Joseph, left, and Ben Moneymaker chat with their grandmother, Elena Moneymaker, at their home in Davenport earlier this month. The teenagers have embraced the faith and language of their 93-year-old “Abuelita,” who was born in Mexico and immigrated to the United States as a young woman.
By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
Elena Moneymaker sits quietly on the couch next to her teenage grandsons, Joseph and Ben, as the sun begins to set in southwest Davenport. The 93-year-old’s eyes grow sleepy as the teens speak with a reporter in English about their Mexican-born grandmother’s strong Catholic faith and the way it has influenced their lives. “I love the Mexican traditions we have,” Ben says. Las Mananitas, a pre-dawn devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, is his favorite. Joseph, too, loves waking up before 4 a.m. on Dec. 12 to pray and sing with “Abuelita” (granny).
Elena’s descendants have embraced or rejected the faith to varying degrees. Joseph and Ben embrace their Catholic faith wholeheartedly. When asked in Spanish about her grandsons’ devotion to their faith, Abuelita perks up and smiles. It brings her “mucho gusto… feliz” (much pleasure … happiness), she replies. Joseph and Ben, who are bilingual, share in Abuelita’s joy. Their love for the Church, their Hispanic/Latino heritage and each other is “muy fuerte” (very strong).
National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated each year, Sept. 15-Oct.15, to recognize the significant contributions Hispanic Americans have made in the United States. The timeframe encompasses the independence days of several Latin American countries, including Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. About 85% of diocesan parishes include Hispanic members, according to a 2024 U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops report. Ten of the 74 parishes in the Diocese of Davenport offer liturgies in Spanish.
What it means to be Hispanic/Latino
Hispanic and Latino are common terms used to describe Americans with Latin American and Caribbean ancestry. The National Museum of the American Latino uses the term “Latino” to describe persons with cultural or ancestral ties to Latin America or the Caribbean. The term “Hispanic” signals a connection to Spain or the Spanish language.
Proud to be Catholic
Although the number of religiously unaffiliated Hispanics is on the rise in the U.S., Catholicism remains the largest religious group, according to a 2022 Pew Research Center survey. Hispanics are twice as likely to identify as Catholic compared with U.S. adults overall. That number is highest among immigrants. The Catholic Messenger spoke with Hispanic Catholics about their heritage and the ways it shapes their faith.
Diana Guerra, a native of Mexico and member of St. Anthony Parish in Davenport, observes a “deep-rooted faith” among Hispanic/Latino Catholics. “We grew up entrusting our days to God and his mercy,” especially during challenging times, she said. Many cultural traditions shared through the generations connect to the Catholic faith, including Dia de Muertos, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Las Posadas and Three Kings Day. These celebrations “keep us close to our faith and help us grow as Catholics,” Diana said. She is proud of her heritage and enjoys sharing her traditions with the multicultural community at St. Anthony. (Diana’s husband, Manny Toquinto, is the featured guest in this month’s Catholic Messenger Conversations podcast. Listen HERE.)
“I feel very proud to be from Mexico and to be Catholic,” said Maria Ayala, a member of St. Joseph Parish in Columbus Junction. “My ancestors instilled in us our culture and faith and I’m proud of our food, festivals of the patron saints of our towns, the unity of our families and much more.” Many Mexican towns, even those not named after saints, have a patron whom residents honor with an annual festival. Maria remembers fondly celebrating the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi in Iguala, Guerrero.
Genoveva Diaz, longtime secretary of St. James Parish-Washington and native of San Marcos, Mexico, moved to Iowa 30 years ago. She is proud of her indigenous ancestry and her parents’ fluency in Nahuatl (and Uto-Aztecan language). Genoveva has witnessed the generosity of the parish’s Spanish-speaking community over the years. “When there is a family in need, the Hispanic community gets together to support.”
Ricardo Rangel, a member of St. Patrick Parish in Iowa City, bemoans the “violence and abuse” that took place in his native Mexico during Spanish colonization but acknowledges the “treasure” of the Catholic faith that developed. “Through the years I have seen many ups and downs in my everyday conversion but I feel I am growing and improving every day.” He appreciates the presence of Spanish-speaking clergy in his parish and other multicultural communities in the Davenport Diocese and feels encouraged because Bishop Dennis Walsh is bilingual.
St. Anthony Parish-Davenport’s Hispanic community organized a Kermes/Carnival in September, one of many multicultural traditions the parish has incorporated since merging with a predominantly Hispanic parish four years ago.
Making an impact
John Cooper will never forget walking into the St. Anthony Parish Center in Davenport a year after a predominantly Hispanic parish merged with St. Anthony. “It was my birthday and the Hispanic community had managed to pull off a surprise birthday for me after the Spanish Mass,” said John, St. Anthony’s pastoral associate and a deacon candidate. The closeness he feels with the parish’s Hispanic community inspired him to begin studying Spanish about two-and-a-half years ago. This month, he will travel to Mexico with St. Anthony’s pastor, Father Rudolph Juarez, to understand the people and culture better.
The presence of Hispanic/Latino Catholics is a blessing to the parish, John said. “We are finding ways to not just survive with two languages and cultures; we are thriving because of them.” Since merging with St. Mary Parish-Davenport in 2020, St. Anthony Parish has incorporated several Hispanic/Latino celebrations, including Our Lady of Guadalupe, Las Posadas and a Kermes/Carnival festival. Knights of Columbus from St. Mary’s worked to establish a bilingual council after the merger to engage English- and Spanish-speaking Catholic men. “It means a lot for us to unite as one community and grow in our faith,” John said.
The next generation
While a majority of Hispanic/Latino immigrants lean on the Catholic faith as a source of strength and meaning, their American-born children and grandchildren are less likely to do so. Nationwide, the percentage of Hispanics/Latinos identifying as Catholic has declined steadily over the past decade, according to Pew Research Center surveys. About 40% of Hispanics/Latinos identified as Catholic in 2022, down from 67% in 2010. Disaffiliation is a major factor; about one-third of Hispanic/Latino adults identify as religiously unaffiliated, on par with U.S. adults overall.
Miguel Moreno, diocesan director of Multicultural Ministry, says no easy answers are available for how to reach out to the increasing number of Hispanics/Latinos who believe the Church is irrelevant. He is exploring options for the future while also focusing on providing opportunities for Spanish-speaking adults in the diocese to learn about and strengthen their faith and to become more involved in parish life. The examples they set can make a difference for the younger generation, he believes.
Father Guillermo Treviño, pastor of St. Joseph parishes in Columbus Junction and West Liberty, credits his Mexican-born parents for the pride he feels in his faith and his heritage. He is the namesake of his late father, who “would always carry an Our Lady of Guadalupe prayer card in his wallet; his simple faith helped me in so many ways.” Father Guillermo’s mother, Maria, “helped me keep my Spanish.”
Joseph and Ben’s introduction to their grandmother’s faith, language and culture began when they were infants, said their aunt, Mary Moneymaker. Abuelita babysat the boys in her Rock Island, Illinois home until they were old enough to attend school. The brothers observed the way Abuelita prayed quietly throughout the day, sometimes in song. Joseph and Ben say they find structure, comfort, community, peace, joy and love in their grandmother’s faith. They celebrate Mass at several parishes in the Quad Cities, including Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport, and enjoy altar serving whenever possible.
The teens have experienced struggles, including the death of their father two years ago, “but as they get older and problems come up, they know what to do,” said Mary. They turn to their faith, just as their grandmother has done for 93 years. “We’re truly blessed because of her faith, and I just hope we can all keep it going and pass it down to the 10th generation.”
