HAMMOND – “Buenas tardes,” exclaimed Father Ivan Alatorre as he greeted his St. John Bosco congregation on July 27 at the parish’s newly-minted Spanish-language Mass.
Introduced with a “soft launch” in mid-July, Father Jeffrey Burton, pastor of St. John Bosco and St. Joseph, both in Hammond, temporary administrator of St. Stanislaus in East Chicago, and also dean of the Northlake Deanery in the Diocese of Gary, said adding a Spanish-language ministry has been in the works at the parish for up to four years, but the pieces were not in place until this summer.
“Once we had a pastoral plan for the diocese and St. John Bosco was identified as an anchor parish for the future, our Stewardship Council overwhelmingly felt that we needed to be proactive in charging forward into the future,” he added. “So, we started planning and organizing and then out of the blue, Father Ivan was assigned here as our associate pastor for his first assignment.
“First, our impetus is that we want to be a spiritual home for school and other religious education families,” said Father Burton. “They live in this community, they go to school here, but they were worshipping elsewhere because their parents were more comfortable worshipping in Spanish. The seed was planted there.
“Our goal is not to create a second community, but to integrate our Spanish-speaking people into our present faith community,” noted Father Burton. “Our school population is 70% Hispanic, and our parish itself is 50-60% Hispanic.”
Toward that end, St. John Bosco will celebrate all ethnic cultures at its annual parish picnic from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24 on the parish campus. There will be American, Polish and Spanish food available for purchase, along with music and games.
“I’ll be cooking the sausage and sauerkraut,” revealed Father Burton.
Father Alatorre, who is also sharing chaplaincy duties this school year with Father Burton at Bishop Noll Institute, said he “hopes to meet lots of people and make my presence known in the parish.”
In his homily, Father Alatorre said it is important to “enter into missionary territory, and express hospitality, but it all starts with a relationship with the Father.”
Jose Tirrado, whose family has started attending the Spanish Mass, said he’s happy to join the new liturgy. “We used to attend St. Mary in Griffith, where our children went to school, but they attend St. John Bosco School now, and it’s pretty good to come here now. It will help the community,” he said.
Lector Melissa Carlos, who attends both St. Mary in East Chicago and SJB, called the new Spanish Mass “amazing. I attended middle school here, and I’m really excited to have more people start attending this Mass.” A recent college graduate, she is headed to graduate school in Social Work.
Sarita Reyes, an experienced cantor, was recruited to serve at her first Spanish-language Mass. “I learned what I needed to sing today,” she admitted.
“I’m really excited to finally have a Spanish Mass here,” said choir member Bertha ‘Birdy’ Hernandez. “I enjoy singing to my God,” added the head of the parish’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Society.
The choir, which rehearses at 6:30 p.m. Mondays, welcomes new members and cantors, said music director/organist Vicki Pastore.
“I like it because of the diversity in our neighborhood,” said choir member Milly Virus. “This Mass is a good outreach.”
“Pastoral planning is tough,” admitted Father Burton. “It means coming to terms with a reality that we might not like, but a reality we have to face and a future where we have to trust God’s providence at a new level.
“God calls us to thrive, not just survive, and when we’re thriving we see that we can do more and be more,” he added. “Having two (priests) here just for the past month has meant more opportunities for the sacrament of reconciliation, more opportunities for adoration, and a priest more likely to be available when you need him. It’s healthier for the parish and it is a healthier, more joyful life for our priests.
“This parish has always been a melting pot, and it still is,” said Father Burton.
Caption: Distribution Holy Communion and blessings to young people, Father Ivan Alatorre celebrates the new Spanish-language Mass on July 27 at St. John Bosco in Hammond. Without any publicity other than outreach to parish school families and word of mouth, about 60 people have been attending weekly. (Marlene A. Zloza photo)
