RUSSELLVILLE — When a woman answers the call to religious life in Mexico, chances are they will minister to an Hispanic community. For Maestras Catolicas del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus (Catholic Teachers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) Sisters Mayela, Lupita and Magdalena, they too are evangelizing and drawing in more Hispanic people to the Church. Only, it’s in Russellville, Dardanelle and Danville, Ark.
They are three of 34 sisters from about 10 different congregations participating in the U.S.-Latin American Exchange Program launched by Catholic Extension.
“It’s a slow process, a long process. It’s a matter of helping the Hispanic community to see themselves as part of the greater, broader parish, but also helping the broader parish to accept them, welcome those who are new,” said Sister Mayela Baez.
Funded with a $3 million grant from Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the program will last five years, sending Latin American sisters to the 10 selected dioceses out of the 30 that requested to participate. The Arkansas diocese qualified because it could prove the presence of a robust Hispanic population while lacking in resources and trained ministry leaders to help cultivate that community for the future.
“I usually did not think of the United States as a place of need, but coming here and discovering the great need people have and not only materially but people living in the greatest conditions but they need God, they need evangelization,” said Sister Maria Magdalena Esparza. “It’s been beautiful to see the need and the thirst for God but also it’s required greater preparation from me.”
The diocese chose St. John Church in Russellville, St. Augustine Church in Dardanelle and St. Andrew Church in Danville as the ministry sites because Bishop Anthony B. Taylor determined the area had the greatest need and was underserved by the Church.
Between the parishes there are about 1,100 Hispanic parishioners, pastor Father Mauricio Carrasco said.
Danville Catholics have only had a permanent worship space since 2006. Only Spanish Masses are celebrated there. In Dardanelle, three Spanish Masses are said on Sundays with just one English Mass on Saturday.
Father Carrasco said before last summer, there were no Spanish Masses in Russellville, sending many Hispanics from the town to worship in Dardanelle. St. John Church now has a 7 a.m. Spanish Mass on Sundays.
“It really is growing,” Father Carrasco said of Dardanelle. “Now what we’re trying to do is incorporate more Hispanic ministries in Russellville. There’s still quite a bit that go to Dardanelle.”
The sisters came to the U.S. in October, attending Mexican American Catholic College at San Antonio, Texas, for two and a half months to study English and learn about other cultures, particularly the Hispanic-American culture.
“Part of what we’ve done is formation within the ministries, so lectors, altar servers,” Sister Mayela said. “Just building up those ministries … trying to help the community, trying to help them in their spiritual journey.”
The program aims to not only make sure the sisters receive intensive pastoral leadership training, but that they in turn share that training with the Hispanic communities in each parish. During Lent, the sisters hosted spiritual exercises, including missions.
The sisters have their own specific duties to grow Hispanic ministries: Sister Mayela handles adult faith formation and the choir; Sister Lupita Zamarripa works with teenagers and lectors; and Sister Magdalena works with children and altar servers.
Father Carrasco said he’s seen an increase in Hispanic participation even though it’s only been a few months.
“It’s amazing to see because these are some folks that are very afraid to serve because they don’t think they’re worthy or they don’t think they have the preparation,” Father Carrasco said. “I’ve seen it just from my point of view from them singing the songs … to coming to the meetings with the sisters … A lot of times they come with a lot of needs and broken families. They’re really meeting them where they are at.”
After they build lasting roots at a parish, they will also go out to evangelize and bring in Hispanics that are not part of the faith.
“A great part of what Sister Mayela has done, she plans to try to bring in the Hispanic youth and incorporate them into the youth group here with confirmation. She’s kind of bridging the gap between cultures,” Father Carrasco said, adding for all the sisters, it’s about establishing a presence so the sisters can “know and understand how difficult it can be to become part of a bigger group which is very different from you.”
The sisters said they each have made spiritual connections with church members affirming they are doing God’s work.
“One time with Sister Lupita, there was a woman there telling her story about how she became a lector, but she didn’t know how to read,” Father Carrasco said. “So it was kind of like she learned how to read because she wanted to be a lector.”
Though the program only lasts five years, the sisters explained that what they’ve learned will forever change not only the Arkansas parishes they’ve served, but their home parishes in Mexico.
“It’s been being able to learn from different cultures, even the Hispanic culture here that in many ways has helped me … helped me live the experience of being a founder, those that establish religious orders,” Sister Lupita said. “You do that by going out of your comfort zone … and bringing new seeds and planting them in people’s hearts.”
