Hispanic Culture is a BATTLEFRONT!

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Although pentecostalism is growing in the Hispanic community, still a great majority are devout Catholics. I’m relieved when I attend Spanish mass and see a packed, standing-room only Mass and the many children going to CCD to learn about the faith. And during Easter, it’s packed beyond belief. Literally people standing in the aisles and even standing outside with the door that leads from the sanctuary to the outside courtyard wide open. All the Cinco de Mayo celebrations are put on by the Catholic parish and are held in the parking lot of the church. And it’s ALWAYS packed! I’ve talked to several Hispanic pentecostals who REFUSE to attend Cinco de Mayo strictly for that reason. I’m involved with a Hispanic civil organization, kind of like a Hispanic activism coalition if you will, so I’ve been involved in the community for a long time, and when I go to the various Hispanic owned businesses to talk with them, if they are pentecostal, once they find out I’m Catholic, they are no longer interested in talking to me. There’s a local Hispanic-owned business coalition, and the businesses owned by the pentecostals want nothing to do with the Catholic owned businesses. If they happen to own a Latino grocery store, don’t plan on finding any Catholic prayer candles or statues of La Virgen de Guadalupe, as opposed to Catholic owned Markets that have entire aisles dedicated to various Catholic devotional items.
 
As we should know any faith organization not founded on Christ will not stand. Human weakness and corruption, and the devil will destroy it. Jesus sustains His Church. Some Charismatic groups Catholic in nature had difficulties. Some members were drawn deeper into the Faith, some members actually found fault in the Church’s teachings. The dangers of fundamentalism was a problem, and also Apostolic teachings were questioned All of this points to a lack of understanding of one’s own faith on the part of Catholics. Also some Catholics were either not converted, or not using the sacraments of reconciliation. That is why Evangelization is needed so much. I know of three Popes that stressed the same thing. If the charismatic groups don’t turn to Christ they can turn into cults. The devil is very active in these groups, and one needs discernment, which is a charismatic gift. I know because I was very involved. The movement is a movement of the Holy Spirit. the devil imitates the Holy Spirit. St. Ignatus speaks of the principles of discernment. They need educated, spiritual Catholics to steer them in the right direction.
 
I am a first generation Mexican American and it is true, it is a battlefront.
It truly makes me sad because as a hispanic, I see the ignorance of my people here because I was once like that.

No one really cared about the baptizing o the first communion of a child, they care about the party later on. I know. Because that is what i cared about.

Our people need evangelizing. My hispanic family needs it. I am a revert and so is my mother, ignorance is huge. People don’t know what the host is, I used to see it as just a custom that we would do, and not the body of our LORD under the apearance of a host. I don’t mean the word ignorance as an insult, I mean it as in we are not being properly catechized.

Most of my people are Catholic as a “custom” and not as in “This is the true Church Jesus Christ funded”. I know this because, again, that was me and my family.

I no longer hear about hell or purgatory at mass, sadly. This seems to keep everyone in the dark of the spiritual dangers. Also the danger of recieving Holy Communion without confession.

It truly is a battlefront, and I am thinking of ways to evangelize here. I have joined another group of teens doing the same. But our people need revival. Because among our people, “brujeria” and “curanderos/curanderos” run rampant. It is almost a norm.
Let’s pray for our people

Just because mass is packed doesn’t mean they are practicing. That is the problem. They need evangelizing.
 
Read my posts “On witnessing to my Catholic Faith” in the evangelization forum, directed by Church Militant. You may gain some knowledge on evangelization using the Charisms to build and draw people deeper into their faith, or even to convert as the Holy Spirit moves. Read all of the posts. God bless you brother. God didn’t give me this knowledge just for myself, test the spirits.
 
Maria1993 said:
I am a first generation Mexican American and it is true, it is a battlefront.
It truly makes me sad because as a hispanic, I see the ignorance of my people here because I was once like that.

No one really cared about the baptizing o the first communion of a child, they care about the party later on. I know. Because that is what i cared about.

