A TIME TO (RE)BUILD

WINTER 2021

THERE ARE MORE THAN A MILLION HISPANIC CATHOLICS in the Archdiocese of New York, hailing from diverse national cultures unified by a shared language and a deep Christian faith. The Office of Hispanic Ministry serves them with special Spanish-language Masses at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and culturally savvy programs aimed at evangelization, faith formation and community building. Director Wanda Vasquez and outreach coordinator Luis Peña gave us a report on how the office – and the community – have fared during the pandemic.
 

LESSONS

Wanda Vasquez  |  Director  Covid-19 surprised everyone because we did not know how difficult it would be to live in normalcy or how long before a vaccine would be developed. The biggest surprise from our Hispanic/Latino/Latina Catholics is that their faith in our Holy Mother Church never diminished but increased. Some who have not gone to church in a few years are returning, receiving the Sacraments, believing once again in the power of the Eucharist. Nonetheless, the virus has surged and we keep praying. Families were lost but we remain hopeful.

Luis Peña  |  Outreach Coordinator  Times like these have not been seen in over 100 years in this country, and our Hispanic community has been disproportionately affected. It has been amazing to see the resilience and faith of these Catholic men and women across the archdiocese. Many have lost their jobs, while others have not stopped working since the pandemic began. Both groups have been hit hard, and the stress from the pandemic can be felt in every household. Faith has been the glue that has kept many families functioning.
 

ACTIONS

Wanda Vasquez  I am very proud of how our Hispanic Catholics stand against the storm during social distancing.  Many serve as volunteers although they know it is a risk, never failing to help their pastors in their parishes and their brothers and sisters in their places of employment. Many serve as front-line workers and meet the needs of the people. For this we are grateful.

One of the most memorable experiences we have had during the pandemic was assisting our Latin American consuls with corporal works of mercy. In a recent Mass for our Mexican brothers and sisters, Cardinal Dolan blessed more than 250 remains of people who had passed away due to Covid-19 – honoring their service as front-line workers and now returning them to their loved ones in Mexico. Similar works were done throughout the archdiocese to assist our faithful who could not receive the last rites or funeral Masses.

Luis Peña  Many parishes have increased their online presence, streaming Masses in Spanish. The office of Hispanic Ministry has held Zoom events and retreats to keep the community engaged. People have been very receptive to these endeavors and many are grateful that these opportunities for faith enrichment are available to them.

Since the churches reopened in late spring, we have resumed our cultural Hispanic Masses at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, following all new protocols, and also streaming live on the Cathedral’s social media accounts.  We look forward to continuing to have more options available for our community during this pandemic – and afterward.
 

THE ROAD AHEAD

Luis Peña  Our greatest challenge in the coming year will be working with pastors across the diocese to engage many Hispanics to come back to church once things stabilize and it is safe again for in-person meetings. The office will be readily available to meet with deaneries and pastors to tailor an outreach strategy for every parish that contacts us. With the low cost of outreach through Internet and social media, we can definitely create even more online events to keep the community engaged.
 

HEALING DIVISIONS

Wanda Vasquez  At the time of the uprising against systemic racism, our office began having Zoom meetings on the subject. In our listening sessions, we provided information about “Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love,” a pastoral letter released by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops [USCCB] in 2018. Many did not know the document existed, and were surprised that it includes injustices against Hispanics.

Unfortunately, this is nothing new: Many Catholics define racism in dualistic terms of Black and white, and do not consider the various ways in which it affects everyone. Our ultimate advice for our faith communities and our parish leaders is to study the pastoral letter and share it with clergy, church groups and schools, and at home with their families. Our faith groups must be aware of racism and begin discussions on actions to combat its ugliness in society.

Luis Peña  Starting this past summer, Hispanic young adults have been taking part in national and regional conversations hosted by USCCB as part of a yearlong intercultural process called Journeying Together. Among other things, in these conversations, young adults from all cultures discuss racism and racial justice. This dialogue has been very helpful and has brought together young adults from various communities in ways that can lead to healing.

