Everett Hobart: Reflections on Migrant Ministry


January 17 1999 2 A Ordinary


Have any of you ever met our Lord Jesus? You probably have.
Even though we may encounter Him from time to time, we have trouble recognizing Him. We all are familiar with that passage in the scripture where the righteous asked “When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And our Lord replied, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 26,35-40).
John the Baptist was fully aware that his entire reason for being was to prepare the way for the Lord. But even he didn’t recognize Jesus until the Spirit came down. Most of us van look back and recognize occasions when we have had an overwhelming sense of the presence of our Lord. That’s when the Holy Spirit was speaking to us.
Eighteen years ago, I had never been outside of the Northeastern US, except for brief business trips, when I was assigned the role of liaison between a laboratory in Torreon, a city of some 200,000 people in North Central Mexico, and the New Jersey laboratory where I worked. After a crash course in Spanish, I headed south of the border. On that first trip, of many, I arranged to spend a weekend in Mexico City. Sunday morning, I was walking around the center of the city when I came upon the Metropolitan Cathedral, founded over 450 years ago. I asked when and where the next Mass would be celebrated and was told: “At noon in that chapel”. Soon, a lively young priest appeared to instruct us in the responses: “Remember, Alleluia is like Ole at the bull fights”. He taught us a song to be sung as we went in procession to the main altar where the Cardinal was to celebrate Mass. Suddenly, I found myself to be the only “gringo” in the midst of a sea of smiling and welcoming Mexican faces marching down the main aisle of the Cathedral of Mexico singing, “Juntos como hermanos”, which roughly translates to: “Together we are brothers and sisters, members of the Church marching ever onward to our meeting with the Lord”
That was one of those overwhelming moments that I mentioned before. As Paul pointed out, we “have been called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours”. Isaiah had prophesied, “I will make you light to the nations that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth”. Well, this experience in a world entirely new to me certainly helped me to realize the truth of that prophecy.
In late 1992, my wife and I moved to Spencerport from New Jersey. The next summer, Sr. Mary Jane Mitchell came to St. John’s to describe her work with the Hispanic migrant ministry. After Mass, as I walked out past her, I said: “Buenos dias, como puedo ayudarla?” And I was hooked. Ever since then, I have been involved with the ministry, visiting the camps and helping to organize the work. I can certainly testify to the truth of the statement of Bishop Fizpatrick of Brownsville, Texas who said:
“ The apostolic Christian’s approach to the Mexican-American farmworker must not be one of bringing Christ to the farmworker family, but of finding Him there.”
Each year some 2500 migrant workers come into the region between Buffalo and Rochester to tend our crops along with permanent core community of some 300 persons. Without these workers the farms couldn’t survive. The great majority of them are from Mexico and Central America, their cultures thoroughly saturated with the Catholic faith. Unfortunately, they exist on the margins of society; isolated by language, prejudice, fear of abuse by authorities, and unjust laws. They work long hours, often over 10 hours per day, six or seven days per week without overtime pay. They live in remote camps, often with no transportation.
The Catholic Church has a great responsibility to provide the spiritual well-being of these visitors. We have to make them feel welcome, provide opportunities to celebrate their faith, help them to deal with their problems and advocate for them both to legislative bodies and to the Anglo community in general. The Hispanic Migrant Ministry sends teams out to visit the camps, spread information about services available to the migrants and welcome them into the area in the name of the Church.
We have formed renew small groups in Spanish in several of the camps during the summers and in Nativity Church in Brockport for the permanent residents during the off-season. We arrange to have Spanish Mass every week at Nativity Church. Padre Ivan offers Mass at a number of the camps, whenever he can. We prepare parents and sponsors for Baptism and children for first communion. We celebrate special feast days such as the Day of the Dead (All souls day) and the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Each June, we collaborate with the Brockport Ecumenical Outreach Committee to have a “Bienvenida”, or welcoming celebration with Mass, dinner and dance for the workers. This letter from one migrant worker says that we must be doing something right:
“I think that it is a great work –the valuable time which you have shared with us, make us feel important in a Country so big…no one will pay you, your treasure is building up in haven and only God will repay you. Keep moving ahead as apostles of Christ.”