Our people need evangelizing. My hispanic family needs it. I am a revert and so is my mother, ignorance is huge. People don’t know what the host is, I used to see it as just a custom that we would do, and not the body of our LORD under the apearance of a host. I don’t mean the word ignorance as an insult, I mean it as in we are not being properly catechized.

Most of my people are Catholic as a “custom” and not as in “This is the true Church Jesus Christ funded”. I know this because, again, that was me and my family.

I no longer hear about hell or purgatory at mass, sadly. This seems to keep everyone in the dark of the spiritual dangers. Also the danger of recieving Holy Communion without confession.

It truly is a battlefront, and I am thinking of ways to evangelize here. I have joined another group of teens doing the same. But our people need revival. Because among our people, “brujeria” and “curanderos/curanderos” run rampant. It is almost a norm.
Let’s pray for our people

Just because mass is packed doesn’t mean they are practicing. That is the problem. They need evangelizing.
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Well said, Hermano. It’s very true. A packed Mass doesn’t mean anything if their hearts aren’t truly immersed in the Catholic faith. And what you said about brujeria is very true. It’s everywhere among our people and in our neighborhoods. And the most ironic part about it, is many of those brujas and curanderas claim to also be devout Catholics, using Catholic saints in their “hechizos”. It’s an abomination to the Church. But it’s becoming the “norm”
 
ynotzap said:
As we should know any faith organization not founded on Christ will not stand. Human weakness and corruption, and the devil will destroy it. Jesus sustains His Church. Some Charismatic groups Catholic in nature had difficulties. Some members were drawn deeper into the Faith, some members actually found fault in the Church’s teachings. The dangers of fundamentalism was a problem, and also Apostolic teachings were questioned All of this points to a lack of understanding of one’s own faith on the part of Catholics. Also some Catholics were either not converted, or not using the sacraments of reconciliation. That is why Evangelization is needed so much. I know of three Popes that stressed the same thing. If the charismatic groups don’t turn to Christ they can turn into cults. The devil is very active in these groups, and one needs discernment, which is a charismatic gift. I know because I was very involved. The movement is a movement of the Holy Spirit. the devil imitates the Holy Spirit. St. Ignatus speaks of the principles of discernment. They need educated, spiritual Catholics to steer them in the right direction.
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Are you speaking on the Catholic Charismatic Renewal groups? Or Charismatic religions in general?
 
Hello friend in Christ: I confess my poor understanding of Spanish even though I had it in school, was too young and alone to be interested, had other problems at the time, the Lord knows. When you use certain words like brujeria and hechizos I and others don’t know what you mean. These posts go all over the world. In your kindness enlighten us, thanks.

When I speak of the Chrismatic Movement in the Church it is just that. It incorporates the Charismatic gifts displayed in the Pentecostal Churches. Of course some have made the charismatic gifts a religion . These gifts where meant to build the Church not to be a religion in itself. Jesus said " These signs will accompany those who believe, in My Name…they will drive out demons…"Mark 16:17 Then Jesus states that you may employ all these gifts and do not have love, you can go to hell, depart from Me. I can understand why some have gone over to the charismatic movement, because people in general are simple and not intellectuals per se. We old timers have been exposed to a lot of doctrine and were trained that way. Believing without seeing, which is what Jesus preferes, but His great love for us causes Him to feed His children what they need, and sometimes they need “milk” and not “meat” as St. Paul states. God is Compassion and love. For those who can climb the shear walls of the mountain of spiritual perfection by practicing the virtues of Faith Hope, and Love, wonderful,but for those of us who are weaker, we prefer the walk around the mountain where God offers an occasional oasis, according to St. Theresa of Avilla. I believe, in truth, most of use are in the latter class. What is needed are spiritual leaders who are better at climbing and help those of us who are not. What I am saying that those leaders in the Catholic Church must be humble, and humble themselves and "become all things to all men for the sake of the kingdom. Jesus gives His grace to the humble, and resists the proud. The pentecostal movement in the latin countries can be turned in the right direction, if it is incorporated into the traditional Catholic church If it is the movement will become stronger and do what it supposed to do, bring people back to God. The Holy Spirit can not be boxed in He will move where He pleases, sometimes we try to control every thing. Trust Him, but first ask Jesus for His Spirit, The Spirit was not given until Jesus was glorified, glorify Him. I am a Christian first, and a Catholic second. Jesus first, and then Univerality.
 
