Hispanic Ministry - Our Faith on the Road

Summer is approaching and for many this means family vacations or perhaps trips abroad to learn about a culture different from our own. For some people in our diocese, summer means walking and learning more about our faith, not through books and classes but through action.

As you may know, migrant farmworkers come to our diocese every summer to work in the crop fields such as asparagus, strawberries, blueberries and many others. There are a total of approximately 300 camps in the nine counties of the Diocese of Kalamazoo. Although migrant farmworkers arrive in all nine counties, the vast majority arrive in Allegan, Berrien and Van Buren counties. These counties are the ones closest to the lake and where most crops are grown.

We have had the great privilege that, since the beginning of our diocese, the mission has been to accompany the farmworkers during the summer so that they know that the Diocese of Kalamazoo is here to support them in whatever they need and that they are not alone. It doesn’t matter if they are Catholic or not, our mission is to accompany and support them. Every summer, through the Office of Hispanic Ministry, priests and religious sisters are brought to strengthen this ministry of accompaniment and to visit each of these 300 camps. In addition to the diocesan group, several parishes have volunteer groups who also visit the camps. Visits are made during once a week beginning at the end of June and continuing throughout July and sometimes August.

The visits are no more than an hour, so as not to extend the already-long workday and are simply meant to offer a little conversation and allow volunteers from the diocese to get to know the families and men who have come to our diocese. These conversations are very enriching, and several of the volunteers have expressed that many times one learns and receives more than what we offer. It is a time to meet Jesus in the midst of each one of our migrant brothers and sisters who, with all their difficulties, great fatigue and sometimes shortcomings, are the happiest and most grateful people with God. This is where, through such a small action, our faith, and the mission that God has entrusted to us to accompany, evangelize and be evangelized is strengthened. A simple game to pass the time, some reading or Bible talk, or simply being there to listen has a greater impact than one can imagine.

I invite you not to take a vacation from your faith this summer, but rather, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, wherever we are, to be open to meet that stranger who, by walking and accompanying us, strengthens our faith.

May almighty God guide and grant the necessary words to each of the people who will be visiting and accompanying our migrant brothers and sisters this summer of 2022.

PARISHES WITH A
MIGRANT MINISTRY GROUP:

Immaculate Conception, Hartford

San Felipe de Jesús, Fennville

St. Thomas More, Kalamazoo

St. Joseph, Kalamazoo

St. Joseph, Battle Creek

Ss. John/Bernard, Benton Harbor

St. Gabriel, Berrien Springs

Holy Angels, Sturgis

St. Basil, South Haven

St. Mary, Niles

St. Mary’s Assumption, Bronson

St. Martin of Tours*, Vicksburg

St. Catherine of Siena, Portage

St. Jude, Gobles

*volunteers at Aleman Center

Hispanic Ministry PDF