By Mary Beth Marino

Paulini Sherrard has five brothers and five sisters. she is the oldest girl in an Hispanic family of 11 children.

At 25, she left her home in Bucaramanga, Columbia in South America to fulfill a life long dream of living in America.

Her family, especially her father, Paulini, was not pleased with her decision to leave her homeland, but respected the fact that she was old enough to make her own decision.

Paulini came to America in 1971 to attend the University of Kentucky where she studied English and accounting. It was there that she met and married her husband, American born Robert Sherrard.

“We had a double ceremony,” explained pretty, brown-eyed Paulini, “my husband belongs to the United Methodist Church and I am, of course, Catholic.”

But as Paulini’s story unfolded, it was obviously not a story-book fable where she came to America, met her prince charming and lived happily ever after. The transition was difficult.

“I didn’t speak a word of English when I came to America. I would go to Mass and not understand a word the priest said,” Paulini recalled.

It was a long and slow process of transition for the Hispanic girl, but she was determined to become Americanized.

“I learned to speak English is six months,” she said.

Paulini used a tape recorder everywhere she went. She would listen to the tape over and over until she understood and learned English.

“I just kept forcing myself to learn all I could about this country,” she said. But one of the biggest transitions for Paulini involved her religion.

“I am so happy that the Catholic Church is recognizing the need to help the Hispanic community,” Paulini said.

This bright, enthusiastic woman recalled that several of her friends had left the Catholic Church because of the difficult transition from Latin American culture to American. She explained that Catholic practices dominated the culture in her native country.

“We honor the saints a lot more in our country and we have processions on Holy Days. During Holy Week, we eat no meat and the stores do not tempt us by selling the meat to us. Radio stations do not play ‘happy music’ during that week until the feast of the resurrection of Christ,” Paulini said.

She added that the Hispanic people dress in black and purple during Holy Week to mourn the death of Christ. Then at Easter, they have a procession to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Paulini said only one percent of the people in her homeland are Protestant so morals, lifestyles and family norms are the same throughout Columbia. Young people traditionally live at home with their families until they marry.

“If you are single and live with a roommate, you are subject to being looked down upon,” Paulini explained.

“You don’t go out alone if you are single either, but here in America, it is considered part of growing up and becoming independent. You are encouraged to ‘branch out’.”

“Another example of differences in the Hispanic culture versus the American culture, is the way Americans rush here, and rush there, and are always so busy,” said Paulini with a smile.

“Hispanics touch and hug a lot, and always take time to chat, but Americans are always too busy!” she said.

Divorce is another issue that baffles the Hispanic people. Paulini said very few people divorce in South America, but in the United States it is very easy to obtain a divorce. “America should make it harder to marry and even harder to divorce so couples will think about what they are doing when they make that commitment,” Paulini commented.

Robert and Paulini, even though they attend different churches, have worked through their religious differences. The children, Beth, 11, and Danny, eight, attended both churches.

“I was raised a Catholic and will die a Catholic,” Paulini stated adamantly, “but the Catholic church really needed to reach out in ministry to the Hispanic community.” “I have several friends who have turned to the Protestant faith because they have reached out to the Spanish community and they (Hispanics) now feel obligated to remain in their churches.”

Paulini added that she hopes this Third Encounter process will create concrete changes to help the Hispanic community practice the Catholic faith again.

Paulini contends that Hispanics “hold back” when it comes to their faith because they want to act like Americans do. Americans are somewhat fearful of manifesting their faith.

“Some Americans are shy or fearful of being charismatic ... but it is expected and natural in Columbia to display the faith in a very dramatic way,” she explained.

Paulini is a parishioner at St. John Vianney parish in Lithia Springs. There is only one Spanish Mass a month. The pastor saw a need to accommodate approximately 100 Hispanics in his congregation, so he studied the language to facilitate them.

But Paulini feels that only one Spanish Mass a month is needed.

“If we only attend Spanish Masses, we would feel left out in the American way of doing things. It is a good and necessary thing to preserve our traditions and keep them alive. But it is also a good thing to share our faith with Americans so we learn from each other,” she said.

Paulini hopes the Third Encounter is only the beginning in the process of helping Hispanics grow in their faith and in the American culture. She also believes that the outreach to Catholics and non-Catholics alike will aid her in culturally educating her children who are being raised under the influence of two cultures and two denominations.

The Sherrard family is a prime example of what the Hispanic community seeks in practicing their faith. They seek their place in the church where they not only reap the benefits of their faith, but expose their particular Catholic heritage to the American community and share it.