jtkalehua88 said:
Many of the Hispanic pentecostal churches in my town are small, 60 member congregations that meet in various office suites in strip malls or next to banks in little suites that feel more like a Chiropractors office instead of a church. And they all have really weird names like “Palabra Vida” or “Agua de la Vida” or “Ministerios en Accion”. Not one of them meet in an actual “church” building.
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I never get why functional, corporate style space is somehow inappropriate as Christian worship space. The earliest Christians met in houses because they were a persecuted minority. The first officially recognized Roman Christians chose the basilica building type for church architecture. The Roman basilica was a type of functional, public space used as law courts, financial centers, army drill halls, and reception rooms in imperial palaces before it was ever used in ecclesiastical architecture. So, these churches are actually doing what Christians have always done–convert existing space to house Christian worship.
 
Dios te Bendiga, tocayo 🙂

As Hispanics we are very “lively” and intense people. It’s in our blood :).

Protestant Evangelism is very much based on feelings. I have experienced it first hand. So when we (hispanics) are approached on our feelings, we are very passionate about things. Especially when it comes to songs and music. I have seen first hand how the songs are specifically arranged for some Protestant services, they are geared and aimed to extract emotional reactions from the laity. Their argumentation is based on what it “feels” to be right, instead of what is actually right. If, in your upbringing (like mine) (I’m Puertorican) you were not given a strong Scriptural and Catechetical (I graduated HS in 1985) foundation, you are a prime target for this type of approach. Add to that a lack of knowledge in Church history, and we are practically hopeless to fight this attack.

I think this can be overcome with a couple of basic things:
  1. Pray without ceasing (Like St. Paul says :))
  2. Read the Scriptures daily.
  3. Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church. (And pay attention to the all the references to Scriptures)
  4. Pay attention at Mass.
  5. Express our religious identity together - not just party :o
  6. Do the Rosary daily and our Novenas
Ok more than a couple 😃

No te desalientes. Te he visto luchar…Tu derrota de hoy es entrenamiento para la victoria definitiva. San Josemaria Escriva

En Cristo Salvador, Rey Eterno,
 
Very good suggestions. I know of the feeling part of the Romantic language countries. And I know of the intellectual side of human nature too. Of course they both make up our emotions. One has to comprehend, before one feels. example. When one is in love, he feels happy, desiring the one loved. First he has to become aware intellectually of the desired one, and come to know that one. When he knows, and acquires the one he loves he experiences the emotion of love. This I find has been very lacking in much of our Faith and practice, even in our spirituality. Its’ called religious sentiment. We are very rich in our intellectual knowledge, but poor in our religious sentiment. It takes both elements to be wholly human. We are not angels, or animals, but in between. We have rationality, and we have animality in our nature, that’s the way God created us. In media via stat virtus, meaning “In the middle way is strength” Avoid the two extremes. The latin people like all of us can praise and give glory to God in our music with gusto, enthusiasm, they can sanctify their feelings in their expressions of adoration with music. Do not stifle the Spirit with a lot control in fear that it will get out of control. The Holy Spirit can handle it. Of course the intellectual part, our faith, our convictions is the most important, and noblist part of our nature. We are like God in our spiritual souls, and that does take precedence. Pray as you can, not as you can’t. Pray with desire, and express that desire with your feelings. You can pray with your mind, without feelings, a discursive prayer. God accepts all forms of worship we can give Him, because He loves His children, we are all children to Him and He wants so badly to embrace us, if we would only respond to Him.
 
