Religion

THIS WEEK, we talk about religion and culture.

Lily: I feel my culture and religion have molded me into who I am. While I never visualized being a nun, I did enjoy my Catholic education (thank you, Sister Vincent!).

In the past year alone, I have experienced many falling-outs, and I thank God for faith and prayer. Friends can empathize and take your mind off daily crises, but prayer fortifies you. It reminds you that you are not alone and that you were created with purpose.

For me, religion and culture go hand in hand and are two strong life-fortifiers, which I hope to pass on to my sons.”*

Local performer Anna De Luna doesn’t believe in God. But she has no choice but to pray the rosary whenever her mother does because if she doesn’t, she’ll get a scolding. De Luna tackles this and other kinds of issues in her upcoming one-woman show ¿Chicana Atheist? Having performed the piece since almost two years ago at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s Teatro Fest, De Luna says that the show is a work-in-progress that deals with the problems that arise with being a Chicana woman living in an immensely spiritual city and responding to questions of whether she’s still just confused about her faith (or lack thereof).”*

Top lawmakers in Congress criticized the Department of Homeland Security yesterday for failing to provide adequate medical care to detained immigrants, and said they plan to demand explanations today from Secretary Michael Chertoff and Julie L. Myers, assistant secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) announced that Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) and others will question Chertoff and Myers in a meeting today about reports of medical negligence and deaths of immigrants in ICE detention, as well as improper detentions of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents.

Borrego decided to run for another term “after praying to seek God’s direction in my life and in the life of our Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas,” he said. He also considered the encouragement of “so many calls and e-mails from a lot of people” who asked him to continue, he added.

If re-elected, he will focus on strengthening the convention, which is the Hispanic affiliate of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, he said.”*

Sister Kathy Thill of Waterloo said she feels like a stranger in her own country in the wake of a May 12 immigration raid in tiny Postville.

…”I am also a United States citizen who grew up believing that this is a democratic country in which the dignity of all people is respected and their rights protected,” she said Tuesday at a news conference here, surrounded by members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

“This is not the country I experienced this past week.”

Thill, several times choking up with emotion, told of the shock and distress of immigrants who gathered at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church the day of the raid.”*

A Danbury congregation is joining a national movement to offer shelter and help to families whose members could be separated or deported over their immigration status.

However, officials of the Danbury Unitarian Universalist Congregation say they do not yet know whether they will emulate some other churches that let the immigrants live in church-owned properties to shield them from federal agents.”*

Speaking in both Spanish and English, Archbishop Jerome Hanus offered words of comfort to nearly 300 residents who packed into St. Bridget’s Catholic Church, less than a week after federal Immigration agents raided a local meatpacking plant.

The church, which runs a Hispanic ministry, has served as a place of refuge for families affected by the raid at the Agricprocessor’s Inc. plant, where nearly 400 workers were arrested.

Hanus’ presence in the community Saturday helped reinforce the Church’s support for immigrants and their families, parishioners said. “*

This May, Discovery en Espanol, the leading provider of high-quality, nonfiction Spanish-language programming, will take viewers on a religious pilgrimage and bring them face to face with the pageantry, color, and rituals that make-up how some Hispanics practice their faith. At times conventional, other times unconventional, “Santo Milagro”, an original production airing on Discovery en Espanol Sunday, May 25 at 10:00 pm ET/PT, explores the diverse and even unexpected ways in which Hispanics look for miracles.

Much unites Hispanics. Yet when it comes to religious customs, they are far from being monolithic. The ways Hispanics practice their faith are as varied as the lands from which they hail. “Santo Milagro” will offer Discovery en Espanol viewers an entree into the private sanctuaries of Hispanics via the poignant stories of everyday individuals who bear witness to miracles and tell us how their devotion changed their lives.

“It is difficult to capture the passion and heart of a people. How can you possibly illustrate a miracle? The truth is, as you will see, that miracles mean different things to different people. We thought the best way to capture this and bring it to life was via testimonials. This documentary does not look to pass judgment on any practice or belief. It simply weaves a story told by the main protagonists, the faithful,” said Sol Colom, Executive Producer Discovery Networks U.S. Hispanic Group.

