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Priests bringing their new Spanish training back to parishes

Spanish Mass to be added in Tontitown in a couple of months

Published: August 22, 2009   

By Serenah McKay
Rogers Correspondent

Serenah McKay
Father Joe Marconi displays some souvenirs he brought back from Mexico City, including a rose-scented rosary from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

TONTITOWN -- The first priests to take part in the Diocese of Little Rock's Spanish immersion program say the experience has not only strengthened their language skills, but also deepened their awareness and appreciation of Mexican culture.

Father Joe Marconi of St. Joseph Church in Tontitown, along with Msgr. Scott Marczuk of St. Stephen Church in Bentonville and two seminarians, studied Spanish in Mexico City this summer.

A third Arkansas priest, Father Bill Elser of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Benton, attended classes at the Mexican American Catholic College in San Antonio.

All three priests returned to Arkansas July 31.

In a homily given May 3 at St. Joseph Church in Tontitown, Bishop Anthony B. Taylor called on the parish to increase its outreach to the Spanish-speaking Catholics who live in its vicinity. He estimated that number at 395 families, or 1,455 people. Currently, he said, they have to travel to Springdale, Rogers or other parishes for Masses and other programs in Spanish.

Bishop Taylor also announced that, beginning in June, diocesan priests would be sent to schools in Mexico or San Antonio for one to three months of Spanish-language training.

The bishop is "passionate" about stepping up outreach to Spanish-speaking Catholics, Father Marconi said, and parishioners also support the effort.

"The people of Tontitown are embracing it," he said.

Father Marconi entered the program knowing very little Spanish. But after eight weeks of study, he said, "I can celebrate a Mass in Spanish and simple sacraments, like a simple wedding or baptism. For reconciliation, though, I'll need to go back for further study. It requires a deeper knowledge of the language."

Father Marconi, 47, plans to put his new knowledge to use quickly in his new parish. He previously served St. Mary Church in Helena.

"I'm just giving myself a couple of months to get settled here and then we'll start the Spanish Mass."

Father Marconi and Msgr. Marczuk stayed at Our Lady of Guadalupe Hispanic Seminary and studied at Panamerican University. They attended classes three to four hours a day, four days a week.

Just getting around Mexico City, which has a metro-area population of more than 19 million people, was "quite challenging," Father Marconi said. He described the trip between the seminary and the university as a 30-minute ride "on the most crowded public-transit system you can imagine."

But he said the people were warm and welcoming, and treated them very well.

He also learned much about Mexican culture. That included visits to museums and historic churches, such as the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the most-visited Catholic shrine in the world.

Since his return to Arkansas July 31, he is enjoying getting acquainted with his new home. He arrived just in time for the Tontitown Grape Festival, held annually on the church's grounds.

Msgr. Marczuk, 54, also was impressed by the Mexican people, who are very devout although most live in poverty.

"Their devotion to the faith is part of everything they do," he said. And those who come to the United States "bring with them their values of family life, which in our culture is not as strong as it once was."

"The people there are poor, but they're so happy, and so full of life, and love for the family and for the Church. It was a good experience, it is a rich and colorful culture."

Since Msgr. Marczuk had studied Spanish in college, he made rapid progress while in Mexico. He celebrated Mass in Spanish every day and heard confessions.

He also got to do some traveling, visiting Chalma, the second most-visited shrine in Mexico although few tourists know about it, and Our Lady of Remedies in Pueblo. He even met Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera of Mexico City.

Msgr. Marczuk, formerly the rector of the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock, is just settling in to his new parish in Bentonville.

As for what services the parish may offer to the Spanish-speaking, Msgr. Marczuk said, "I'm open to whatever needs to be done. When we reach out to those around us, God blesses us in a special way."

For Father Elser, who has been pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Benton since October, the program has opened up new possibilities for ministry.

He has celebrated Mass in Spanish "off and on" throughout his priesthood along with performing other sacraments, and on coming to Benton, he increased the twice-monthly Spanish Masses to once a week. But with his improved proficiency in the language, he plans to do more outreach in the Hispanic community, particularly in religious education and sacramental preparation.

Along with two sisters from St. Edward Church in Little Rock originally Mexico, he will soon be going out into the community in an effort to get Hispanic residents more involved in the parish and all its ministries.

Attendance at the Spanish Mass currently averages 90 to 100 people each week, he said, "but census figures we put together show as many as 2,000 Hispanics in Saline County."

Father Elser, 49, described a rigorous schedule during his six weeks at MACC, where he stayed in a dormitory. He attended classes from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m., with time for Mass and lunch, followed by long hours in the language lab.

"I spent quite a bit of time in the lab in the afternoon and evening to do the homework and learn some of the vocabulary," he said.

The students also had weekly pastoral classes on aspects of Hispanic culture, with follow-up every day. Although they didn't take field trips, Father Elser said a Marianist brother took him to some of the historic missions in the area, despite the 100-plus degree heat.

Father Elser would like to someday offer English as a Second Language classes for those in the community interested in improving their English skills. But for now, he is focused on gaining even more fluency in Spanish.

"Six weeks is just a starting point. I'm praying that I'll have many growing opportunities to use it and to improve my Spanish as time goes on."

Seven more diocesan priests have been assigned to study Spanish in Mexico through February 2010.

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