New Catholics in America Find Church an Answer to Prayers

"‘Where's the Church?' That's the very first question new immigrants ask when they arrive in this country."
-Sister Georgina Machado, a Missionary Catechist of the Poor who serves in Hispanic ministry in Little Rock, Arkansas

From Baptism, First Holy Communion and Sunday Mass to food, shelter and medicine, the Catholic Church is the answer for thousands of Hispanic Catholics who have come to Arkansas in the last 10 years.

Arkansas has one of the fastest growing Hispanic populations in the country, primarily because of jobs in the poultry and meat processing industry. The implications of such a profound demographic shift are enormous for the Diocese of Little Rock. Covering the entire state, its parishes in small towns and big cities alike struggle with ways to make room for families from places like Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras and let them know they are welcome.

"The community is constantly changing, and there is so much need," said Sister Georgina. "The greatest challenge is giving new immigrants a sense of hope and letting them know that God is with them."

Small Stipends Pay Enormous Dividends

The Diocese of Little Rock has made a significant commitment to create strong Hispanic ministry programs in its parishes. It also relies on Catholic Extension to help it do the fundamental work of the Church by supporting religious and lay leaders. These missionaries work directly with the new Spanish-speaking Catholic population.

In fact, salary stipends through Catholic Extension's Building the Foundation grant program help support several religious sisters, including Sister Georgina and three other sisters from Monterrey, Mexico. These missionaries work with more than 1,000 Hispanic families at parishes like St. Edward and St. Theresa in the city of Little Rock.

The sisters provide religious education for hundreds of children, direct youth groups and adult Bible study groups, conduct Cursillo retreats and train Eucharistic ministers and lectors. They also go door-to-door visiting families to find out the sacraments and support services they need.

One home they visited several years ago belonged to the Guido family who had just arrived from Mexico. "I was 15 years old and so afraid," said Juan Guido, now a fourth-year seminarian student at St. Joseph Seminary College in St. Benedict, Louisiana. "I didn't speak English, and the food, culture, everything was totally different."

To the Guido family, St. Edward's became their second home. "It was a place of refuge, a source of goodness," said Juan. "Sister Georgina even brought me to the emergency room once. The priests and sisters offered great support and inspiration and were always there for me and my family. The reason I'm in the seminary is not necessarily because of them, but because of God working through them to show hope and love."

The Heart of the Missionary

At St. Theresa, where the number of Hispanic Catholic immigrants has grown from a few hundred to several thousand in just a few years, Rev. John Connell sees Hispanic ministry as a blessing to the Catholic Church in this country.

"You need to be there for them, to accompany them, to embrace them. This is the heart of the missionary," said Father Connell. "But our new parishioners also have brought new traditions, new customs and new life to St. Theresa through their great faith and love of family."

Many new immigrants feel an obligation when they come to this country to learn its language and respect its customs. But as pastor, Father Connell felt a tremendous urgency to learn the language of his newest parishioners. Last year, he spent several months in Guadalajara, Mexico, learning Spanish.

"When we pray, we pray in the language that is closest to our heart," said Father Connell, who says two Masses in Spanish on Sunday.

An Incubator for Developing Leaders

At St. Augustine Church in Dardanelle, Arkansas, located in the western part of the state, signs of life in the parish are everywhere, especially during standing-room only Sunday Masses. "For many, Mass is the only thing that's familiar in their new home, so parishioners come from miles around to hear the Mass in Spanish," said Rev. Clayton Gould. "St. Augustine's Church seats 160, but crowds of more than 250 overflow outside to hear the Word of God."

Many parishes support the ministry of a full-time priest, but a salary subsidy from Catholic Extension has given St. Augustine its first full-time pastor in Father Gould. His love of language made it easy for him to learn Spanish, and his leadership is proving essential as St. Augustine becomes a thriving parish.

"First and foremost, a parish needs someone who can be there all day, every day, developing relationships and building trust and commitment," said Monsignor R. Scott Friend, Director of Vocations and Formation of Seminarians and Vicar General of the Diocese of Little Rock. "But in essence, the Church in Arkansas is an incubator for developing leaders in the community because as a parish grows, it creates opportunities for recent immigrants to step into leadership roles
themselves."

Here, You Do Not Build a Church and They Will Come

In addition to supporting leaders throughout the diocese, getting a roof over everyone's head also is important. "Here, you do not build a church and they will come," said Monsignor Friend. "They have come, so we need to build it."

Even though they may have limited financial resources as new immigrants, hospitality and generosity are fundamental to many Hispanic communities. "Hispanic Catholics are tremendously generous with their gifts and talents and are anxious to contribute," said Monsignor Friend. "It's a ‘put more water in the beans' type of culture."

For instance, as past pastor at St. Raphael's in Springdale, Monsignor Friend had worried about how to cover basic costs of the parish when parishioners came to him and asked why he hadn't approached them to help pay for the parish debt. "This was the first time ever that lay people asked me why I hadn't asked them for money!" he recalls.

Some communities change more than others, depending on jobs that are available. But many parishes anticipate their new Hispanic members will stay. "A sign of permanence in the community is when a family buys a plot to bury the dead," said Monsignor Friend.

From taco stands to snow cone sales to carnival rides, Hispanic Catholics in the Diocese of Little Rock and in other communities across America raise money to support their new parish homes. In doing so, they also create a place for others who arrive in their community and ask, "Where's the Church?"