Throughout the centuries, ceremonies and rituals have formed an integral part of human existence. Passed on generation to generation, they represent, for many Hispanics, a way to find a deeper meaning in life. As evidenced by the personal testimonials featured throughout this special, faith has many manifestations, some which are vividly portrayed during the five separate segments of this one-hour original production by Discovery en Espanol.

About Discovery en Espanol

The premier Spanish-language network dedicated to offering the finest in quality programming in the areas of science & technology, world culture & history, nature & wildlife and nonfiction dramas. With original shows made specifically for U.S. Hispanics and the best programming from Latin America, Discovery en Espanol is entertainment that stimulates, informs and empowers, giving viewers a fascinating look at the incredible, varied and always surprising real world.”*

Praying for their families Rosa Hernandez panicked when she saw several immigration officials standing outside her screen door.

In the Honduran family of six, only Hernandez’s husband is in the U.S. legally.

“My heart tore,” she said in Spanish to about 60 people gathered recently for a monthly service at Southside Church of the Nazarene in Chesterfield County.”*

Esperanza, the largest Hispanic faith-based organization in the country, today announces their support of H.R. 1108, “The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.” The legislation gives FDA regulatory authority over tobacco products.

“We encourage Congress to pass this important legislation this year. H.R. 1108 has broad bi-partisan support and could genuinely help our people,” said the President of Esperanza Rev. Luis Cortes. “Within our Hispanic community lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths. With 16.2 percent of Hispanic adults smoking cigarettes, a significant part of our community is at high-risk.”

“With regulatory authority over tobacco, the FDA could further restrict sales of tobacco products to children, require more meaningful warnings on tobacco products, and enable consumers to access the information on all the ingredients in any given tobacco product,” Cortes continued. “We urge Congress to pass this legislation this year.”

The Reverend Luis Cortes, Jr. is the founder and president of Esperanza. Esperanza is the largest Hispanic Faith-Based Evangelical network in the country. With a national network of 12,000 faith and community-based agencies, Esperanza is one of the leading voices for Hispanics in America.
Esperanza”

The American Bible Society announced today that television and radio personality Padre Alberto Cutie and singer/songwriter Hermana Glenda Aguayo have joined the La Biblia Es Mi Guia (The Bible Is My Guide) advocacy campaign. La Biblia Es Mi Guia reaches Hispanics in the U.S. and Latin America to encourage Bible reading.

“Our mission is to make the Bible’s message accessible to everyone, and Padre Alberto’s and Hermana Glenda’s influence in the Catholic community will make a significant impact in achieving this goal,” said Rev. Emilio A. Reyes, Vice President, Hispanic/Latino Ministries of the American Bible Society.

Padre Alberto has been seen and heard by millions throughout the world. In 1999, he became the first Catholic priest to host a talk show on secular television: Padre Alberto and Cambia Tu Vida con el Padre Alberto (Change Your Life with Padre Alberto). Since then, Newsweek has often referred to him as “Father Oprah.” Currently, he is a priest in the Archdiocese of Miami, and a member of the American Bible Society’s Board of Trustees. Padre Alberto will participate in a series of national radio and online advertisements promoting La Biblia Es Mi Guia.

Hermana Glenda is the campaign’s first female spokesperson, and she will promote Bible reading during her spiritual retreats and concerts in the United States, Latin America and Spain. Hermana Glenda’s Scripture reflections, set to music, inspire and motivate audiences. In 2002, she performed Nada Es Imposible para Ti (Nothing is Impossible for You) for Pope John Paul II at World Youth Day in Toronto.

The American Bible Society also sponsors Encounter with the Bible: Lectio Divina seminars in order to facilitate use of this dynamic centuries-old Bible reading and reflection method that is an integral part of the devotional life of the Catholic Church. Furthermore, the Bible Society honored His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Ortega Alamino, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Havana, and Father Joseph P. Parkes, President of Cristo Rey New York High School in East Harlem, among other prominent Hispanic Catholics during its Bible in Hispanic America Gala last year.

La Biblia Es Mi Guia’s 30-second radio commercials, which air in both English and Spanish, have featured New York Yankee Mariano Rivera and Christian rock band Salvador. The campaign also maintains an active MySpace page and disseminates relevant Bible-based videos through YouTube.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY

Founded in 1816 and headquartered in New York City, the mission of the American Bible Society is to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford, so that all people may experience its life-changing message. The American Bible Society website is www.bibles.com.

