After the 7 a.m. Mass, Roman Catholics wait their turns to get their forehead marked with ash on Ash Wednesday at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Calexico. |
Unlike many of the conversations 14-year-old Samantha Gutierrez typically has with her classmates about the things they want and desire out of life, the chatter Wednesday went in a different direction. As the start of the Lenten season, Gutierrez said Ash Wednesday prompted her and her friends to discuss what they were planning to do without for a few weeks.
Considering the sacrifices that Jesus Christ made on the behalf of them, Gutierrez said her personal sacrifice was a just way to repay her debt.
“I feel cool that I came to church and got this (ash) on my forehead,” Gutierrez said.
Aside from packing the pews, Latinos in the United States have also infused Catholicism with their own brand of distinct religious practices. Latinos are estimated to make up at least 40 percent of U.S. Catholics, according to the uscatholic.org Web site.
“Latinos have been the greatest contribution to bring new life into the Catholic Church in the last 50 years or so,” the Rev. Virgilio Elizondo said.
Noting that Latino-oriented religion is a “festive religion,” Elizondo said Catholics are particularly keen on public demonstrations of faith, such as Good Friday or Virgin of Guadalupe processions.
While such a melding of distinct religious and cultural identities can be difficult to navigate, it also is a powerful starting point for an expanded spirituality from which a more humane mankind may evolve, Elizondo, a University of Notre Dame professor of pastoral and Hispanic theology, said.
“What (Latinos) have been struggling with is a global phenomenon,” Elizondo said. “We have lived the humanity of the future in our own (Latino) experiences.”
Yet, this potential awakening remains elusive for many Hispanic religious adherents, Elizondo said, noting that most people are simply in survival mode trying to manage their lives.
“Most people are beginning to become more conscious,” Elizondo said. “People such as myself can help them.”
In the U.S., nine out of 10 Hispanics identify with one specific religion, making them a “highly religious” group, a Pew Hispanic Center 2007 report stated.
“If (religion) doesn’t speak to our times, it starts to die,” said Nancy Pineda-Madrid, a Boston College assistant professor of theology and Latino ministry.
Hispanic theologians like Pineda-Madrid and Elizondo study the manner in which traditional religion is influenced by contemporary issues.
In order for religious symbolism to remain fresh, adherents will imbue them with additional meaning that doesn’t detract from their historical and traditional meanings. Such a use of religious imagery can be seen in the violence-stricken area of Juarez, Mexico.
Pink crucifixes have become a symbol of the persecution that women there are facing, Pineda-Madrid said.
“They made the symbol of the cross pertinent and relevant,” Pineda-Madrid said. “It’s a complete transformation of a traditional way of looking at it.”
In the past and to this day Latino activists have utilized religious iconography to elevate the conversation about a particular issue, Pineda-Madrid said.
As for Ash Wednesday, it is a time to think about one’s mortality and a reminder that striving toward a closer relationship with God is a never-ceasing process, said Sister Annalisa Burgos, who teaches a religion class at Vincent Memorial Catholic High School in Calexico.
Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are the three components of the Lenten season that practicing Catholics will focus on, Burgos said.
“The ashes are a reminder that we are pilgrims and everything we do should point us toward God,” Burgos said. “We’re supposed to be better people when the Lenten season is over.”
Calexico resident Gilbert Vasquez said he wasn’t planning on attending the Liturgy service at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on Wednesday. As someone who has had his fair share of trials and tribulations as a result of drug dependency, the 45-year-old said he stills feels close to God.
“I ask for forgiveness for whatever I may do throughout the day that may harm someone,” Vasquez said, before ducking inside the rectory hall to have his forehead anointed with ashes.
Staff writer Julio Morales can be reached at 760-335-4665 or at jmorales@ivpressonline.com
Considering the sacrifices that Jesus Christ made on the behalf of them, Gutierrez said her personal sacrifice was a just way to repay her debt.
“I feel cool that I came to church and got this (ash) on my forehead,” Gutierrez said.
Aside from packing the pews, Latinos in the United States have also infused Catholicism with their own brand of distinct religious practices. Latinos are estimated to make up at least 40 percent of U.S. Catholics, according to the uscatholic.org Web site.
“Latinos have been the greatest contribution to bring new life into the Catholic Church in the last 50 years or so,” the Rev. Virgilio Elizondo said.
Noting that Latino-oriented religion is a “festive religion,” Elizondo said Catholics are particularly keen on public demonstrations of faith, such as Good Friday or Virgin of Guadalupe processions.
While such a melding of distinct religious and cultural identities can be difficult to navigate, it also is a powerful starting point for an expanded spirituality from which a more humane mankind may evolve, Elizondo, a University of Notre Dame professor of pastoral and Hispanic theology, said.
“What (Latinos) have been struggling with is a global phenomenon,” Elizondo said. “We have lived the humanity of the future in our own (Latino) experiences.”
Yet, this potential awakening remains elusive for many Hispanic religious adherents, Elizondo said, noting that most people are simply in survival mode trying to manage their lives.
“Most people are beginning to become more conscious,” Elizondo said. “People such as myself can help them.”
In the U.S., nine out of 10 Hispanics identify with one specific religion, making them a “highly religious” group, a Pew Hispanic Center 2007 report stated.
“If (religion) doesn’t speak to our times, it starts to die,” said Nancy Pineda-Madrid, a Boston College assistant professor of theology and Latino ministry.
Hispanic theologians like Pineda-Madrid and Elizondo study the manner in which traditional religion is influenced by contemporary issues.
In order for religious symbolism to remain fresh, adherents will imbue them with additional meaning that doesn’t detract from their historical and traditional meanings. Such a use of religious imagery can be seen in the violence-stricken area of Juarez, Mexico.
Pink crucifixes have become a symbol of the persecution that women there are facing, Pineda-Madrid said.
“They made the symbol of the cross pertinent and relevant,” Pineda-Madrid said. “It’s a complete transformation of a traditional way of looking at it.”
In the past and to this day Latino activists have utilized religious iconography to elevate the conversation about a particular issue, Pineda-Madrid said.
As for Ash Wednesday, it is a time to think about one’s mortality and a reminder that striving toward a closer relationship with God is a never-ceasing process, said Sister Annalisa Burgos, who teaches a religion class at Vincent Memorial Catholic High School in Calexico.
Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are the three components of the Lenten season that practicing Catholics will focus on, Burgos said.
“The ashes are a reminder that we are pilgrims and everything we do should point us toward God,” Burgos said. “We’re supposed to be better people when the Lenten season is over.”
Calexico resident Gilbert Vasquez said he wasn’t planning on attending the Liturgy service at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on Wednesday. As someone who has had his fair share of trials and tribulations as a result of drug dependency, the 45-year-old said he stills feels close to God.
“I ask for forgiveness for whatever I may do throughout the day that may harm someone,” Vasquez said, before ducking inside the rectory hall to have his forehead anointed with ashes.
Staff writer Julio Morales can be reached at 760-335-4665 or at jmorales@ivpressonline.com
