June 16, 2010

Liturgies offer hope to immigrants

By Rosanna Goñi

Thousands of faithful from 14 parishes with Hispanic communities within the Archdiocese of Denver joined in a May 24 “Mass and Prayer Vigil for Faith and Hope.” The liturgies were celebrated in the individual parishes and were intended to bring comfort to the immigrant community during this time of controversy over immigration legislation.

The event was organized by the Office of Hispanic Ministry with the intention of awakening faith and hope in God’s providence regarding immigration issues.

The meditations at the vigil focused on a passage from the book of the Prophet Isaiah in which the Lord consoled his people with these words: “Do not fear, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my spirit upon your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring.”

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., participated in the vigil held at Queen of Peace Parish in Aurora.  At that parish, 700 people gathered, including Msgr. Jorge De los Santos, vicar for Hispanic Ministry; Father Martin Lally, Queen of Peace pastor, and Father Enrique Salazar, parochial vicar for the parish.

Addressing the congregation, Archbishop Chaput pointed to St. Francis of Assisi as an example of a person who trusted fully in God.

“St. Francis was not concerned with having anything because he knew his Father would be in charge of all his needs,” Archbishop Chaput said. “If we are people of hope, like St. Francis, we have to believe with him that God is our Father and that he will take care of us in those difficult moments of our life—in sickness, family and financial problems—and in our migratory problems.”

The archbishop said he is aware of the concerns of the Hispanic community regarding immigration issues.

“The best way to alleviate these concerns is to visit Jesus in the Eucharist,” he said.

At the end of the vigil, the archbishop expressed his solidarity, love and friendship and assured the Hispanic community of his prayers.

Msgr. De los Santos thanked the archbishop for his witness, describing him as a good shepherd who is concerned about his sheep. He stressed that the message of the prayer vigil is to have confidence in God’s power not in man’s.

“God is our hope and our strength,” he said. “With the assurance that for God nothing is impossible, let’s place ourselves on his hands and tell him, ‘Lord, in you I trust’ during difficult moments.”