CALHOUN--St. Clement's Church in Calhoun has begun holding Mass in Spanish every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. to begin meeting the spiritual needs of the Hispanic community in Gordon County and the surrounding area.

Father Leo Cummings, MS, celebrates the Mass by reading materials in Spanish. José Merlo, a native Mexican who attends St. Francis of Assisi Church in Cartersville, assists him by translating, leading songs and reading. Hispanics in attendance are natives of Mexico and other South American countries.

The pastor met with his pastoral and evangelization councils approximately a year and a half ago and discussed how the church could meet the needs of the local Spanish-speaking residents, as he suspected that many Hispanics were driving to Dalton and Rome to attend Spanish Masses.

To publicize the new Mass, the church posted flyers in restaurants, stores, hotels and factories and announced it on public television and radio. Father Cummings estimates that 120 to 150 Hispanics have attended the Spanish Mass weekly since it began Aug. 3.

A challenge for Father Cummings has been to celebrate the Mass in Spanish, a language which he does not understand yet hopes to learn.

Yet he said of the Mass, "They seem to be more than pleased that I'm trying to say it in their language...The fact that we are trying at all is very much appreciated by the Hispanic community."

"What we've found is that the Spanish-speaking people who are coming want to be a part of not just the Spanish Mass, but of other things as well," he continued.

The English speaking congregation has also been very supportive of the outreach, he said.

Father Cummings' next goal is to provide religious education including marriage and baptismal preparation for worshippers of the growing minority group.