We must seek to understand the words of Jesus when He said “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath, that’s why the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” and how they relate to the Pentecostal and Charismatic movement throughout the Latin countries and others.
 
Hi! I’m hispanic also with no particular denomination but I have beenn in many different Churches includin Catholic. I have seen what you have discribed in some Protestant churches but not all. The Irony here is that I have alse seen par a littt of thi as with Catholicst threw me off a little at first because I was no expectig it. Truth be told it was not in the middle of mas it was in a Vigil I was invited to. The was adoration, happy music, dancing, candles, falling down, speaking tongues, and yes even a play! You might be thinking that I have it wrong that that does not sound like a Catholic activity and im confusing it with a as I call the “semi-catholic” church susch as lutheran or anglican but no I assure you it was organized by a couple of Roman Catholic Churches. Maybe is because of this whole new charismati movement going on but even mass at one of this Churches wich I have attended to a few times its beginning to look and sound like a Protestant Church. I’m not complaining or trying to offend anyone let it be noted this is just my personal experiance and observations. Good day 😉
 
ltwin said:
I never get why functional, corporate style space is somehow inappropriate as Christian worship space. The earliest Christians met in houses because they were a persecuted minority. The first officially recognized Roman Christians chose the basilica building type for church architecture. The Roman basilica was a type of functional, public space used as law courts, financial centers, army drill halls, and reception rooms in imperial palaces before it was ever used in ecclesiastical architecture. So, these churches are actually doing what Christians have always done–convert existing space to house Christian worship.
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I don’t think it’s inappropriate necessarily, just not something I’m used to being a devout Catholic. It just seems these churches tend to come and go, they’ll be in one office space and a month later the space is up for lease. Just seems odd to go to church right next to a Barber shop or a Bank. But that’s just me.
 
Here are a couple of links that may be of help

HOMBRENUEVO
padrejuanrivas.com/inicio/

Padre Juan RIvas has several videos on youtube as well.

Hombre Nuevo has Saturday retiros/talleres to help renovate your faith

El Sembrador Radio is a Spanish Catholic radio that provides catechetical programs. It has some apologists. It’s has some similarities to EWTN and Catholic Answers.

Lay Ministries: ACTS is active in many Hispanic communities as well as in Mexico

MFCC in many Latin communities and throughout Latin America
 
adawgj said:
As a Hispanic I agree with you. I think we really need to work on teaching the faith to the young and not sprinkle it down like as if we were plants just spill it all out.
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Not only teach it but model it as well. A lot of fallen away Catholics, Hispanic or non-Hispanic, often have baggage from either having met or grown up with Catholics who gave Catholicism a bad name.
 
Sarcelle said:
Not only teach it but model it as well. A lot of fallen away Catholics, Hispanic or non-Hispanic, often have baggage from either having met or grown up with Catholics who gave Catholicism a bad name.
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One good hispanic teacher is Jesse Romero.
 
ynotzap said:
We must seek to understand the words of Jesus when He said “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath, that’s why the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” and how they relate to the Pentecostal and Charismatic movement throughout the Latin countries and others.
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I see the Pentecostal and Charismatic movement as using emotionalism to seem reverent and “super” Christian. I have heard the same hackneyed comments from these people claiming Catholics pray vain and repetitive prayers and do things for others to see, then they turn around and yell, scream, repeat the same things over and over like a trance, babble the same nonsensical syllables, play songs that just repeat the same phrase over and over and over for minutes at a time… I know there are those who mean well and believe it, but its gotten to the point that I can’t stand being even near them. They have made me cringe when I hear “Lord” and “Prayer” is Spanish. I just resent the dog and pony show along with preaching chaos and calling it unity.
 
