Highlight on a Hispanic Congregation

By Jonathan Kindberg

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Fresno, California
Rector: Fr. Antonio Castañeda
ASA: ~800
Address: 4147 E. Dakota Ave., Fresno, CA 93726

Jurisdiction: Diocese of San Joaquin, ACNA

Inicios…Beginnings

The face of Anglicanism in North America is changing. Our Lady of Guadalupe is one example of this sea change. Originally known as Santa Margarita, Our Lady of Guadalupe congregation began about 25 years ago under the leadership of Padre Trino. In 2004 it began meeting in the cathedral of the diocese of San Joaquin and in August of 2008 came under the new leadership of Fr. Antonio Castañeda. At that time Our Lady was a small congregation of about 50 people between a 9AM and a 1PM service. For the first year and a half Fr. Antonio, originally from Pereira, Colombia, says that he simply “observed and listened to the needs of the congregation” without making any changes to the current setup or structure. This was not a passive observation, however. During this time he rolled up his sleeves and intensely invested in the families of the congregation. For a year and a half he took no time off while visiting families, doing home blessings and teaching his small flock the word of God through Bible classes and passionate sermons.

Avivamiento…Awakening

The hard work paid off and the small congregation began to grow. Meanwhile, the time of simple observation was also over and both structural and practical changes were introduced. Grupos pastorales, or home-based small groups, formed as primary tool for discipling of whole family units. Catechesis for the children and youth became a way to draw in young families. Working off a strong base of trust and authority, syncretistic practices related to saints and the Virgin Mary were challenged and the centrality of Christ was preached—this, when seen in light of the church’s name and the prevalent veneration of Mary among Hispanics, wonderfully models the fine line of missional contextualization in Hispanic contexts. Today, less than five years later, Our Lady of Guadalupe averages about 800 attendees on a Sunday. Even more telling than the simple ASA is the number of leaders of the grupos pastorales: 100. Lessons Learned Fr. Antonio speaks of the “importancia de los laicos.” Often in Hispanic congregation there can be a tendency towards clericalism, but Our Lady of Guadalupe has become a place that values laicos, or lay leadership. Fr. Antonio’s vision for the Church in the Hispanic community is one that is truly alive and demonstrates and gives life liturgically, pastorally and through teaching of the Word. Liturgically we need “algo diferente,” something different that is also in line with tradition. Pastorally we need to “estar con ellos en todo,” to be with the people in everything. Pastors can no longer stay in their offices, but must visit the sick in the hospitals, go to the jails, visit people in their homes. Thirdly, there must be a renewed preaching of the word of God among Hispanics, many of whom are unfamiliar with a personal reading of the Bible. Overall, Fr. Antonio speaks of the need for a moving beyond “rutina,” the routine way of doing things and towards “un avivamiento total”: a total awakening both of the Hispanic community and of the Anglican Church in North America. As our country quickly becomes majority minority nation, the two may be more closely related that most of us realize.

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