Going Outside the Church… (Walls)

Written by Jessica Montgomery on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

When I first began working in Hispanic Ministry, I was extremely nervous.  I wasn’t nervous about my ability to speak Spanish, but about being an outsider in this community.  Despite being able to hold a conversation, I worried my accent would be a barrier.  In addition to that, my pale white skin made it obvious that I’m not Hispanic. I was afraid that my status as an outsider would prevent me from serving the community.

Yet as I began my work, it was clear that I should not have feared being an outsider.  Now when I see people in passing, I am consistently greeted with a Hispanic hospitality that I now know and love.  As I became more familiar with Hispanic spirituality, this hospitality became even more apparent to me, particularly in the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Juan Diego, a poor Aztec convert to Catholicism, encountered the Virgin Mary when he was on his way to the chapel.  She asked him to build a church so that the Aztec people could come to know her and God.

The most striking thing about this story is not simply that she appeared to Juan, but how she appeared to him.  Instead of showing up as a white woman, similar to the images that the Spanish clergy used, she appeared as mestizo with dark skin and hair.  Her appearance promoted the mestizaje (roughly translating to “mixture” in English) of the Church and showed that all people are welcome into the church, not just white westerners.  Her appearance demonstrated that Juan Diego’s people belong, and that they are not outsiders, but are a part of the Catholic Church.

Our Lady of Guadalupe has showed me the importance of this mestizaje, this mixture of the Church.  Her visitation stresses that as a Church, we must be welcoming and willing to meet people as they are.  We cannot make positions of power out of our membership in the Church, but instead use this membership as a way to connect with people and accompany them in our shared faith journey.

Question for Reflection:
How can I share my faith journey with others in a way that is inviting?

*********************

Jessica Montgomery
Jessica is a senior from Plymouth, Michigan majoring in Biomolecular Sciences and Spanish and is the St. Mary’s intern for the Hispanic/Latino Sacramental Preparation Program. She is also involved in the Alternative Spring Break program at St. Mary and loves volunteering at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. After graduation, she will pursue her medical degree and would love to work with Doctors Without Borders.
Email: jessannm@umich.edu