Jose045 said:
I see the Pentecostal and Charismatic movement as using emotionalism to seem reverent and “super” Christian. I have heard the same hackneyed comments from these people claiming Catholics pray vain and repetitive prayers and do things for others to see, then they turn around and yell, scream, repeat the same things over and over like a trance, babble the same nonsensical syllables, play songs that just repeat the same phrase over and over and over for minutes at a time… I know there are those who mean well and believe it, but its gotten to the point that I can’t stand being even near them. They have made me cringe when I hear “Lord” and “Prayer” is Spanish. I just resent the dog and pony show along with preaching chaos and calling it unity.
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The Charismatic movement sometimes called the Pentecostal movement in the Catholic Church was never meant to be a religion in itself. It is not new to the Church, even St. Thomas Aquinas writes about the charisms in his theology. It is new to us in our generation, at least to Catholics. Charisms are meant to edify, to draw and build the Church. For many years our prayer has been from the head, intellectual, based on convictions. The praise and worship in charismatic prayer meeting, are generally from the heart, and by-pass the mind, (intellectual prayer in one’s own language) The general principle for prayer is to “pray as you can, not as you can’t” For some the intellectual form of prayer becomes very dry at times. It lacks sentiment, feeling. Man is not all spirit, but flesh and blood, he has thoughts and he has feelings also. To pray in tongues with the intentions of adoring and praising God is very acceptable to God, I know this from experience. It is biblical, and the Holy Spirit helps us in our prayer when we find our own prayer lacking. If one does not understand this, then it is to judge the Charismatic movement wrongly. I have witnessed spiritual manifestations and the effective employment of the charisms. True there may be some irregularities for lack of proper leadership. I also witnessed many members become very active in leadership roles in the Church. It may not be for you, and that’s O.K… It can be a shock to a traditional catholic. I heard a priest call it "Pandemonium " I also witnessed a change in his attitude when he understood what it was all about, and he was very traditional.
 
ynotzap said:
The Charismatic movement sometimes called the Pentecostal movement in the Catholic Church was never meant to be a religion in itself. It is not new to the Church, even St. Thomas Aquinas writes about the charisms in his theology. It is new to us in our generation, at least to Catholics. Charisms are meant to edify, to draw and build the Church. For many years our prayer has been from the head, intellectual, based on convictions. The praise and worship in charismatic prayer meeting, are generally from the heart, and by-pass the mind, (intellectual prayer in one’s own language) The general principle for prayer is to “pray as you can, not as you can’t” For some the intellectual form of prayer becomes very dry at times. It lacks sentiment, feeling. Man is not all spirit, but flesh and blood, he has thoughts and he has feelings also. To pray in tongues with the intentions of adoring and praising God is very acceptable to God, I know this from experience. It is biblical, and the Holy Spirit helps us in our prayer when we find our own prayer lacking. If one does not understand this, then it is to judge the Charismatic movement wrongly. I have witnessed spiritual manifestations and the effective employment of the charisms. True there may be some irregularities for lack of proper leadership. I also witnessed many members become very active in leadership roles in the Church. It may not be for you, and that’s O.K… It can be a shock to a traditional catholic. I heard a priest call it "Pandemonium " I also witnessed a change in his attitude when he understood what it was all about, and he was very traditional.
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Thank you for this. When it was wrongly thought ,my long illness was either mental or spiritual I went to many churches including Church of England charismatic … I was sent there for healing.

As you rightly say there is a huge energy and the informality means much more involvement by members. Also I was strongly aware of the numbers of needy and insecure folk who went there. And f the warmth and sheer love they were welcomed with which I had never seen before or since. It was accpeting and nurturing.

Qualities we need so very much.

And the singing can be almost alarmingly … uplifting…

There are extremes that repel. But within an established parish with good leadership it wotked well for many in living the love of Jesus. A way of feeding the hungry indeed.
 
I hope I didn’t give the impression that I am against the Catholic Charismatic movement. I’m not. It is not my “thing” but I am not knocking it.
What I am criticizing is the evangelical/fundamentalist/non-denominational anti-Catholic version which is, as far as I’ve seen, ruled my emotion and drama and is chaotic.
 
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