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Juana and Enrique Rodríguez are pictured with their grandchildren Maniah and Milany at the conclusion of the Mass on Hispanic Day. (Photo by Lorena Rojas/san Francisco Católico)
September 27, 2018
Lorena Rojas
San Francisco Catolico
Hispanic Day was observed Sept. 15 with a procession and Mass presided by Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone and concelebrants on the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows.
The procession led by Father Moises Agudo, archdiocesan vicar for Hispanics and pastor of St. Peter, St. Charles and St. Anthony parishes and parishioners from Mission district parishes, had gathered at 8 a.m. that day at the intersection of César Chávez and South Van Ness proceeding toward St. Mary’s Cathedral and stopping in front of City Hall. Father Agudo said they were there to pray “for so many grieving mothers that today are forced to be separated from their children” and the reason behind the event taking place on the feast day of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Catholic pilgrims walking down Gough Street toward St. Mary’s Cathedral escorting the image of Our Lady of Sorrows during a procession celebrating Hispanic Day in the Archdiocese of San Francisco on Sept. 15. (Photo by Lorena Rojas/san Francisco Católico)
In his homily, Archbishop Cordileone reflected on the sorrow and faithfulness of Mary separated from her son through his passion and death and on families separated today by violence and fear. “We can think how families are also torn by the death of their loved ones through the senseless violence that exists in our society and how families are living in fear of separation or already experiencing a separation resulting from policies that divide parents and children,” he said. “It is their legal status that separates these families.”
Archbishop Cordileone also talked about Mary’s present-day religious leaders condemning her son to death. “He was sentenced to death because Jesus was a threat to them, a threat to their power,” the archbishiop said. “Many people also suffer today! It is sad to say but leaders of our own religion, in our time, of our own church are more interested in their power, in protecting their friends than in protecting the young and vulnerable adults,” he added.
Enrique Rodríguez, a middle-aged parishioner hailing from St. Peter Parish in the Mission. had been intently listening to the homily and weighing the significance that the archbishop had broached the subject of abuse.
“They even want to blame our Holy Father Francis. To me he is not guilty,” said Rodriguez after watching the news that seemed to want to implicate the pope instead throwing out and blaming the clergy responsible for the crimes.
The Mass was followed by workshops on “V Encuentro,” “Social Justice Option for the Poor and Immigrants,” and “The Family as a Seedbed of Vocations.” The day also included a celebration in honor of retired Auxilary Bishop William J. Justice.