him."

Getting to know people like Hudson makes volunteering all worth it for Mantilla. Serving St. Mary's has helped him focus on his family and the people around him. He is currently discerning a vocation to the diaconate. When he received the email saying he had won the Cheverus Award, he thought it was spam. A physical letter in the mail confirmed it was real.

"I was very humbled, because the things I do in the parish are not for any sort of praise," he said. "I just love what I do, love getting involved, love helping people with their faith."

Mantilla spent his earliest years in a small neighborhood of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in a devout Catholic family. His favorite thing to do was play G.I. Joe with his neighbors.

"It was great," he said. "Everybody knew each other."

His parents divorced, and he moved to Houston with his mother when he was 12 years old. The move was "a bit of a shock" for him, though he had the summer to "assimilate" before enrolling in a new school. As a "talkative" youth, he had no trouble making new friends. Life in Houston was much faster than in San Juan. The roads were packed with traffic, and people demanded instant gratification. His three older siblings were in college, so it was just Mantilla and his mother.

"My mother, she's a saint," he said. "She was both mother and father, and she did a great job with me and my siblings."

After high school, he enrolled in the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. At first, he wanted to be a medical doctor, but chemistry seemed more enjoyable. His love of the subject came from his high school chemistry teacher, who started every class with a reading from Scripture.

"He was just fabulous," Mantilla said. "He made a very difficult subject fun. That in itself inspired me to go into chemistry."

He spent some time working in pharmaceuticals and software before thinking back to the encouragement of one of his grad school colleagues, who had studied patent law and told him it was "a great field." Mantilla went to New England Law Boston and passed the Patent Bar and Massachusetts Bar Exams. Though his current occupation is often the butt of jokes about a supposed lack of virtue, his faith still influences his work.

"I think how we treat our adversaries is important," he said. "The Scripture tells us you need to forgive from your heart. So I think that helps you deal with them in terms of, be kind, don't be insulting, don't be condescending."

The work has taught him about conflict and compromise.

"I try to keep a good attitude and a positive attitude, just like Jesus taught us," he said.

He and Rebecca, then his fiancee, discovered St. Mary's while looking for a new parish where they could wed and spend their married life together.

"We were driving around and we saw the church," he said. "So we came to Mass, loved it. The community here is just the best."

It's stayed that way for 23 years.