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| Straight From My Heart: ‘What kind of Church is this?’ |
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Editor’s Note: The controversy surrounding the Mural at Our Lady of Guadalupe has many stunned by the actions of the Parish priests, as well as the inaction of the Archdiocese. In the latest development, the Archdiocese does not want the Denver Police Dept. to investigate the vandalized mural, which happened last week. Which leave many to wonder, what is really happening at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church?
As I write this column, my heart is sad because the Mural of Our Lady of Guadalupe in north Denver has become a divisive situation between the group, Faithful United -- trying to save and uncover the Mural -- and the current parishioners who have taken over the Church as if it were a fortress to be guarded. I was shocked when I attended the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in December of last year, and was met with security guards at every entrance. I have never heard of security guards in front of churches, especially at church’s in Denver run by the Theatine Order of priests.
I grew up with the Theatine priests. I was baptized at St. Cajetan's Catholic Church (now on the Auraria campus) on August 11, 1935 by Fr. Juan Fullana, C.R., a Theatine priest. When I began first grade at St. Cajetan’s School in 1942, Fr. Juan Ordinas (a Theatine from Spain) was the pastor. Fr. Ordinas was a spiritual man and a man of God. Some parishioners at St. Cajetan’s were afraid of him because sometimes his face would get red when he preached from the pulpit about something he was trying to teach the congregation. Fr. Ordinas didn't frighten me. I always went to him with questions and he always answered me truthfully. I took piano lessons from the Benedictine Nuns at St. Cajetan’s from the time I was seven; and when I was 13 years-old, the Nuns put me behind the big organ in the choir and taught me how to play for High Mass, funerals and weddings. I played the organ at the 10:30 Mass every Sunday from the time I was 13 to my early 20s when I got married and had a family.
When I was in high school, my mother was able to help me with an after school job at St. Cajetan's Credit Union and the office was in the parish rectory where Fr. Ordinas and the other priests lived.
I remember as a teenager, someone told me the Bible stories in Genesis were fairy tales. I went to Fr. Ordinas and asked him if he would tell me the truth, if I asked him a question about the Bible. He said he would. I asked him about the fairy tale story and he answered, “I wouldn't call them fairy tales, but I would say they are legends with morals to teach mankind.”
I was pleased that Fr. Ordinas was truthful with me. I was baptized by Theatine's, I received my First Holy Communion from Theatines, I was confirmed by Theatines, I was married by a Theatine priest.
When I was still in grade school, Fr. Stevan Ufnal recruited me and a few other students at St. Cajetan’s to collate the pages of the monthly Reina De Dios book and staple it after it had been printed. Fr. Ufnal had a print shop in the basement of the Church. When I started to play the organ at St. Cajetan's, my mother Florence organized a choir of young women to sing for the High Masses on Sunday at St. Cajetan’s. I was always at Church if I was not at home.
In 1988, after I had received my Bachelor's Degree from UCD, I was invited to research, write and present a paper at Notre Dame University about Hispanics and the Catholic Church in Denver. The paper was published in The U.S. Catholic Historian, Volume 9, Numbers 1 and 2,Winter/Spring, 1990. The paper focused on St. Cajetan’s Catholic Church, the Hispanic community who attended the Church and the Theatine Priests who ministered to this community.
We were a unique community, a blend of Mexicans born in México and New Mexicans born in New México. People intermarried and our community became one.
What has happened to our Theatine priests and why are they dividing our Mexican and Hispanic communities in today's world? I am talking about the situation that has arisen at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church around the Mural of La Virgen de Guadalupe which was covered by a white wall in 2009. The situation has become dreadful. The people that now attend Our Lady of Guadalupe church have taken on a sort of a “Mafia” mentality and have created a condition at the church that only allows those they choose to attend the Church and have active roles in running the religious institution.
I attended a Mass last Friday evening in honor of Anita Lucero who passed away 20 years ago. I witnessed a group of young people after mass bowing and kissing Fr. Guzman's hand as if he were the “Godfather” of the church. I was shocked at this mentality. There is a young group of people, mostly male who guard the church as if it were a fortress and no one is allowed in unless they admit you.
The new Theatine priests at OLG seem to get pleasure from sitting on a marble throne and being bowed to and being kissed on their hands by parishioners. The welfare and run of the Church seems to be in the hands of young Mexican national strong-armed bullies with the blessings of the Theatine priests that have taken over St. Andrews Seminary and OLG Church.
A woman from out of town who attended the Mass on Friday for Donna Lucero's daughter Anita (this woman also lost a daughter on the same plane crash which Anita Lucero died in) asked Donna, “What kind of a Church is this?”
What the woman saw was security guards surrounding the church, police cars bordering the church and during mass, someone from the Church walking up and down the aisles taking photos of Donna's friends.
After the Mass, there were still people praying in the Church. They were told to leave or the police would be called to arrest them. This sounds like a science fiction story, but I was there and have witnesses that will verify these facts.
