 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
| November 20, 2008 |
|
Annual Migration Mass celebrates diversity
Members of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Pensacola wear traditional Mexican dresses as they sing in the choir at the Migration Mass April 12 at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. PENSACOLA | A local representative of Colombia stood and pointed to her native country’s flag. The yellow stripe, she said, represents the richness of her country. The blue acknowledges the country’s closeness to two oceans. She projected her voice even more. The red, she assured, represents the blood that Colombians shed in their struggle for independence from Spain. “I would like to ask that you pray for my country,” she said to the assembly, her voice choked with tears. She was one of many local representatives of various nations who, dressed in traditional native attire, processed with their countries’ flags into the annual Migration Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart April 12. The Pensacola regional Office of Immigration and Refugee Services, an arm of Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida, sponsored the event as part of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ National Migration Week.  AMY FERRARA SMITH | FC “It’s a celebration of diversity,” said My Dung Do, coordinator of immigration and refugee services. “We invite people from all different nationalities.” Do herself was a Vietnamese immigrant, who came to the United States as a child with her family in 1975. Now in her position as coordinator, she helps other foreign families to build a life in America. Do related the story of another Vietnamese couple, who fled their country in 1978 with their nine children and two other relatives on a boat. They made it safely to Malayasia, where they received news that St. Joseph Parish in Pensacola planned to sponsor their relocation to Pensacola. Catholic Charities guided them in their move to the United States. Today, all nine children are university graduates: One is a doctor and another is currently in medical school. “If I was in my country, there is no way I would even get to finish high school,” Do said. “The U.S. has a lot of freedom, but also if you want to be successful, you can do it.” This is what the Migration Mass honors — opportunity and freedom in America for people of all cultures. Bishop John H. Ricard, SSJ, celebrated the Mass. Father Bartholomew Dat Pham, pastor of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs; Father Joe Callipare, pastor of Pensacola’s St. John the Evangelist Parish; and Msgr. Michael Reed, rector of the cathedral, concelebrated. Deacons Reymond Castellano of Little Flower Parish and John Durkin of the cathedral assisted. Throughout the Mass, Diony Magno Jr. of Little Flower Parish led a dynamic choir that performed songs in various languages. To continue in this celebration of diversity, the first two readings of the Liturgy of the Word were read in Spanish and Vietnamese. Bishop Ricard noted in his homily that although the assembly heard the word of God in languages other than English, “it’s Christ who speaks.” “We all live as brothers and sisters and share a common Father, share a common origin,” said Bishop Ricard. “We all share in this one family.” Bishop Ricard continued, “We have to transcend — rise above — our history, our cultures and our customs if they get in the way of loving one another.” Following the Mass, the flag bearers from various countries led attendees into the parish hall, where the guests sampled foods representative of Asian and Latin American cuisines. “We want to let people know that Pensacola is a mixture of all different nationalities,” said Do. “This community is rich in cultures. We are rich because there are different cultures in the country.” Success StoryArmando Lopez was 25 years old when he crossed the border from Mexico to the United States. He moved to northwest Florida, where he worked for a construction company. Three years later, in 2001, he met his wife, Megan. Lopez has since earned the respect of his supervisors. After Hurricane Ivan, he volunteered his skills to help rebuild homes for his in-laws and neighbors. He continues this volunteerism today by helping to rebuild homes for the disabled. Lopez’s family has grown to include four children. With the risk of being removed from his wife and children, Lopez decided in 2006 to apply for legal status in the United States. He sought the help of Catholic Charities’ Office of Immigration and Refugee Services. The staff warned Lopez that he would have to return to Mexico to present his waiver for unlawful entry before the U.S. Embassy in Juarez. If denied, he would be banned from the United States for 10 years. According to the immigration office, Lopez said, “I do not want to remain another day in this country in illegal status. That is not who I am as a person. I am honest and hardworking. I am only asking for a chance.” In January of this year, Lopez went alone to Juarez to seek legal status. After a couple of meetings, he became a legal permanent resident alien of the United States. He was one of the 15 out of 200 to receive his green card that day.
|
Other StoriesAdvertisement
|
| Archdiocese of Miami | Diocese of Orlando | Diocese of Palm Beach | Diocese of Pensacola - Tallahassee | Diocese of St. Petersburg | Diocese of Venice | |
Copyright © 2007 – 2008 (except stories and photos by CNS) | All Rights Reserved | The Florida Catholic, Inc. | 50 E. Robinson Street | Orlando, FL 32801 | (407) 373-0075 Privacy Policy | |