Convivencias * Spanish Liturgies * RCIA * Faith Formation
English Classes * Social Outreach
The Hispanic Ministry is designed to reach out to the Hispanic Catholics in our Parish. From the very beginning its primary goals have been:
· To create a spirit of community among its members
· To extend to them a feeling of welcome from the parish at large
· To celebrate the Liturgy and the Reception of the Sacraments in Spanish
· To reach out to the personal and social needs of all its members
· To encourage the participation of the Hispanic community in the other activities and ministries of parish life
In order to carry out these goals, we have established a monthly meeting which we call Convivencia. The Spanish word itself implies a gathering where life experiences and/or spiritual reflections are shared in common. Convivencias are held at 7:30pm in the Lower Church at Immaculate Conception on the 2nd Monday of each month and the attendance has consistently grown during this our first year of coming together. We have a mailing list of 75 families and 40 to 50 members of the community regularly attend the monthly meetings.
During each Convivencia we have a Presentation on a particular Article of Faith and have also begun studying the Bible. We read and reflect in small groups the Liturgy of the Word for the forthcoming Sunday and try to encourage discussions that will make participation at Mass more meaningful. A Hospitality table is served at the end of each meeting.
We have been having Spanish Liturgies at the Church of the Assumption. The Spanish Mass is going to continue being held there at noon on the 3rd. Sunday of every month. The community has been very responsive and the Liturgies have been very meaningful.
The Hispanic Ministry has also been enriched by the celebration of the Sacraments in Spanish. This year, we have had one wedding and seven Baptisms. During our Easter Vigil, following a year of instruction in the R.C.I.A. process of faith formation, two girls were baptized and received First Eucharist and two young adult women completed their Sacraments of Initiation.
We celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in December with a very meaningful and well attended Mass in Spanish. Members of the parish at large presented lovely teddy bears to all the children in attendance and the community was very pleased. Many letters of gratitude were likewise received from members of the community.
During the season of Lent, we celebrated the Stations of the Cross in Spanish on Monday of Holy Week. It is a devotion very dear to Hispanic Catholics and they responded generously by attending in good numbers. On Holy Thursday, at the Liturgy of the Last Supper, members of the Hispanic community participated in the Washing of the Feet.
R.C.I.A. (R.I.C.A) is a series of rites, conducted in the context of learning about the faith and spiritual formation, through which a person is fully incorporated into the Body of Christ, the Church.
The R.C.I.A. is not new. In 1971, in response to the call of the Second Vatican Council, the Church dramatically revised the process of becoming Catholic and/or completing the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist). It was an effort to restore the spirit of early Christianity by emphasizing conversion as a participation in the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ, as well as the role of the entire praying, witnessing, and teaching Body of Christ in giving support and shape to that journey.
In our first year, four members of the Hispanic community were baptized and completed their sacraments during the Easter Vigil. Even though most Hispanics have already received Baptism and First Eucharist, a growing number of them are inquiring to become part of the process of completing their sacraments through R.C.I.A.
This year, for the first time, the R.C.I.A. Team, under the direction of Sister Rose Vermette, RCD, celebrated these rites in English and in Spanish. The catechumens and candidates were enriched by sharing together in both languages and enjoyed the benefits of having a Spanish catechist.
Faith Formation is an integral part of every component of the Hispanic Ministry. It is our goal to minister to the whole person. When we seek to enrich the spiritual life of every member of this community, we are also reaching out to respond to their personal needs and helping them become more responsible members of the parish and the community-at-large.
It is in that true Christian spirit that the Convivencias, the R.C.I.A. Journey, the Spanish Liturgies, the English Classes, and the many Outreach Activities of this Ministry seek to give witness to our Baptismal calling. We pray, we work, and we socialize together. In our interactions as a community of friends, we are all responding to the universal call to holiness proclaimed by the Gospel.
Through the dedication and professionalism of Joan Ryan, English Classes have been offered to the Hispanic community 2 days a week. These classes are held for two hours on Wednesday and Friday evenings at 6:00 PM.
The Classes began in September 2003 with a sizeable enrollment of community members. They are extremely grateful for the opportunity the parish is giving them to improve their skills in communicating in English. This will help them get better jobs and will increase their self esteem. The curriculum is based on basic vocabulary and basic communication skills for daily living. It is a functional curriculum which includes accent reduction and English language development.
In our first year, the parish-at-large donated over 100 Thanksgiving baskets, to be distributed among members of the Hispanic community. Likewise, at Christmas, more than 200 gifts were donated to the children, women, and men of the community. For the first time, and thanks to many generous parishioners, many of them were able to celebrate Christmas with their families in a very special way. They were all very grateful!
At the suggestion of Monsignor Oliverio we are involved in all types of activities that will promote justice and well-being among the members of this community, whether it may be at home or at their places of work. When it is deemed necessary, we visit their homes, we provide preliminary guidance regarding legal problems, we provide job placement information and we help them with trips to the Hospital.
Last March, we invited Mrs. Martha López-Hanratty, Program Administrator for Hispanic Affairs in the Office of the County Executive, to give a talk to the Hispanic community about the importance of understanding their rights and responsibilities as immigrants. Mrs. López-Hanratty likewise made them aware of all the services that are available to them regarding legal, work-related or medical issues. The care and services offered to expectant mothers and to mothers who have just delivered their babies were also explained to the young mothers in attendance. This lecture was very productive and all were grateful for having received information that they would not have been able to obtain on their own.
At present, with the cooperation of the Office of Hispanic Affairs of Westchester County, we are studying the possibility of establishing a connection with the Trade Schools in the area, in order to offer courses of study that will enhance and improve the working conditions of the community.
A heartfelt word of thanks goes to Monsignor Francis Oliverio for all that has been done and all that still remains to be done in this Hispanic Ministry. He was the soul and force behind the formation of this apostolate and because it has had his blessing and his generous support, it has grown and expanded in ways that one year ago we would not have imagined. The parish at large has continued to support this Ministry with joy and magnanimity and the Hispanic community itself will continue to be a special blessing to this parish.
What began with two Hispanic community members who were looking for a Spanish Mass, has evolved into a community of friends who feel very welcome in the parish and who have given us the opportunity to bring to them the authentic love and kindness of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
Chairperson:
Nilsa Sandín McAdams
Team Members:
Fernán & Elsa Cepero
Ronald & Patricia Delaney
Elsa Cepero Gammon
David & Arlene Gutiérrez
Tina Lavista (Hospitality)
Jim McAdams
Mark Nello (Music Ministry)
Joan Ryan (English Classes)