Jubilee People...

I think of palms, processions, ashes and, finally, the entrance into new life! I think of grateful people, humble people, returning to a land, a way of life, that brings them God’s peace.

These grateful and humble people have learned to live very simply and share with those in need. They have left the fast lane for a slower pace that allows more time for daily prayer, refreshes their bodies and souls, widens their horizons and makes them gentler, kinder, more imaginative people.

These grateful and humble people appreciate the wonderful cultural diversity that God has produced in our world family. They are willing to laugh, pray and share life with anyone—no matter his or her language, culture or religious tradition.

Jubilee makes me think of one united human family praising God together with the flowers of the field, the birds of the air, the fish in the sea, the trees of the forest, and all the animals that are so precious to God!

That is Jubilee Joy.

More and more I find myself learning and promoting the "lost art" of popular religiosity. It is one of the greatest gifts the Hispanic people bring to the Church at this time in our history. It is what sustained many groups of people throughout the centuries in priestless areas. I believe this popular religiosity can help us all grow as Church in the next millennium.

Praying the Rosary. Kissing a crucifix. Reenacting the Way of the Cross on public streets… Profoundly personal, these wholistic faith expressions actually "free us"; deeply rooted symbolically in our collective past and future, they also claim "social space" for God!

After more than 30 years of ministry with Hispanic/Latino people, I have learned a lot from them and the popular religiosity that fills their lives. They have helped me to become simpler and to depend more on God from day to day. I have joined Hispanic people in their dramas, devotions to the saints, processions, fiestas—and I’ve taken on their sense of mystery and connectedness with all of life. For this I am very grateful.

As the number of Hispanics increase in the small towns and rural areas where Glenmary serves, my mission is to help Glenmary priests, brothers and coworkers—as well as non-Hispanic parishioners—welcome and affirm Hispanic presence, culture, theology and faith expressions. Sometimes I work with parish councils. At other times I participate in fiestas, train catechists, or work with youth.

There is such a great need for cross-cultural understanding, and I often find myself acting as a "bridge." Besides Hispanics, Glenmary missions, depending on the region, also serve people of European descent, African Americans, Filipinos, Native Americans.

I see poverty and hear the stories of people working in the poultry and lumber industries. Many of the injustices they suffer stem from prejudice, from fear and from ignorance about people from different backgrounds.

Even though my work is with small groups of people in small towns, I find it exciting and rewarding because here we have the opportunity to overcome differences of opinion and prejudice before they grow larger! I feel God’s presence in this work. I believe it is helping to develop Jubilee People capable of spreading Jubilee Joy.