Catholics praise God through song and dance during the Fifth Hispanic Catholic Conference July 12 at Bridge View Center in Ottumwa.
By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
OTTUMWA — More than 1,000 Hispanic Catholics gathered in the Bridge View Center July 12 to celebrate the source and summit of Christian life: the Eucharist.
The Fifth Hispanic Catholic Conference, sponsored by the Diocese of Davenport’s Office of Multicultural Ministry, took inspiration from the National Eucharistic Revival and the Jubilee Year of Hope. The Multicultural Ministry Office hosts a pastoral-theological conference for Hispanic Catholics every other year, drawing guests from across the country and from Central and South America.
Participants enjoyed tamales and sweet bread to start the day. Pedro Niera of St. Patrick Parish-Iowa City animated the crowd as a group from St. Mary Parish in Moline, Illinois played upbeat worship music. The crowd danced, sang and lifted their hands in praise. The group led music worship periodically throughout the day.
Bishop Silvio Jose Báez Ortega, OCD, the auxiliary bishop of Managua, Nicaragua now living in exile in Florida, spoke on the cultural and spiritual relevance of the Eucharist. The bishop, who received the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award in Davenport earlier in the week, described the Eucharist as the window into which the faithful enter into the time and eternity of God. The Eucharist gives hope to Christians. Those who partake in the Eucharist are called to spread that hope, especially to the poor, suffering and oppressed in society.
Padre Angel Espinosa de los Monteros, a Mexican priest and public speaker specializing in family life and spirituality, joined the conference via Zoom. Laughter filled the conference hall as the priest lightheartedly quipped about the realities of family life. Although it can be tough to make God a priority, he urged families to commit to five faith-strengthening actions: Morning Prayer, prayer before meals, prayer before bed, Sunday Mass, and the rosary — even if it’s just a few Hail Mary’s. He encouraged parents to approach Mass with anticipation rather than as an obligation so that the children are more likely to want to go to church.
The family-oriented conference included programs for teenagers and elementary-aged children. As adults listened to speakers in the main hall, teens heard messages from Chicago-based speakers Father Alejandro Marca Mansilla and psychologist/professor/theologian Victor Alvarez. Volunteers, including religious sisters serving in Columbus Junction, led interactive faith-building activities for younger children. About 200 youths attended the conference.
Youths team up to assemble a Eucharist-themed puzzle during the Fifth Hispanic Catholic Conference July 12 at Bridge View Center in Ottumwa.
Children joined their parents for Mass around noon. Bishop Dennis Walsh greeted the crowd in Spanish at the start of Mass. Bishop Báez, who presided at the noontime Mass, thanked Bishop Walsh and the Diocese of Davenport for hosting the event.
After a lunch of fried chicken and mashed potatoes, adults heard from Father Marca Mansilla, leader of the Renovación Carismática Católica (Catholic Charismatic Renewal) of Chicago. He spoke of the joy of being Catholic and living the faith with hope. Going to confession is essential, as faith lived with hope and enthusiasm requires reconciliation with God and the community, he said.
Antonia Salzano, mother of Blessed Carlo Acutis, spoke to conference participants in a recorded video message. Carrying on the legacy of her teenaged son, who will become the first millennial saint in September, she urged fallen-away Catholics not to be afraid to return to Mass.Following her talk, children reunited with their parents for adoration and benediction.
Adela Rasso, a member of St. Anthony Parish in Davenport, attended the conference with her husband and two children. She has been working on a month-long consecration to the Eucharist, which drew her to the conference’s focus on Eucharistic hope. “I want to come to know (God) and love him the way he loves me,” she said.
Miguel Moreno, diocesan coordinator of Multicultural Ministry, is grateful for the 100-plus volunteers who helped plan and produce another successful conference. “This Fifth Hispanic Catholic Conference has helped revitalize our love for the Eucharist,” he said. “I believe the participants were able to renew their love for the Eucharist and live this Jubilee 2025 with hope and mercy.”
(Father Nils de Jesus Hernandez, Miguel Moreno and Adela Rasso contributed to this article.)
