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From the Editor |
| Fond memories and tradition this holiday season |
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By Goyo López I didn’t put two and two together until I saw his face. It all came back to me very quickly. So this is the man that Bishop Tamayo had told me about. The man he spoke very highly of because of his convictions and efforts to open doors of opportunity for Latino priests throughout the United States to become ordained as bishops. There I stood before him and it all came back to me. As I stood before Father Roberto Peña, OMI, the flashback was instant. After the traditional abrazos and greetings, I shared a favorite childhood memory involving Father Peña. As we sat with Bishop Tamayo and Father Richard Guerra, OMI, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Eagle Pass, I shared probably the only homily I recall from my childhood. Some 23-years later, I vividly remember the chorus of laughter at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Laredo during one particular Mass in the Christmas season of 1980. A humble shepherd shared with his flock a hilarious story about the marranito (pig) who was extremely excited about the holiday season. When queried about the his enthusiasm for the pending holiday the pig responded, “por que me van hacer tamales.” The punchline for the joke was that the pig would be the source of the meat for the Mexican delicacy. And the moral of the story was why do we only fatten the pig during the holidays. His point was that we should help and feed people year-round. Although Fr. Peña didn’t stay very long in Laredo, he lasted long enough to witness the marriage between my oldest brother Armando and his wife Mary Lou. As you can imagine, my chance encounter with him in Eagle Pass (he’s back in our diocese) flooded my brain with pleasant memories and plenty of things to talk about. His role as an activist, and the accompanying consequences for his decisions, are detailed in this winter issue. After coming-up with “four,” I sat in amazement at the active role Fr. Peña took in Laredo and south Texas in the social justice arena to improve the lives of the downtrodden. The pastor I remember never spoke of, or bragged about, the accomplishments and involvement in bettering real quality of life issues. All I remember is the priest who told us about the marranito’s misplaced exhilaration over being fattened-up for the tamale feast. While we often believe that life becomes very complicated, it is memories like these and a season like this that makes outlook on life very simple. It puts things such as our lives into a proper perspective. Christmas, after all, is the celebration of the greatest gift ever given. |
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| Feature Stories |
| A Different Kind of ‘PADRE’ |
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He calls himself an unabashed Chicano priest. |
Guest Columnist |
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How amazing God is! Today I am asked to reflect on peace. |
| From the Bishop |
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| From the Editor |
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I didn’t put two and two together until I saw his face. It all came back to me very quickly. |
Cover Story |
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You cannot be a peacemaker until you are at peace with yourself and with our Lord |
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Diocese of Laredo |
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| Tune in to Laredo's first live radio on the internet. |