Hispanic Community Celebrates Pope’s Anniversary

By GRETCHEN KEISER, Staff Writer

Published: October 23, 2003

ATLANTA—Hispanics of the archdiocese warmly showed their love for Pope John Paul II at a 25th anniversary celebration Oct. 14 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church.

Musicians from several parishes, including choirs of children, of teens and young adults, sang wholeheartedly during and after the Mass, which was planned by the Hispanic Apostolate of the archdiocese.

Before Mass the rosary was prayed, each decade offered for the intentions of a different continent, and in his homily Father Jose Duvan, the principal celebrant, thanked God for the pope, for the Year of the Rosary the pope declared over the last 12 months, and for the example of Mother Teresa, beatified Oct. 19. About six priests concelebrated the Mass, including IHM pastor Father Jim Schillinger.

Archbishop John F. Donoghue, who presided and offered closing remarks, said Pope John Paul II continues to set an example of how to follow Christ. The example he sets now is accepting suffering and offering it for the good of the church and the whole human family.

“I know that it is in all of our minds that our Holy Father is no longer strong in body and his suffering must be very great,” Archbishop Donoghue said. “He shows us (suffering) is something that has to be greeted, to be welcomed. Much grace comes to us when we are united with Jesus.”

No doubt, the archbishop continued, the pope in his weakness is asking God “to fill the hearts of all men and women with hope and with courage.”

“He continues to tell the world, ‘Be not afraid! Be not afraid!’” Archbishop Donoghue said, forcefully echoing the words the pope proclaimed when he was elected in October 1978.

In his homily, Father Duvan said that the whole church is united in gratitude to God at this time for the pontificate of Pope John Paul II, for the saintly life of Mother Teresa, and for the gift of the rosary.

“We are one in this act of gratitude to God,” he said.

Reviewing the life of the pope, who was born Karol Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland, he noted the many hardships he has known, from the death of his mother and brother when he was young, to the death of his father, his clandestine seminary studies under Nazism, and the violence he witnessed during the Holocaust, World War II, communism and persecution of the church in Poland. Yet he always speaks of hope.

Father Duvan talked about the length of the pope’s reign and his body of work, including encyclicals, pastoral letters and books, and spoke about the pope as a defender and promulgator of peace in the world, and as a defender of human life from conception to natural death. In his travels throughout the world, he has shown himself to be a friend of young people and of the poor and disenfranchised, Father Duvan said.

Although now elderly and frail in body, he has a strong mind and willpower, the priest said. A champion of evangelization and of dialogue with other churches, both Christian and non-Christian, the pope on the 500th anniversary of the evangelization of the Americas, in 1992, also asked forgiveness for the atrocities committed in the name of the church, Father Duvan said. The priest then asked forgiveness in the name of all priests for the sins that they as human beings commit.

Father Duvan expressed gratitude for the Holy Spirit, which fills the church, and for the Roman Catholic Church. The Gospel reading related Peter’s profession of faith in Jesus and Jesus’ response, calling Peter the rock upon whom he would build his church. God provided the church “for our conversion, for our sanctification,” Father Duvan said.

He concluded by noting the pope’s strong love for the Blessed Virgin Mary and his continuous praying of the rosary. He said the beatification of Mother Teresa, who is “an example of Catholicism and an example of sanctity,” is a highlight in the celebration of the pope’s silver anniversary.

The diversity of the Hispanic community in the archdiocese was evident in the opening procession of flags from more than a dozen nations, in the sweet voices of children, in the confident voices of young people singing “Nueva Generación,” the new generation, committed to following the way of Jesus. Throughout the Mass, young men and women in matching yellow T-shirts and jeans served as greeters, flag-bearers and ushers. Following the Mass a “vocational concert” was held with choirs participating from St. Michael Church in Gainesville, St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Alpharetta, St. Jude the Apostle Church in Atlanta and St. Patrick Church in Norcross.

Jubentino Boyzo, director of the IHM children’s choir and two other choirs, said his love for Pope John Paul II sustained him in the effort of coordinating the choirs for the event.

“I like everything about him, his power, his passion. He never stops doing things. Imagine how he is still working and praying for us and directing us. It is amazing. I just love him,” said Boyzo, a native of Mexico. “That is why I am here (all day) from this morning on.”

Jesús Gervacio, 21, said he appreciates the pope’s concern for young people.

“He always supports the youth. Many of his letters are directed to them,” said Gervacio. “As a young man, I admire him. I respect him.”

“He’s a good example of Peter,” continued Gervacio, who coordinates the Hispanic youth group at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, where 25 to 30 young Hispanics meet every Friday evening. “He is following his teaching, doing what God has asked him to do. I pray God will continue to bless him and give him good health.”

The Hispanic community respects the pope and identifies with him as the successor of St. Peter, as the vicar of Christ on earth, said Jairo Martinez, program assistant at the Hispanic Apostolate.

“He is our leader. He is the person who represents Christ for us here. He is the successor of Peter and we recognize him as the head of the church. He is our religious leader,” Martinez said.

However, with this pope, there is a special closeness, he added.

“He has come to visit us many times in our (native) countries, and he has created a very good feeling (among Hispanics) for him as a person.”

That love was shown in the large attendance at the Mass, despite the fact that it was held on a Tuesday night, Martinez said.

“We were so pleased with the participation in the Mass. For many people, it is hard for them to take part on weekdays because of the long hours they work. We had great participation from many parishes and from many ecclesial groups. The young were a part of it, the children. It was a good representation of people.”