Multicultural Workers Making a Difference
Ministry termed ‘invaluable’ in Glenmary missions in Alabama, Mississippi

CINCINNATI (June 1, 2000)—A new addition has been made to the Glenmary family of ministers—multicultural workers. They are hired by Glenmary missions to serve a particular cultural or subcultural group in the mission or region. Currently, there are seven such men and women working with pastors or lay pastoral coordinators helping meet the spiritual and social needs of the rapidly rising Hispanic, Latino and Guatemalan populations in rural America. It is work that brings the immigrants to the small towns of the South, especially work in poultry plants and agriculture.

Learning Spanish, therefore, has almost become mandatory for Glenmary ministry, especially for those pastoring missions located in the South. But it's one thing to know the language enough to "get by," it's another thing entirely to communicate effectively within the cultural customs and traditions. And it takes time to learn those customs and traditions.

For Glenmary Father Steve Pawelk, this was a major handicap. He was being asked to meet the needs of a growing Latino population that he didn't completely understand. That is, until Sigifredo Bonillo was hired by St. Francis of Assisi mission in New Albany, Miss.

"I am thrilled to have him on board," Father Pawelk says. "He's making such a difference." For example, he has transformed the parish Spanish religious education program since his arrival. Two months ago, it had five students, "sometimes." Today, the program has gained 20 students, six teachers and is "flourishing."

Father Pawelk says Bonillo is continuing to make strides, forming Bible study groups, training lectors and servers, and making a real effort to explain to Spanish-speaking immigrants that it is essential to have their children enrolled in religious education classes.

The Glenmary pastor had tried to get that message across numerous times to his parishioners, but it wasn't until Bonillo began visiting and talking to the people that they began to respond.

"In Mexico, children go to religious education classes only for sacramental preparation," Father Pawelk points out. "There is a different system in the United States, and since all the cultural supports aren't available here in our highly Protestant area, religious education classes are very important."

Because neither he nor Polly Duncan Collum (the lay pastoral coordinator in nearby Ripley, Miss., who is also working with Bonillo) are native Spanish-speakers, he explains, meeting the needs of the congregation is difficult. And, because of many other mission responsibilities, they can't address those needs on a full-time basis.

The same is true in Russellville, Ala., at Good Shepherd Church where multicultural worker Luis Aju began working with Glenmary Father Bob Dalton last fall. Father Dalton's parish situation is unique because many of his parishioners are from Guatemala and speak Mayan dialects such as Qui'che and Conjabal. Although Spanish is understood by most Guatemalans, they speak their dialect in their homes, building another communication obstacle between pastor and people.

Aju, a native of Guatemala fluent in several dialects, has helped Father Dalton "tremendously." "We wouldn't be able to minister without him," Father Dalton says. "Before he came, we were doing well to reach out to the Spanish-speaking Mexicans."

In Father Dalton's parish, the addition of Aju has meant a redistribution of responsibilities within the parish. The responsibility for religious education training, sacramental preparation and correspondence to Mexico and Guatemala for baptismal certificates, etc., has fallen to Aju, who handles all his ministry in both Spanish and Mayan.

"His presence has really opened up the communications between the congregation and me," Father Dalton says. Many times it's very important to understand the cultural undertones to a situation in order to address it. Both Aju and Bonillo provide Glenmary pastors and lay pastoral coordinators with that insight.

Aju has also responded to the historic tensions that are present between the Mayan and Spanish-speaking cultures. "He's such a beautiful person," Father Dalton says. "The tensions have fallen by the wayside since he has been here. They aren't all gone, but a great deal of progress has been made."

Bonillo and Aju have strong backgrounds in theology, religious education and Church ministry, and each has worked for the Church in both Colombia and Guatemala, their respective native countries, and the United States.

Both Father Pawelk and Father Dalton agree that these multicultural workers and their ministry to the parishioners in Mississippi and Alabama are "invaluable." Each says: "I don't know what I would do without him."