Aristotle wrote, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Father Enrique Herrera is a living example of Aristotle’s maxim. The parish he leads is habitually excellent.
Father Herrera has been a priest for 29 years, the last 17 of which he has spent as pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Greenfield, California. The casual observer could easily overlook this quiet community where many people earn a living by harvesting broccoli, lettuce and strawberries.
But from the moment Father Herrera arrived to this town, where half of the 16,000 residents were under 25 years old, he saw great potential in the young families that called Greenfield their home. Father Herrera understood that Holy Trinity, the only Catholic church in town, could be the center for a new harvest: a harvest of hope that is seeded by bright young minds. He began a series of strategic programs, coupled with nonstop encouragement, that made these young people understand their inherent value and potential.
His efforts have yielded a stunning result. The parish has produced social workers, teachers, university professors, nurses, TV reporters and doctors. Results like this are possible because Father Herrera has focused his energy on ministries that strengthen families and help teens discover their faith, self-worth and individual talents. One such way he has engaged his fast-growing parish is through the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrations.
His impact is now measured across generations. For example, Andrés Velásquez was once part of Holy Trinity’s early junior high programs. He went on to earn a doctorate at the UCLA School of Medicine. Velásquez recently returned to Holy Trinity to baptize his child.
For his inspirational leadership, Father Herrera was selected as the recipient of the 2017-2018 Lumen Christi Award, Catholic Extension Society’s highest honor.
In the words of a Catholic Extension Society article from 2017, “Young people, most of them from farmworker families, are learning to think big—to aspire to higher goals, to make their lives fuller and to create a strong community. … Enthusiasm, confidence and ambition are replacing the anxiety and despair that defined the city a few years ago.”
Parish continues to grow
But how are things going now, eight years later? Is the excellence of Father Herrera and the people of Holy Trinity a passing glory, or has it become a habit? The answer is not hard to discern.
Over 3,600 people attend six Masses each weekend—a stunning number for a relatively small town. And Father Herrera’s flock is still growing.
His outreach to the young mirrors Jesus’ mandate to,
Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them.”
In the past year, the parish saw 224 baptisms. Over 289 children received their first Communion.
Community activism is a high priority. Three hundred high school students recently participated in an anti-bullying and violence-prevention program, and another 100 joined a summer camp centered on faith, music and science.
In addition to sports leagues and abundant after-school activities, teens also volunteer to help with programs for younger children. They help lead retreats and even address the congregation on Sundays. Father Herrera believes that the Church of tomorrow must be called to lead today.
In a community where people struggle to make ends meet, Holy Trinity raises money for college scholarships for parish youth whose circumstances put school cruelly out of reach.
Father Herrera knows that the path toward excellence requires a great education. He insists that every child strive to graduate high school and college.
High school graduation rates are up. Numbers of college students and graduates are growing. Baptisms and confirmations are increasing. After-school activities, social services, and religious formation are all expanding and heavily attended. The accomplishments of these young people are impressive given that, as sons and daughters of immigrant fieldworker families, most are first-generation college graduates.
Promising future
The growth of Father Herrera’s ministry can not only be measured in numbers, but in scope. Greenfield’s farmworkers now include many seasonal workers from Oaxaca, Mexico, who speak indigenous dialects unique to their home.
Father Herrera instituted a four-day retreat to welcome these new members to the Holy Trinity family. He also conducts weekly classes during which the new fieldworkers learn about the faith while studying English. A robust average of 45 to 60 people attend each week.
The steadfast belief in things coming full circle is central to Father Herrera’s ministry.
“Ten years from now,” he believes, “the teens we work with today will be parents. Those graduating from college and university will be here contributing to the community. My hope is that because of what we are doing now, because the Church became a very important part in the lives of these young people, they can be the future of the Church here in Greenfield.”
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