My daughter said to me, “Mom, don't you get it? They don't want you there.” If you don't speak Spanish and are not from México you are not wanted at OLG Church. This mentality seems to be sanctioned by Fr. Benito Hernández, Pastor of Guadalupe and his buddy, Fr. Guzman.
The following is a testimony of Dr. Martha Urioste who was present at Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe O.L.G. Church on March 4, 2011: “I arrived at Our Lady of Guadalupe on Friday, March 4, 2011 at 6:45 pm. for the 7pm Mass. I entered the side door with refreshments and roses for the reception and the presentation of roses to Our Lady...all of this in preparation for the Mass on behalf of Anita Lucero, daughter of Donna Lucero.
“As I walked into the church, I noticed that a man from the parish was talking with a policeman and I thought there was a 'security guard' present for the evening and I wondered why. I did not give it a second thought as I have had experiences with events in the past where security guards have been present.
“I walked in and saw Fr. Miguel Guzman by the door of the entrance to the Wall. He was facing me and I asked him where I could take the refreshments and he looked at me and gave me a puzzled look as if to say,' I don't know' and told me that Donna was in the back of the church.
“I took the refreshments to the back of the church and was then told by a policeman that we could not go behind the Wall or we would be arrested and then I was told that someone had graffitted Our Lady of Guadalupe mural. I was stunned. I told some people there what I had heard, left the refreshments and roses there and went to the front of the church for Mass.
“I was thinking the irony of having a really good productive meeting that day with Fr. Arteaga (Superior General of the Theatines from Rome) that could have opened doors regarding the Wall, the restoration of the Wall and the promise of reconciliation - however, now a crime had been committed at Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Mural had been vandalized... How could anyone do such a thing? I was in shock.
“I sat three pews from the front of the altar and observed the following: There were women from the parish who were wearing a rectangular, SAVE THE WALL 'badge' that reminded me of a name tag. This was puzzling to me and realized that the women had prepared for this action well before the mass. When could this have been planned and why was this happening during a Mass for the dead and also a Mass to celebrate 'El Sagrado Corazón.'
“Before the mass began, Fr. Guzman shared with the congregation that there were two reasons for the mass that evening those who were at the mass because of 'El Sagrado Corazón' and those who were there on behalf of the mass for Anita Lucero. He asked us to raise our hands depending on which group we were with. He also told the congregation that he did not want anyone to be signing a piece of paper that had been distributed by the group Faithful United.
“My experience at the Mass was primarily that of disbelief, observation and analysis. I thought it was bizarre. I was also experiencing a deep concern about the fact that the Mural of Our Lady of Guadalupe had been vandalized. Why? Who? How could this have happened? What kind of supervision or lack thereof was there with the door to the Wall? Who had the keys? How would Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish deal with this situation? When would we be able to go behind the Wall to see our Lady? What were the people thinking? Who knew and when? When were the police called? How would Fr. Benito and Fr. Miguel follow up on this terrible situation? What would now happen to the congregation and the North Denver community?”
Another account of the situation from the minutes of a meeting of United Faithful held the day after the Mass at O.L.G. Church is as follows: Mike Wilzoch explained to the group that Our Lady of Guadalupe Church is now a crime scene. Someone spray painted across Our Lady of Guadalupe's chest, 'Ya Basta' and other words were spray painted on St. Juan Diego. Mike also said that only five people from the church have keys to that area.
Donna Lucero explained the background of events that occurred when she tried to arrange a Mass for the anniversary of her daughter's death. She had a difficult time at first in reaching the right person. She scheduled the Mass for Friday, March 4, 2011 because she wanted members of United Faithful to attend. She wanted a reception and was finally able to talk to Fr. Miguel Guzman. He appeared distant, but did agree she could have a reception in the basement of the Church and she could bring a choir of her choice. By Thursday, she was told the choir couldn't use the church to practice and when they arrived early Friday to practice, they were told to leave and couldn't practice in the church. Donna was also told the church needed the area where she thought she would be able to have a small reception. The reception after the mass had to be held at the home of one of Faithful United members.
José Lara confirmed that at 8 pm. After Mass had ended, there were a few people in the Church, either praying or talking and were told very rudely by a woman that they had to leave. The woman was physically pushing people out the door. The few people who were the target felt the attitude of this woman was rude and disrespectful. There is a concern of Faithful United that the congregation of OLG is being led by someone in the Church to treat members of Faithful United with disrespect and rudeness.
Faithful United is a non-violent community organization. I just read a noteworthy quote by César Chávez in a book I'm reading that I would like to share: “Non-violence is not inaction. It is not discussion. It is not for the timid or weak. Non-violence is hard work. It is the willingness to sacrifice. It is the patience to win.” (taken from, “The Wisdom of the Sacred Feminine for a World in Transition,” by Pauline Martínez-McBeth).
Magdalena Gallegos is a writer, playwright, historian, and publisher (Southwest Magazine).
© 2011 The Weekly Issue/El Semanario, Inc.
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