Seminarians learn how to prune young apple trees at an orchard in Prosser, Wash., from a migrant worker May 29, their first day in a summer migrant ministry program. All seminarians from the Diocese of Yakima are required to work in the agricultural fields with migrant laborers as part of their formation. (CNS photo/Chaz Muth)
OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY
“You are the salt of the earth … You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 15, “Sermon on the Mount”)
In this year of the Eucharistic Revival, the Sunday Feast of Corpus Christi was followed by a week of daily Gospel readings from the Sermon on the Mount, which included Jesus preaching on the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Just as salt brings out the exquisite flavor in food, Christ calls his followers to bring out the best in others. And just as one candle can illuminate the darkness, so too are Christians called to shine the light of compassion on those who are often forgotten in the shadows.
The eucharistic connection to the Christian experience of being salt of the earth and light to the world was lifted up recently in a talk story session with Bishop Joseph Tyson of Yakima, Washington.
Bishop Tyson spoke about his diocese of Yakima, near the U.S.-Canada border, which has 65,000 migrant women and men from all over the world picking fruit in the mountain valleys. The diocese has a ministry called “From Calluses to Chalices” where seminarians live and pick fruit with the migrants whom they are called to serve. The bishop explained how this program began. During his first week in Yakima, Bishop Tyson and his new diocesan vocation director were driving to celebrate Mass at the diocesan seminary. The young priest shared with the bishop some of his experiences as a Mexican migrant worker.
He told him how migrant mothers would cook breakfast before the families went to work in the orchards at dawn. Then at sunset, after a long day’s hard labor, the women would lead their families back to their camp near the local church. Because the church was closed at night, the migrants would kneel on the ground outside near the wall of the chapel that held the Communion hosts consecrated from Sunday Mass, which they all celebrated. The migrants would thankfully ask for God’s blessing before they finally went to their camp to sleep. The vocation director said the migrants’ faith helped him appreciate the Eucharist, including the importance to migrants of the Mass’ offertory prayer — “these are fruit of the earth and work of human hands” — plus their inspiring devotion to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
At the seminary Mass, Bishop Tyson added to his sermon the following announcement: the diocese summer seminary program would have all seminarians, and the bishop, living with and picking fruit alongside migrant workers. This program would be called “From Calluses to Chalices.” Bishop Tyson ended his story by describing how, 12 years later, the U.S. Catholic Extension program now brings bishops, priests and seminarians from all over the country to experience “From Calluses to Chalices.”
And the migrant priest, who was the diocesan vocation director, was recently named an auxiliary bishop by Pope Francis, shining a light on the value of migrant ministry.
This is one story about how the Eucharist can be connected to the Christian call and vocation to be the salt of the earth and light to the world. Another example can be found at Mary, Star of the Sea Church on Oahu where parishioners carry out their eucharistic Ministry for Persons with Disabilities by welcoming people with varying gifts and abilities to celebrate the Ohana Mass. Knights of Columbus escort disabled persons to designated pews where they are better able to participate in and share their many gifts. After Mass, the community continues their fellowship at a potluck supper where all joyfully serve each other with nourishing food and aloha.
All are welcome to the Ohana Masses and potlucks, which are normally celebrated at 5:30 p.m. on the fourth Saturday of the month at Mary, Star of the Sea. For more information about the Ohana Mass, please contact Deacon Rafael Mendoza at rafmendoza@rcchawaii.org. And for more on From Calluses to Chalices, visit the Catholic Extension website catholicextension.org to read the story “Seminarians in the Diocese of Yakima formed through service to migrant farmworkers.”
Mahalo,
From your friends at the Office for Social Ministry
