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Hispanic Ministry Brings Community Together in Faith
As Catholics, we are all one Body of Christ, regardless of language or culture. Here at St. John Before the Latin Gate, the Hispanic Ministry brings the Spanish-speaking members of the community together. Through this ministry, the Hispanic community can worship in their own language and keep their traditions alive and introduce them to the whole community.
“Since Hispanic parishioners are far away from their country of origin and their customs and traditions, our ministry is important to make them feel welcome,” says ministry coordinator Everardo Ramirez Aguiñaga. “It helps them to see the Church as a part of their lives, where they can express their Catholic faith through fervent participation in the activities the Hispanic Ministry offers to the community.”
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The Hispanic Ministry was first organized in August 2004 and is made up of parishioners from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Venezuela, and Ecuador. The parish has a well-attended Spanish Mass every Sunday at 1:30 p.m., as well as every Thursday at 7 p.m. Additionally, the ministry has a Holy Hour for the Hispanic community on the first Thursday of each month, following the 7 p.m. Mass.
Throughout the year, the ministry provides various resources for the Hispanic community. The ministry offers Spanish-language sacrament preparation, including Religious Education classes for First Communion, classes for catechumens, Baptism classes, and marriage preparation classes. They also offer faith formation classes for adults on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, as well as spiritual retreats for Advent, Lent, evangelization, and families. The ministry also hosts various activities and events for the Hispanic community, as well as the entire parish community.
“We organize events related to the culture and traditions specific to the different regions of the members of our community,” Everardo says. “We invite the entire community to participate so that they can experience the diversity of cultures and traditions of each country. Some examples of these events are Día de Muertos, where we maintain the tradition of commemorating the faithful deceased with altars for the dead, prepared by the community, and serve traditional Mexican food; the traditional Mexican Posadas in December, commemorating Mary and Joseph’s search for an inn in Bethlehem; a Hispanic Festival to celebrate Mexico’s independence day every Sept. 16; and Noche Bohemia, a day to celebrate love and friendship with an evening of music.
“We also celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe every Dec. 12, where we do a pilgrimage on horseback, concluding with the celebration of the Eucharist, followed by a community get-together,” he adds. “We also celebrate many religious feasts for the saints and different apparitions of the Virgin Mary.”
By creating a community for Hispanic parishioners, the ministry serves as both a means of fellowship and a network of support for the different needs of the parish. Everardo hopes that the ministry will continue to foster a sense of community that transcends culture and language.
“The participation of the English-speaking parishioners in the different events and activities we have in the Hispanic community is very helpful for us to come together as one parish community,” he says. “Even though we have different cultures and languages, we can recognize that our faith in Jesus Christ is what unites and motivates us to build a bilingual community united in one heart, based on love for Jesus Christ.”