“

The deportations have sent a shock wave through the large and fast-growing network of Latino evangelical churches in Arizona and across the nation, many of which are filled with undocumented immigrants.

Local pastors fearful of stepped-up immigration enforcement are canceling retreats north of the Phoenix area. Some national church leaders are concerned the deportations could open the door for immigration raids at churches.

The Prescott deportations echoed incidents in the Valley that have raised tensions between church leaders and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. A crime sweep by sheriff’s deputies in September resulted in arrests of undocumented day laborers near a church sanctuary in Cave Creek, and another on Good Friday led to arrests of illegal immigrants in east Phoenix.”*

For the Rev. Nino Gonzalez, last year’s contentious debate over immigration reform was a rude awakening — one that has propelled him into the political arena.

Mainstream white and black evangelical leaders initially denounced the bipartisan effort to create a path to legalization for undocumented workers. Some even argued for the roundup and deportation of millions of Hispanic immigrants in the U.S., the very people to whom Gonzalez ministers every day at Iglesia el Calvario just south of Orlando.

“I was stunned, shocked and surprised,” Gonzalez said of the initial reaction of those he thought of as his spiritual allies. “They turned their backs on the Hispanics.”*

Whatever impressions Pope Benedict XVI took away from his long weekend in New York may influence a big, upcoming decision — picking a successor to Cardinal Edward Egan as archbishop.

Speculating on the next leader of the New York Archdiocese, one of the most important posts in the U.S. Roman Catholic Church, has become something of a parlor game for church-watchers.

A couple of the candidates who keep surfacing reflect the diversity of the American church: the black archbishop of Atlanta and the Hispanic archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico.”*

OCP and St. Anthony Catholic Church are partnering to host Encuentro de Coros, a group of workshops for Hispanic pastoral musicians. The all-day event will take place on Saturday, May 31, at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Tigard, Oregon.

Raul Velazquez, director of Hispanic ministries for the Archdiocese of Portland, will preside at Morning Prayer to start the day. Next on the schedule is “Musicians at the Service of the Community and the Liturgy,” a keynote presented by Pedro Rubalcava, director of Hispanic ministries for OCP.

“Encuentro de Coros is an event for Hispanic pastoral musicians to come together to pray and learn from each other,” says Rubalcava. “It’s a great opportunity to increase and improve knowledge and skills that will help pastoral musicians serve their community and lead them more effectively in sung prayer. Participants will learn more about the liturgy and music’s role in it, add new songs to their repertoires, and improve vocal, guitar or percussion skills.”

Attendees can choose which workshops to take throughout the remainder of the event. Estela Garcia-Lopez, senior music editor for OCP, will lead two sessions, “Vocal Techniques for the Choir” and “Techniques for the Psalmist, Cantor and Animator.” Rodolfo Lopez, music editor for OCP, is set to lead a morning and afternoon workshop on “The Guitar in the Liturgy.”

In addition to his morning keynote, Pedro will present a morning and afternoon session, “How Do I Select the Best Songs for My Community?” Rounding out the workshop schedule are morning and afternoon classes with veteran percussion performer and educator Tony Gomez of Seattle. He will reveal the keys to “Giving Flavor to Liturgy with Percussion.”

Registration is $20 per person or $15 per person for parish groups of four or more people. Groups must register by May 27. Lunch and a resource showcase are included in the cost. For more information on this unique day of music instruction, please contact St. Anthony Catholic Church at (503) 639-4179, ext. 125 or email MaryJoQ@ocp.org.

About OCP
OCP, a not-for-profit publisher of liturgical music and worship resources based in Portland, Oregon, has been in operation for more than 80 years. Worship programs produced by OCP are used in two-thirds of Catholic churches in the United States and are distributed worldwide. More information is available at 1-800-548-8749 and ocp.org.”*

The Catholic Church is presented with a challenge and a tremendous opportunity in the rise of Hispanic Catholics in this country. But if this opportunity is not seized in the moment, it could result in a serious loss of fervor, fire, and enthusiasm for the Church in America.

To date, a whopping 39% of all U.S. Catholics are Hispanic, while only 6.3% of U.S. priests are Hispanic. About 20% of all Catholic parishes in this country have a majority Hispanic presence, including a fair number of recent immigrants who speak only Spanish and some broken English. For many Catholic priests, this is a significant pastoral challenge.

