On Sunday, Dec. 22, Bishop Earl Fernandes was invited to Columbus St. Agnes Church for Posadas with the community from the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca.
It was a multitudinous event that included little ones as well as the adults who put their efforts into showing the bishop, who had never participated in a posadas, how beautiful it is to start Christmas by accompanying Mary and Joseph as pilgrims while preparing their hearts for the birth of Jesus.
The evening began with the Holy Rosary inside the church. Most of the attendees, including Bishop Fernandes and Father Fernando Bonilla, MSP, of St. Agnes Church, prayed on their knees throughout, showing great devotion. Children in their colorful winter clothes and their families also showed reverence during the prayer.
Poinsettias surrounded the altar, two Christmas trees were behind it, and a beautiful Nativity scene was stationed in front. After each mystery, there was singing.
At the end of the rosary, everyone left the church to begin the posadas, which consists of walking as Joseph and Mary (represented in small statues that are carried by two people) did, asking at different stations for a place to stay for the night. Two groups alternately sang songs, and at the end, a place was found for Joseph and Mary to enter.
Despite the cloudy night with a temperature of 25 degrees, those present paid little attention to the cold and sang joyfully with the bishop outside. Whistles and shouts of jubilation could be heard.
Then the celebration began inside with traditional food, dances and singing that filled the participants with Christmas spirit.
Father Efrain Villalobos of Columbus St. Stephen the Martyr Church and Jorge Ramírez, a 36-year-old missionary in the house of formation with the Missionary Servants of the Word (MSP) religious community, joined the posadas to support Father Fernando in this special event for the Hispanic community.
“Today, we are delighted because we have Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus present. Through these traditions, we prepare ourselves with prayer and, remarkably, follow the example of our Blessed Mother, always being open to God’s plans,” Father Villalobos said.
The priest invited young adults to join him for a special Mass at St. Stephen on Sundays at 5 p.m.
“I started at 6 years old to enjoy this tradition of the posadas in Mexico,” Ramirez said. “My favorite part is the candy and going out as pilgrims with Mary and Joseph to ask for posada. The essence of the posada is to remember the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph as they were asking for a place to stay for the night and how they were denied, but in the end, an innkeeper gave them a stable for the birth of the child God, in a very humble place.”
“We are celebrating the eighth posada (and) the bishop seems to have enjoyed the tradition of breaking the piñata,” he continued.
Asked whether he’s considering a call to priesthood, Ramirez said, “Yes,” and recommended that young people “seek and follow God.”
Other attendees offered their perspectives on the posadas.
“Everything is perfect, and what a blessing it is to have the bishop here with us,” Gerardo Reyes said. “My wife, Aracely Garcia, and I have visited this parish for 12 years. Father Fernando invited the bishop to learn more about our Oaxacan community traditions.”
“What a blessing it is that the bishop enjoys our culture and sees how united our Oaxacan community is,” Garcia said.
Gil Santos, a volunteer and parishioner at St. Agnes, said, “I am from Oaxaca, Mexico. The posadas is a tradition that many Catholic churches celebrate during December. We make a novena and finish the novena by celebrating Christmas. This helps us congregate and honor God.
“We must motivate ourselves to learn more about Jesus. We come to pray and receive God’s blessings, to live in community. Then, on Christmas Eve, we wait for the birth of the baby Jesus. We do another kind of celebration for Three Kings Day (Epiphany).”
Santiago Espinosa, also a parishioner at St. Agnes, said, “This is something to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It is about living together and getting closer to God. Many people take this kind of tradition as fun party time, but this kind of fellowship is getting closer to God and knowing why He came to this world.”
Carlos Cabrera, a St. Agnes member for 11 years and a Eucharistic Minister, said, “I am from Ecuador, and this is also new to me. Everyone has brought their favorite dish. That is what Christmas time should be about: to share with the neediest and give to others. Joy for me is to share with others and make their day.
“My wife and I feel it is a healthy activity for our four children; they have fun. We see other people’s faith, which helps us to continue the path of God and always work in what we can. I like that the bishop took time out of his hectic schedule to be with us; his smile is contagious.
“We feel blessed to have Father Fernando. He is very charismatic, has done many good works for this parish, and likes working with the people. I don’t know what the piñata means, but the kids enjoy it.”
His daughter, Alicia, added, “It was great and fun; I spent a lot of time with my friends. I love to dance. The first time we practiced, the dance was challenging, but then we practiced more and more, and it started to get easier. It was good that bishop came.”
Posadas organizers expressed gratitude for an evening spent together as a community. Three weeks of preparation went into the event, parishioner Laura Trujillo said.
“It was an honor for us that Father Fernando organized the posadas by country this year,” she said. “And we had a lot of help from volunteers.”
Gisell Gallegos, 16, said it “was one of the most beautiful posadas because of the dances and the presence of the bishop. I encourage the young people to come and see this type of tradition so they can learn more about other cultures.”