“What good could ever come out of Nazareth?”
This line is spoken by one of Jesus’ disciples, as he is surprised to hear that the Son of God came from a small, unremarkable village.
That same meaning applies to the hundreds of poor faith communities supported by Catholic Extension Society across the country. Though they are lacking in resources or notoriety, they have no shortage of spirit and potential.
This certainly rings true about Immaculate Conception parish in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, where our president, Father Wall (below, center) recently presented the Lumen Christi Award to the parish priest and principal of a faith community that did not let an earthquake crush their spirits.
In the five years since the earthquake destroyed their church and half of the parish school, Father Melvin Díaz Aponte, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, and Carmen Alicia Rodríguez Echevarría, have focused on the future of their community: the children.
This has proven to be a sound strategy, given that former altar servers and school students from Immaculate Conception are now among the highly specialized professionals currently working to rebuild the fallen structures of the parish and school.
Through Catholic Extension Society’s Disaster Recovery Program, which is overseeing the funding and offering project management for the repair of the 200-year-old Immaculate Conception Church, there is reason to have hope again in Guayanilla after the 2020 earthquakes.
Eduardo Sinigaglia Sierra is a senior archeologist working on the delicate preservation and rebuild of Immaculate Conception Church. He was once a student at Immaculate Conception School and an altar boy at the parish. He is back to restore the historic structure.
“I’m very, very proud and enthusiastic about the project,” he said. “It’s not only meaningful for Catholics. It will be very meaningful in terms of cultural heritage. … That’s very important for the Catholic history of Puerto Rico and the history of Guayanilla.”
In addition to Eduardo, two other parishioners are also working on this complex rebuild project.
Their dedication and professional success signals why it is so important for the parish and school to continue their efforts to build faith and strengthen the minds of their young people, who will be capable of transforming Guayanilla’s future.
In November, at the Lumen Christi Award ceremony, which took place at Mass in front of the community—a parish that is still worshipping under an outdoor tent—Father Wall and Bishop Rubén González Medina of the Diocese of Ponce invited all the children forward.
The children were invited to each touch the crystal cross and celebrate the award as their victory as well, given that they are the heart, the present, and future of this community.
In his homily, Bishop González offered his gratitude and love for our treasured partnership with the Immaculate Conception faith community.
He knows that through our solidarity with the people of Guayanilla, and beginning with its young people, we are building up something beautiful, long-lasting and powerful. Read his message in italics below:
“Today we celebrate this Eucharist with deep gratitude. After the earthquake, when our church building was damaged and we felt fear and uncertainty, God did not leave us alone. He sent us people who became light, hope, and strength.
Thanks to [Catholic Extension Society’s] support, the school is strengthened.
They believe in our educational mission. Supporting the school means investing in the future of our children and youth, forming missionary disciples filled with hope.
Thanks to their support, the reconstruction of the church has begun.
The church building is not just a structure: it is memory, identity, and spiritual home. Rebuilding means rebuilding community life and mission. When temples fall, God raises His living Church.
May our gratitude become mission and may everything we rebuild be a beacon of light for Guayanilla and beyond.“
In the coming years, Catholic Extension Society can’t wait to see what good will continue to come out of Guayanilla, Puerto Rico.
In the meantime, we will continue to invest in the people of faith and the youth, who live in the poorest communities of America—assured in the knowledge that Christ’s light shines brightly even in the most humble of places.
You can help us in our work! Please support our mission to build up vibrant and transformative Catholic faith communities in the poorest regions of America by donating today.