THE COLOR OF FAITH

During a year of hardships for Black New Yorkers, with a pandemic on top of resurgent awareness of racial injustices, the archdiocesan Office of Black Ministry occupies a pivotal spot at the intersection of communities of color and the wider Church in New York. We asked Director Br. Tyrone Davis and Associate Director Leah Dixon how the ministry has fared during the health crisis – and what they’re planning for the future.
 

LESSONS

Br. Tyrone Davis, CFC  |  Director, Black Ministry  We’ve learned how we can get anything done with a little thought, creativity and good will (or good contacts).  What may have surprised us most is how successfully the unimaginable could be accomplished. The challenges of this time unveiled untapped creativity … and allowed us to call upon folks we otherwise might not have.
 

ACTIONS

Br. Tyrone Davis  We were able to move forward with all of our events and programs as scheduled, albeit virtually, and add some new programs to the ministry – all with the objective of doing what we do well and as church! Our two biggest programs, the Pierre Toussaint Scholars Annual Retreat Weekend and the Venerable Pierre Toussaint Scholarship Fund Virtual Awards Gala both went remarkably well. 

Leah Dixon  |  Associate Director, Black Ministry  A big change this year is simply not being able to see our Pierre Toussaint scholars in person and bring them together for bonding and networking. Our new class of scholars were interviewed virtually, and their interaction with the program and each other has been all virtual. We have provided opportunities for them to meet and bond digitally, but nothing is as effective as being physically together. Instead of our usual lunch/dinner meetings with scholars, I’ve met with them via Zoom and/or FaceTime.

Br. Tyrone Davis  For all our programs, we enlisted the support of various professionals and worked with some of our PTS alumni (talented young adults). Some virtual programs were prerecorded, so a lot of time was put into planning and production. We’re proud of and abundantly grateful to the dedicated team that worked with us, especially our college student leaders. They stepped up and generously offered themselves in acts of ministry and service – and professionalism.

During this time, in addition to our twice-weekly morning prayer line, we began reciting the rosary three times a week. Our prayer group has grown substantially, and we are joined by people from our archdiocese and beyond, as far away as California. Some of our new prayer leaders are people who normally served in secondary roles in our churches and faith communities, who are now leading the community in prayer and healing!
 

THE ROAD AHEAD

Leah Dixon  For the Pierre Toussaint Scholarship Program, our biggest challenge is to continue with the same level of additional educational, spiritual and professional programming that we have afforded to our scholars in previous years. It’s hard to arrange travel or educational conference opportunities at this point in time. There is also the matter of funding during the time of Covid, as the program continues to grow. Needs increase for our scholarship program and our broader ministry, yet resources decrease. One major area of focus will be keeping our social media outlets active and up to date.

Br. Tyrone Davis  Our annual Black History Month Mass celebration will take place at 1:00 P.M. on Sunday, February 7, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. In-person attendance will be limited (and somewhat discouraged); however, we will livestream the event on the cathedral website for the full community. The theme is “We remember; we celebrate; we believe!” A memorial program, a day of service and an educational/social justice program are also being planned.
 

HEALING DIVISIONS

Br. Tyrone Davis  If we’re going to address the issue of racial healing, there needs to be an acknowledgment of the existence of injustice in our society, and in our Church, as well. Part of that acknowledgment needs to come from the pulpit, which is why the Archdiocesan Priests Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Racism sponsored a workshop entitled “Preaching Against Racism” for New York priests and seminarians last October. Once there is sufficient local leadership, we need to create an environment and opportunity for conversation among the faithful. The parish communities need to figure some things out among themselves and with one another in ongoing prayer and dialogue. Then the entire community (Black and especially non-Black) needs to take action to eradicate racism in our midst.

Click here to read "Issue: A Social Plague," an interview with Rev. Gregory Chisholm.
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