Historic Moment

Emotions crept into Britney Umanzor Paz as she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with 70 catechumens on the altar at St. Pius Church X in Baton Rouge on March 13, penning another remarkable chapter in the rich legacy of the Diocese of Baton Rouge.
Paz was part of the first Hispanic Rite of Election ceremony to be celebrated separately and entirely in Spanish. 
Off to the side, Julia Scarnato, executive director of the Hispanic Apostolate, viewed the ceremony with immense pride, as a dream was unfolding before her very eyes.
“It is an honor and a profound joy to serve as a bridge for so many of our brothers and sisters who have a strong fervor to receive Jesus Christ and be part of this process,” Scarnato said. “It has been a very significant step from a faith of hope.”
For years members of the Hispanic community have participated in the diocesan Rite of Election ceremony, traditionally held at St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge. 
Scarnato said the RCIA process has always existed in the Hispanic community “in one way or another.” In 2017, she said, some people decided to participate in different ministries, leaving a lack of teachers to assume the commitment and deep understanding at the level of faith the process entails.

“So the Holy Spirit inspired us to do different things, which involved organizing and training a new team of volunteers in Spanish,” Scarnato said. “The growth of the Hispanic population because of the flood in 2016 motivated us to extend the existing levels of children, youth and adults divided into various class sections.”

The same process was then begun with parents and other family members.

Today, the apostolate has a team of 15 volunteer teachers who dedicate a great deal of time to the training. 

“We’ve been pushing for (the Rite of Election in Spanish) for years, especially to make our Hispanic community special,” said Zaira Arce, catechist for the Hispanic Apostolate. “It’s very exciting and rewarding. Whenever they said it was going to be (at St. Pius) we were all excited.

“Officiating this (ceremony) in Spanish, it makes them feel more special and makes our community feel like we are being heard.”

The event was made even more special by the presence of Bishop Michael G. Duca. Scarnato said in the Hispanic culture the presence of a bishop in a liturgical celebration means having God “very close.”
“We consider clerics as those people who are closer to God than any of us, that he sent them in his place,” Scarnato said. 

Because of that reverence, she said, when members of the Hispanic community approach a bishop, they do it timidly, they genuflect or even remove their hats.
“His spirit and his faith is so deep, worthy of recognition and admiration,” Scarnato said.

She added the Hispanic community immediately felt a deep connection with Bishop Duca when he spoke in Spanish during his installation as bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge in 2018. 

“His dedication to the community in a very simple way, with feelings of humility, dedication and listening makes them feel important, active members of the church and (Bishop Duca) does whatever it takes to make them to feel accompanied, accepted and welcome,” Scarnato said.

Bishop Duca celebrated the entire ceremony, including his homily, in Spanish. He said his heart was full of joy to welcome each person by name “to the waters of baptism and full Communion with the church.”

“You are here because at some point in your recent past you felt called by God to the Catholic Church to deepen your relationship with God through Jesus Christ,” the bishop said. 

He said their faith journey to this moment began at the moment of their creation.

“God has always loved you and wants you to know him through his son Jesus Christ, who reveals to us a love of God and our truest identity as children of God,” Bishop Duca said. “You are here today not only because of a call by God a year ago but because God has been working in you your whole life.”
“I, with the whole church, in union with Christ, call you by name to baptism and full Communion,” he said.

Paz, 19 and a student at Baton Rouge Community College, said going through the RCIA process was special for her because she recently made the decision to get closer to God. A Honduras native who moved to the United States with her parents at an early age, Paz called it “the best decision I have ever made.”

“Growing into an adult you go through things, you go through phases and you realize what’s best for you,” she said. “And I think getting close to God is the best thing you can do in life.”

Twelve-year-old Yancy Pinto-Lopez, who is also a native of Honduras, said her parents gave her the option of going  through RCIA. Ultimately, a desire to be closer to God swayed her decision.

“I know in my life I have a lot to go through, like studying, and I know being part of the church will help make decisions a lot more clear,” she said. “Being close to God will help me to do everything to go to the good path and not do everything wrong in my life.”

Arce is hopeful the ceremony will have a significant impact on the Hispanic community, especially with the celebration being in Spanish, allowing those in attendance to understand it better and feel more free to have their kids come to church.

“Just to be in our church, as community,” she said. 

“To be able to celebrate this rite entirely in Spanish is to reach the depths of people’s hearts,” Scarnato said, stressing the importance of the bishop’s message. 

“For the Hispanic people it means the recognition of a reality every day there is growing and knocking on the doors of our local churches,” she added. “It is everyone’s party; we are a welcoming church that adapts to the conditions of the people and to generational change.”

Following the Mass, the community gathered in the gym for lunch. There was also an opportunity for family members to pose for pictures with the bishop, who flashed his warming smile on every snapshot.