How does a pastor hear minister effectively to parishioners who speak another language and come from another culture? Charity is a universal language, but words are also necessary, especially when it comes to the sacraments, family counseling, education, and spiritual guidance of all kinds.

The dangers of not meeting this challenge are already written in the statistics. About 20% of Hispanic Catholics arriving to this country end up converting from Catholicism to various branches of evangelical Protestantism, sects, or no religion at all. Of the total population of Hispanic evangelical Protestants, half are ex-Catholics.

Aware of the challenge — and the great promise — of a booming Hispanic population, many bishops are requiring their seminarians to learn Spanish and asking their priests to become bilingual.

And the Church’s shepherds are taking up the challenge. While seminarians are conjugating their verbs, many priests are signing up for online Spanish classes or CD programs to get up to speed. Most promising of all, a growing number of priests are participating in immersion programs that allow them to learn both the language and the culture of “Hispanidad” on site in Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Intensive Immersion

One of these immersion programs is the Curso de Hispanidad, a five-week intensive course from July 1st to August 1st for American and Canadian priests and seminarians. The program, sponsored by Sacerdos Institute in conjunction with the Department of Humanities and the Center for Language Studies of Mexico City’s Anáhuac University, takes them to Mexico City where they take intensive classes in Spanish language and Hispanic culture at the Interamerican Cultural Center while also enjoying priestly fraternity with other participants in the course.

The program is adapted to varying language abilities, with a beginner’s and an intermediate track, both of which use a range of teaching styles: lectures, tutorial, conversation periods, readings, listening tapes, seminars, and media. Both language levels emphasize preparation for priestly ministry, with special clinics on celebrating the sacraments and preparing homilies in Spanish. In addition, there are classes on Latin American culture and on the particular aspects of ministering to Hispanics in North America.

Integral Learning

But classroom learning is only half of the picture. The other half of this integral program is the “learning by osmosis” that takes place through exposure to the Mexican people with their fervor and celebratory spirit. On the weekends, participants go out into the community alongside a Mexican priest in guided pastoral ministry, adapted to their ability level. And of course, there are the outing days for visiting interesting cultural sites and practicing their Spanish en vivo. One of these outing days includes the opportunity to concelebrate Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, an experience that stays with the participants for a long time.

“The information on Hispanic culture and religious experience were particularly useful. As I celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe this year I recognize that without my participation in the Curso de Hispanidad I would be at the periphery of this observance rather than at its heart, which is where I want to be,” said Bishop Allen H. Vigneron of the Oakland diocese.

His experience was echoed by Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell of the Springfield diocese in Massachusetts. “I have to say that my appreciation for the Latino culture has been very much enhanced,” he said.

Seminarian Vincent Anyama agreed. “The in-depth exposure to the values and richness of Mexican culture was a very valuable tool for my future ministry to Mexican Hispanic immigrants in the local Church of Dallas,” he said.

All for Priests… and Priests for All

Legionary of Christ Father Alex Yeung, who organizes the program, emphasized that this is a program that brings priests together and offers them a chance to build a sense of fraternity while learning and growing together.

“The participants live, study, and pray alongside each other,” he said. “We teach an integral approach to ministry to Latinos, coupling practical solutions with communication skills. A love for Hispanic peoples is a great fruit of the program. Besides the accredited small-group tutoring to allow learning at one’s own pace, there are numerous pastoral experiences giving participants exposure to the day-to-day life of Latinos in various sectors of society.”

For priests, ministering to an increasing Hispanic population can be a challenge, given the language logistics and the differences in culture. But, as past participants in the Curso de Hispanidad program — and others like it — have observed, the time investment in learning the language and culture is worth it.

For more specific information about the Curso de Hispanidad, click here.

Contact:
Jim Fair
Director of Communications
Legion of Christ
Phone: 630-858-6398
CELL: 312-953-9864
Email Contact”

At a clapboard church in this northern Virginia town, a small group gathers to rrrroll their R’s and add a little diversity to their resumes.

They’re members of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia clergy, seminary students and diocesan employees learning liturgical Spanish. Their goal: to conduct a church service in the language that’s growing in importance as Latinos examine faiths beyond their traditional Roman Catholic beliefs.

