When the Rev. Kevin Miller greets people with a hug, an abrazo to Spanish speakers in his parish at St. Gabriel’s R.C. Church in Hazleton, he is sharing from the example of Francis, the first Pope from Latin America.
The pope, who died Monday, was foremost a pastor, Miller said.
They also had special affection for a pope, who shared their roots in Latin America.
“Especially our Latinos drew a source of consolation of him being the Holy Father, a sense of pride that he was leading the universal church, 1.2 billion Catholics throughout the world, Miller said.
Nearly 40% of Catholics live in Latin America, Pew Research Center found in 2014.
As more people from Latin America settle in Northeast Pennsylvania, the Catholic church has received them.
St. Gabriel’s, which is part of Annunciation Parish, has been holding Mass in Spanish for at least 30 years.
Miller has been improving on the Spanish that he started studying while in seminary.
On Sunday night he held a service for a primarily Mexican congregation at St. Joachim’s Church in Meshoppen Wyoming County where he has been preaching twice a month for years.
At St. Gabriel’s, his post for the past two years, the congregation held its annual re-enactment of Christ’s walk to Calvary on Good Friday. Hundreds of parishioners, some dressed as Roman soldiers or weeping women, followed Joimy Germosen, who while portraying Jesus wore a white robe and carried a cross more than 30 blocks from Our Lady of Grace Church on North Vine Street to St. Gabriel’s on South Wyoming Street.
“We came right down the center of the marketplace. How many people caught an ear, caught an eye of that, thinking there is something more to life?” said Miller, adding that the role of the “faithful is to carry the gospel to a world that a lot of times doesn’t want to know the truth but needs to know the truth of goodness and mercy.”
When Miller thinks of taking the gospel to everyone, the example comes to mind of the pope who made his mission, like that of his namesake St. Francis of Assisi, to remember the poor and outcast.
“One of the things that always captivated me about the holy father is he would spend time with those on the margins of society: those were are disabled. He loved children, went to visit prisoners.”
Miller said St. Gabriel’s provides clothing to children. Catholic Social Services around the corner from the church stocks a food pantry. Those ministries are inspired by Christ’s words: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat … I needed clothes and you clothed me.”
The words speak to Rossanna Gabriel, executive director of Hazleton Integration Project, which regularly distributes food and serves community meals.
“Our goal is to eradicate food insecurity and bring food to families in need,” Gabriel said. “We work with all the churches and have volunteers from all the churches.”
To Gabriel, Pope Francis was an example.
“He was a good man,” she said. “He was so compassionate. He understood that everybody was different.”
Originally Published: