Vacation Thoughts - The Faith of Brownsville- Father Kevin Louis's Bulletin Column - February 04, 2007
Even though as you read this I will (God willing and Northwest Airlines providing!) already be back at Saint Peter, I am writing this from the rectory of Saint Luke in Brownsville, Texas. There is an Amazon parrot named Luke looking over my left shoulder as I work on my computer and there are two Labrador retrievers (one named Lando, the other Leia) at my feet! At the moment, however, the parrot is doing more loud squawking than watching! Monsignor Diaz could start his own zoo with only a few more additions to his animal family! The weather in southern Texas has stayed rather cold by their winter standards with lows in the 30s and 40s and highs in the 60s. Unfortunately, this cool and rainy weather first led to me getting the flu and now a sore throat!
It is always interesting to travel to various parts of our country and experience the diversity of our nation and the Church. The last two weekends I celebrated Mass at Monsignor Diaz’s parish. Last year after my summer visit to Saint Luke I remarked that I had never been hugged and kissed by so many women – so warm was the welcome extended to me on my initial visit! This time has been no different as they have welcomed me back as if I was an old friend. This truly is a warm and hospitable community of Christ. There is no “official” welcome program and no one person or group are the officially deputed ones to give the welcome to guests or new parishioners. Rather, it springs from the culture cultivated in their families and in their “family of families,” the parish – namely, the stranger is always welcome. When a new face is spotted, parishioners simply take it upon themselves to go up to them and extend a hand in welcome.
Many people from our neck of the woods make this part of Texas their home for the winter months. There are tens of thousands of these “Winter Texans” in the Rio Grande Valley. At Saint Luke dozens of them came up to me after Mass to introduce themselves – people from North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, and our own Wisconsin. I met people from Ladysmith, Loyal, Abbottsford, Madison, La Crosse, Appleton, Green Bay, Wisconsin Rapids, and Marshfield – just to name a few. In fact, one couple was originally from Saint Peter! In addition to these ones from the north, two ladies from Italy were thrilled to speak with me in their native tongue about the land they love so much. Another of Monsignor Diaz’s elderly parishioners had a fascinating story to tell me after Mass. As a young man he served our nation in the Navy at Pearl Harbor. On the fateful Sunday morning of December 7, 1941, he was serving Mass on base as the Japanese launched their ferocious attack. Yet another parishioner introduced himself as the brother of the religious sister who was the librarian at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy, during my time of doing advanced studies there from 2001-2003. She was of great assistance to me in tracking down various materials as part of the research for my thesis. Her brother informs me that she is now back in the USA enjoying retirement! These are the joys of traveling!
It is fascinating to travel with Monsignor Diaz as he drives throughout the Diocese of Brownsville. The Rio Grande Valley is experiencing a substantial population influx with accompanying building and construction boom. The area is home to many extremely wealthy people, but the vast majority are of modest to meager means. As of several years ago, our government’s statistics showed this Rio Grande Valley to be the most poverty-stricken area in all of our United States. The substantial bulk of the residents are Catholic and so the Church has a massive task to provide adequately for the spiritual needs of her sons and daughters. This work is hampered by a lack of adequate funds and a grave shortage of priests. However, there is an amazingly deep faith among so many of the faithful who generously give of themselves to build God’s Kingdom. In spite of difficulties, the Diocese continues to establish new parishes and many existing ones are expanding their facilities to meet the needs of the faithful. It is interesting to look out at the crowd at Mass and to observe people in the stores. What is so striking is that the overwhelming majority are young people and young families with many little children in tow.
Saint Peter, pray for us! Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!
Father Kevin Louis
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