Beauty captured through the eyes of a child is especially meaningful. With a keen eye and discretion beyond her years, Camila Morales, 10, has captured many beautiful, even sacred, moments at St. Clement Parish in St. Bernard.

A rising fifth grader, Camila is one of the altar servers recruited by Fr. William “Jud” Weiksnar, OFM, parochial vicar, to photograph special Masses and celebrations for the faith community. An avid photographer himself, Fr. Weiksnar said all the student photographers are talented, but he is particularly impressed by Camila’s work.

At the start of last school year, said Fr. Weiksnar, “When I saw the pictures Camila took, I was astounded at her sense of timing, and, as the months went on, she became much surer of herself and knew a good opportunity for a photo. She has really come into her own as a photographer … able to capture the beauty of a moment like very few people have the ability to do.”

Camila, whose family is originally from Guatemala, said she has enjoyed taking photos for the past couple of years, especially nature shots. “It’s something that’s fun for me,” she said. “I was excited when Fr. Jud asked me to take pictures to help him and also get better with taking pictures.”

With a nod and smile, Fr. Weiksnar gives the sign to Camila, and she quietly takes photos that are both moving and professional. He said Camila also quickly learned to identify appropriate shots on her own and has taken the initiative to capture many beautiful images. She photographed numerous parish and school events over the past year, and dozens of her pictures were featured on St. Clement’s Facebook page.

Using an iPhone as the tool of her trade, Camila said, “Staying still and being quiet,” along with “not taking pictures of people from behind, showing their faces, and being sure the pictures are natural, not posed,” are key to achieving good photos.

On the feast of Corpus Christi in June, Camila slipped quietly into the parish procession around several blocks in the St. Bernard area, taking pictures of the faithful as they joyfully honored the gift of the Eucharist. The Mass that followed was extra special for her because she photographed her mother, Ilsa, receiving her first Communion.

“I was so happy and excited for her,” Camila said.

Besides being a skilled young photographer, Camila is one of the kindest children Fr. Weiksnar said he has encountered during his years in ministry. He moves to a new assignment in August, but remembers how she was the first student to welcome him to the school when he arrived at St. Clement in the Fall of 2024. She is known to offer fellow students part of her lunch if she senses they’re hungry and give her snack and drink to her exhausted teammates after a soccer game. Fr. Weiksnar recalls one day after school when Camila offered him a pack of cookies. He politely declined but later found the cookies in his jacket pocket.

“That’s just how Camila is—always thinking of others,” he said.

It’s clear that Camila, who will attend Holy Family School in Price Hill this fall, was inspired by Fr. Weiksnar and the other friars from the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe who live and serve at St. Clement. “Fr. Jud and all the friars are so kind and humble and full of joy,” she said. “They’re always helping people.”

“I like helping people, too,” Camila added. “You can make a choice to either help or be mean. My choice is to be kind to people.”

This sweet child, who shares external beauty through photography and inner beauty through her selflessness, has big plans for the future: “I want to be a photographer, or a doctor, or a police officer, or an FBI agent—just something to help people.”