Recognizing Faith

             My official move to Denver came in June 1991, but I needed time to tie up loose ends at our vocation office in St. Louis, before arriving in Denver in early September. To present myself to the Spanish speaking community, my first Mass in Spanish took place on September 15, the day before Mexican Independence Day. I was able to read Spanish for the Mass, but was not ready to preach in Spanish. Another Redemptorist offered the homily, and he left after preaching the homily. Before the Mass, he told me to end the Mass recognizing Mexican Independence Day.

            Following his instruction, after the final blessing, I shouted three “gritos” (cheers); ¡Que viva la raza! ¡Que viva la patria! ¡Que viva la Virgen! The people responded loudest to the third grito, “Long live the Virgin,” I felt very comfortable in this community of believers. Honor for the Virgin Mary is uniquely Catholic. I knew their faith. In the “gritos”, the people whom I went to Denver to serve proclaimed their faith, their Catholicism, their joy in the Gospel. This community was proud to be Catholic.

            In the United States, it is common for politicians to end speeches proclaiming, “God bless the U.S.A.” The Hispanic community of St. Joseph parish in Denver took pride in their personal identity; proud of their race, their country of origin and their faith. That day I realized that my call to work with migrants, people on the margins of society, or as Pope Francis says, “on the periphery,” can only be accomplished by recognizing their dignity and faith.

            Shortly after that Mass, I went to Mexico to begin my walk with the Hispanic migrant and immigrant. At the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, I asked the Virgin and Juan Diego to help me be a “Guadalupano.”

(tomorrow’s blog: Walk with my people)