On Good Friday, Central American parishioners at the Franciscan Mission in Langley Park, Maryland, processed from their enclave to the mother church, St. Camillus in Silver Spring, about three miles away. Marching through the streets just outside the nation’s capital, parishioners marked the Latin American custom of following a suffering Jesus carrying a cross, some dressed as Roman soldiers to fill out the mournful pageantry.
Two days later, the parishioners gathered for Easter Mass, in a joyous celebration of the Resurrection.
Not unusual events, much like a part of the Holy Week observances in thousands of multi-ethnic parishes, of which St. Camillus is one. But for Franciscan Fr. Jorge Hernandez, OFM, pastor of St. Camillus, the spectacle was a special profile in community courage.
“The faith surpasses the fear,” he said, noting that this has been a difficult year for Central American migrants in the Washington D.C. region.
Back in February, highly publicized deportation raids scared off many of his parishioners. Mass attendance declined, particularly after federal officials warned that no longer would Church be considered as a sanctuary from immigration law enforcement.
Now they are back, slowly growing in number, as the Franciscan community continues to offer support.
For decades, the Franciscan mission in Langley Park has been serving migrants. The ministry grew out of meeting the spiritual and physical needs of the growing Central American community in the Maryland capital suburbs. The mission offers Mass in Spanish, as well as in the language spoken by indigenous Guatemalans. The community, consisting of large apartment complexes, used to be largely comprised of Salvadorans. Now many of the people in Langley Park are from Guatemala.
Besides a spiritual connection, the Mission offers legal help for migrants, English as a second-language classes, and diapers to assist young struggling families.
Fr. Jorge, a native of Mexico, professed simple vows with the Franciscans in 1990. He lived and worked with the Franciscans in Antigua and Guatemala City, before serving as a pastor in San Francisco and the Portland, Oregon, region. He developed his skills in multicultural ministries, leading parishes that have included large Filipino and Samoan congregants in San Diego, as well as American Anglos in North Bend, Oregon. Fr. Jorge was installed as pastor at St. Camillus, a large multi-ethnic parish with outreaches to Latinos and French-speaking Africans, last year.
The community in Langley Park, he said, faces obstacles but is strengthened by their faith.
“They are very devout,” he said. Mass, “feels like a family, they are a very welcoming community.”
Most of the recent deportations in the region have been directed at Salvadoran immigrants, a community which struggles with gang violence. There is less of a gang presence among Guatemalan migrants, but the migrants in that community still feel uneasy.
Rumors abound about immigration raids, especially on social media. One of his jobs as pastor, Fr. Jorge said, is to ascertain what is true and what is hype or falsehood. The goal is to communicate what is true to the community, as far as that can be determined.
Some of the Guatemalan migrants are eligible for legal status, as many have family members who are citizens, others are either undocumented or in the middle of long legal struggles to earn legal status. They often work as food vendors or in construction.
Fr. Jorge noted that a vital work of the ministry is to notify migrants of their rights under the law. Also, they are counseled about avoiding behavior that could earn the attention of authorities. Rules include: obey speed limits, don’t drink and drive, and avoid disputes. “Don’t give reasons to be targeted,” is the underlying message, said Fr. Jorge.
Immigration authorities emphasize that they are seeking violent gang members to deport. But that doesn’t mean that others with no criminal records aren’t at risk. Despite the pressures, parishioners wanted to continue the annual Good Friday procession. Such a public display caused Fr. Jorge to be wary at first, but he eventually relented. The sacred pilgrimage went on as usual.
“We put ourselves in the hands of God. Faith surpasses the fear,” he said, repeating the thought that consoles both him and his struggling migrant parishioners.
