On this upcoming feast of Thanksgiving, in which God’s blessings and bounty take center stage, we give special thanks for those who worked so hard this year to help put food on our table.
This includes turkey farm workers, many of whom are our Catholic brothers and sisters.
For years, Catholic Extension Society has had the privilege of funding the mission churches of Utah. This mountainous state is home to many of our “essential workers,” including turkey farmers.
Growing Catholic faith in Utah
In Utah, Mormonism is the predominant faith, but there is a growing Catholic population, served by these poor but vibrant Catholic missions and supported by Catholic Extension Society donors.
They include spirited people like, Mrs. Hiraís Montaño, who has worked at the turkey plant for over 30 years.
In spite of her demanding day job, she also serves as the director of religious education in the missions of St. Elizabeth, St. Jude, San Juan Diego and St. Anthony of the Desert, located in the Diocese of Salt Lake City.
Hiraís has even “extended” her pastoral ministry to her coworkers at the turkey plant, believing that her faith should not be left at the doorstep of the church.
Meanwhile her husband, Deacon Fernando, is described by their local pastor, Fr. Manny Ceron, as a “Man of God.”
He said,
He is always willing and ready to serve those in need, despite his own physical limitations.”
Deacon Fernando suffers from Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare medical condition in which the immune system attacks one’s nerves, leading to muscle weakness and partial paralysis.
After extensive therapy he can walk again, and uses all of his strength to serve others.
Deacon Fernando and Hiraís have four children of their own, ranging in age between 31 and 16.
In other words, this couple has worked hard not only to raise their family, but to grow the Church’s presence in an area where Catholics are a minority. And, they helped bring a turkey to your table this holiday season, to boot.
How will they be celebrating this holiday?
They met the same fate as so many other essential workers, for whom remote working is not an option and the risks of infection are great.
Their entire household recently contracted COVID-19.
So, they will spend this holiday—in which they worked so hard to supply with food for others—in quarantine and in recovery from the virus.
Through it all, they have placed their faith in God. Their Thanksgiving message to all of us is simple, heartfelt, and reflecting a spirituality of gratitude that we should all aspire to emulate.
As Deacon Fernando put it,
We are grateful to God for our life. Even in the middle of the pandemic, he protects us and holds us in his hands.”
Churches struggling to survive in pandemic
A recent survey conducted by Catholic Extension Society of more than 80 dioceses found that 20 percent of their poorest parishes will struggle to survive financially in 2021.
Many have seen their collections plummet by 60–90 percent over the past eight months due to economic downturn and more limited Masses.
The survival of these parishes in the poorest regions of our country is incredibly important, because they are often the parishes that serve our “essential workers.”
These Catholic faith communities are a source of hope and assistance to the people who process our food, pick our crops, provide critical services, and do the “dirty jobs” that keep us clean, safe, and well-fed.
It is our mission at Catholic Extension Society to make sure that these folks have adequate spiritual care and the support of their faith community.
Perhaps our first step in expressing solidarity with them is simply to raise our glasses and our hearts in prayer on behalf of these essential workers this Thanksgiving.
In doing so, we recognize that many of them are not only our brothers and sisters in faith, but also people whose hard work benefits us and our families.
This holiday season, please consider a donation to a poor parish serving a community of essential workers.
