Fiesta de la Hispanidad celebrates cultures, faith

Bishop Thomas Wenski urges those attending the diocesan celebration of Hispanic heritage to be disciples and missionaries in their communities.

VALETA ORLANDO | FC
Rafael and Leticia Ulate, with their twin children Sebastian and Juliana process in with the flag of Costa Rica and an icon of Nuestra Senora de los Angeles, the patron Virgin Mary of Costa Rica at the Misa de la Hispanidad (Spanish Heritage Mass) at Holy Redeemer Parish on Oct. 10.

ROBYN KURTH | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Posted: 10.20.09

KISSIMMEE | The diocesan celebration of Hispanic heritage at Holy Redeemer Parish began with a colorful procession of people carrying flags and Virgin Mary patronesses of more than 20 Spanish-speaking countries.

More than 1,000 participants from all over the Diocese of Orlando attended this year’s Fiesta de la Hispanidad. The celebrant of the Hispanic Mass was Bishop Thomas Wenski, who was joined by Bishop Walter Perez, Diocese of Potosí, Bolivia, plus 13 Hispanic priests and 16 deacons from across the Orlando Diocese.

VALETA ORLANDO | FC
The opening procession gathers in the foyer of Holy Redeemer Parish in Kissimmee for the Misa de la Hispanidad (Spanish Heritage Mass). The participants carried the national flag of their native countries along with an icon of their countries’ patron Virgin Mary.

The Oct. 10, Mass and festival marked the first time the event took place on a Saturday.

“The clergy’s attendance is greater this year,” said Father Ybain Ramirez, director of Hispanic Ministry for the diocese, who noted that moving the celebration from Sunday to Saturday made it possible for more priests and deacons to attend.

During his homily, Bishop Wenski urged those in attendance to be disciples and missionaries in their communities, emphasizing the ¿Por qué ser Católico? (Why Catholic?) effort that will officially begin next year. The Why Catholic?/¿Por qué ser Católico? process of evangelization and adult faith formation is a parish-based, diocesewide effort that aims to revitalize parish life through faith sharing in small communities.

Following the Mass, attendees enjoyed a taste of Latin America from various food booths, as well as musical and dance performances in Holy Redeemer’s social hall. The annual fiesta celebrates all the cultures that comprise the central Florida Hispanic community, which Bishop Wenski said represents half of the Catholic population in the Orlando Diocese. Out of 27 seminarians in the diocese, 12 of them are from local Hispanic families.

“We need vocations, we need priests for our diocese,” said Father Fernando Ramirez of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Orlando, noting that many priests from other countries come to serve in the Orlando Diocese. “It would be better if our priests studied here and were ordained in our diocese.”

For the clergy and the laypersons who participated in the Fiesta de la Hispanidad, the sense of unity among the different Latin American ethnicities is one of the main reasons they return to this event, which is hosted by a different parish every year. “(This) parish is more of a melting pot, so being able to bridge the gaps is a good thing. It’s an honor (to host),” said Brandon Rivera, director of Youth Ministry at Holy Redeemer. “It’s nice to have everyone here together as one Church.”

“This is our family – not only our friends, but our brothers and sisters,” said Margarita Martinez, a parishioner of Holy Cross who moved from Puerto Rico to Central Florida in 1993. “Almost all of us belonged to the Catholic Church back home. We didn’t change because we moved.”

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