By Father Juan Ramirez
Because I am Catholic!
My name is Father Juan Ramirez, and I am the associate pastor at Our Lady of Hope Parish in Washington. I would like to share with you a brief reflection on National Hispanic Heritage Month.
From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated in the United States of America. This celebration began in 1968 as National Hispanic Heritage Week, promulgated by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan extended this celebration for a month. These dates were chosen because many Hispanic countries celebrate their independence during these days.
The fundamental reason for this celebration was to recognize the Hispanic community for its great contributions to the United States, with thousands of migrants who have come to work hard and build a better future for their families.
In our Diocese, we are blessed to have Hispanic ministry at both the diocesan and parish levels. Officially, we have six parishes with Hispanic ministry in our diocese. Based on my own experience at Our Lady of Hope Parish, I can say that Hispanic ministry has greatly enriched our parish, where we have been able to share our faith and customs with our English-speaking brothers and sisters.
I wanted to take this opportunity to share with all of you a bit of the history of this Hispanic Heritage celebration, which helps us continue to grow and contribute to this great country, the United States. Let us continue our pilgrimage as pilgrims of hope, as this jubilee invites us. Let us bring hope, unity, peace and acceptance that we may be different, but in Christ our Savior, we are ONE.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas,
Pray for us.
Father Juan Ramirez serves as associate pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Washington.