Hispanic Communities Making Connections The Rev. José Reyes Missioner for Hispanic/Latino Ministries
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et’s rewind time for a moment. I grew up in our diocese and it was a wonderful experience. I have so many fond memories of connecting with youth of other congregations through Bement Camp, Happening, local and international mission trips, and youth group events. It was inspiring to grow up feeling connected to something bigger than just my church. What was an
unattainable goal for one congregation, like a mission trip to Dominican Republic, became possible because we were working together with other congregations. Our diocese has over 50 congregations and what a gift it is to partner with other churches to make those parts of Jesus’ mission that seem so colossal, like “feeding the poor and healing the sick”, a reality. At the same time, I grew up in the
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Hispanic congregation at the Cathedral, a congregation that continues to be a loving and vibrant expression of the Episcopal Church. I learned how to play different instruments and lead a choir, how to build Christian education programs for children and adults from the ground up, and how to evangelize in our neighborhood. This congregation formed me in into the person and priest I am today. It was a truly amazing and life-giving
experience. It was also a lonely experience sometimes. For 27 years, we were the only Hispanic congregation in our diocese and sometimes this felt isolating. Because of differences in language, culture, and the general perspective of churches doing things on their own at the time, it was hard to find other churches that would partner with us. If we wanted to have a retreat, a training, an event, or create a
ministry, we had to figure it out on our own most of the time. While empowering, at times it seemed like we were reinventing the wheel over and over again. Now, let’s fast-forward to Ash Wednesday of this year. As we began the holy season of Lent this year, remembering that our lives are a gift and bending the knee to our God of Love, there were three congregations in our diocese that were worshiping in Spanish. One at the Cathedral celebrating with our Bishop, one in the intimate setting of the home of a parishioner in Worcester, and a third at St. Paul’s in downtown Holyoke. In the very DNA of the Hispanic Ministries in our diocese, is the bedrock truth that in ministry we are called to work together. In the last year: • We have held two Three Kings Celebrations, one at All Saints, Worcester where over 120 people from all over the diocese came, and the other at St. Mark’s, Worcester to commemorate the Hispanic congregation in Worcester’s move to St. Mark’s where we invited the whole neighborhood of Main South to participate. • We have collected food and raised money to help families in need during Thanksgiving. • We held joint trainings between the three congregations for Lay Eucharist Ministers and Acolytes. • We celebrated an Advent Music Festival where the choirs of the Hispanic congregations in Worcester and the Cathedral came together and made a joyful noise as we welcomed the Christmas season.
