This month we observe Hispanic Heritage Month.  As with every good thing, it is right and proper to begin observing Hispanic Heritage Month with prayer, or meditation or intentional centering, of our inner selves, so that we might be better able to focus on important facets and vital aspects of the journey our sisters and brothers make each day of their lives, and how we might be able to join them today in their travels.

Prayer for Hispanic Heritage Month  (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15)

“God of all peoples and nations, Dios de todo el mundo —

We praise you for your creativity made manifest in the gifts of tribes, ethnicities and cultures across the world. Each one bears your mark of goodness and grace.

We especially praise you and thank you for your children with Hispanic heritage – the descendants of Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America.

We find you in the beauty of their art, the joy of their song and their commitment to la comunidad.

We hear you in their call for a more just world – one of solidarity and liberation. We know you better because of the witness of their faith, may their faith and ours be bound together by your love in convivimiento — that spirit of unity, respect and empathy for which there is no substitute.

Keep all those with Hispanic heritage in your care, hold them in your love and make us fierce advocates and allies for welcome, inclusion and the common good.

We pray with Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, patroness of all the Americas.”*

Amen.

Why is Hispanic Heritage Month observed in September?

The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively.

 This year’s theme is: “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation.” The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15.  “This year,” points out the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops(USCCB), “Hispanic Heritage Month is especially meaningful as the Catholic Church in the United States is reaping the fruits of a four-year process called the V {Fifth} National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry. The main goal of the V Encuentro has been to discern ways in which the Church in the United States can better respond to the Hispanic/Latino presence, and to strengthen the ways in which Hispanics/Latinos respond to the call to the New Evangelization as missionary disciples serving the entire Church and society. The V Encuentro and the previous four Encuentros have recognized how Hispanics/Latinos have been woven into the very fabric of Church and society in the U.S. for many generations.”

 

*prayer courtesy of Catholic Health Association of the United States

Rev. John A. Schwartzlose
Director of Mission