”There’s a growing recognition of the interests and the presence of Latino people,” said the Rev. David Colin Jones, who oversees four Latino congregations in northern Virginia.”*

She has a soft voice and a tender smile, but a strong will is what Sister Consuelo Tovar may be most remembered for after she leaves Dallas next week.

As one of the most prominent organizers of the largest march in Dallas’ history, the 60-year-old Catholic nun’s legacy will be felt in the coming years, said many who worked alongside her.

“She was instrumental in not only getting so many people to the march, but also in getting them to register to vote,” said Criminal District Court Judge Lena Levario, who also helped organize the mega-march. “She has a very strong personality and great organizational skills. She’s going to be missed.”"*

Rev. Greg Diaz and his budding Hispanic congregation of 30 souls bowed their heads in a tranquil moment just seconds before three black men stormed the sanctuary waving guns.

The robbers shattered the serenity of the worship service and emptied the collection plates at Iglesia de Dios Hispana in North Memphis. They were never caught.”*

At the food court in the Galerias Escalon shopping mall, a young restaurant employee is getting out the word. She passes out fliers advertising the lunch specials at Los Cebollines, including the $4.50 Super Ranchero combo.

A few feet away, others are getting out The Word.

Each day, the San Jose Chapel offers a Catholic mass and even the sacrament of reconciliation. For a few moments, dozens of shoppers and mall employees exchange Armani and Adidas for Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.”*

Pope Benedict XVI’s calls for humane treatment of undocumented immigrants during his trip to the United States got anti-immigration zealots more riled up than usual. Good! I’m beginning to like this pope.

Soon after the pope called on Americans to fight “all forms of violence . . . so that immigrants may lead dignified lives,” and a White House statement suggested he brought up with President Bush the need to give immigrants and their children “humane treatment,” some of America’s most vocal opponents of immigration went ballistic.

CNN’s anchor-procrastinator Lou Dobbs, the hero of most U.S. anti-immigration groups, shook his head with more than his usual dose of bitterness in his April 16 broadcast and charged that the pope was visiting Washington to “push the amnesty (for undocumented immigrants) agenda.” “*

*From: http://www.sltrib.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

“The choir exists so that people can sing. Its function is to see that everyone is included and to incite their active participation,” said Santiago Fernández, pastoral musician.

Fernández visited Salt Lake City from Detroit, Michigan to present a liturgical workshop for the Hispanic music ministries in the Diocese. The workshop was on Saturday, April 12 at the Saint Ann parish, and was sponsored by the Diocesan Offices of Liturgy and Hispanic Ministry.”*

*From: http://www.icatholic.org
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Pope Benedict XVI has defended immigrants’ rights and given speeches in Spanish, but His Holiness may have missed his best chance to fully embrace New York’s large Hispanic Catholic community by not visiting one of New York’s many Spanish congregations, some Hispanic Catholics said Sunday.

He should have visited a parish like St. Rose of Lima in Washington Heights, instead of St. Joseph’s Church in Yorkville, a parish that has a German mass, but has very few German parishioners anymore, said Maria Alba.

“Right now it’s like we are on the outside,” said Alba, 31, a parishioner at St. Rose on West 165th Street. “It’s more like New Yorkers and English-speaking people who’ve been in contact with him.”"*

*From: http://www.newsday.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

As Fernando Ortega takes the stage at Trinity University in suburban Chicago, the crowd’s enthusiasm quiets in rapt attention and then wonder as Ortega sings the haunting opening lines of the old spiritual “Give Me Jesus.” It is this song, from his album Home, that preacher Anne Graham Lotz has called her “absolute favorite,” one that comforted her when her own son Jonathan was battling cancer. It is also the composition that forged a personal and professional relationship between the two starting in 1998, when Lotz first invited Ortega to lead some worship seminars at the Billy Graham Training Center in North Carolina. Since then, Ortega has been the guest musician for every “Just Give Me Jesus” revival that Lotz’s AnGeL Ministries has sponsored.”*

*From: http://www.christianitytoday.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

The sound of the Lord’s Prayer being recited in Spanish emanated through the Catholic Shrine of the Sacred Heart shortly after the leader of the world’s Catholics arrived on his first official US visit.

Those reciting the prayers were a microcosm of the millions of Latino Catholics in the US.

Just hours earlier, Pope Benedict XVI had said he would raise the plight of Hispanic migrants in talks with President Bush.”*

*From: http://news.bbc.co.uk
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish