Newly installed archbishop visits Holy Redeemer Parish in southwest Detroit, celebrates first welcome Mass in Spanish
DETROIT — When Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger began Mass on the evening of March 20 at Holy Redeemer Parish, the joy of the majority Hispanic congregation was palpable as the new chief shepherd of the Archdiocese of Detroit started the liturgy in Spanish.
Archbishop Weisenburger was officially installed as the sixth archbishop of Detroit on Tuesday, March 18, and chose the southwest Detroit parish as the site of his first parish Mass. The vibrant, multicultural community is located in the heart of Detroit’s Mexicantown and is served by the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity.
As he began his homily, Archbishop Weisenburger apologized for his Spanish and said he would deliver his message partially in both Spanish and English.
“I got goosebumps on my arms the moment he started speaking in Spanish,” lifelong parishioner Carmen Muñoz told Detroit Catholic. “I think the whole community felt welcome just by the fact that he spoke to everyone in Spanish.”
Muñoz said everyone with whom she spoke at a reception following Mass was also surprised.
Archbishop Weisenburger came to Detroit from the Diocese of Tucson, where he had served since 2017. The mission diocese borders Mexico and sees thousands of immigrants enter each year. Archbishop Weisenburger has been outspoken about the plight of migrants and has expressed support for the Hispanic community.
“There's a joyfulness in Hispanic culture where they have really woven faith into their lives,” Archbishop Weisenburger said during a press conference March 18, before his installation Mass. “(Faith) doesn't seem to have been bleached out the way it has been with secularism in so much of the western world. I find it is life-affirming for me when I get to spend time with the Hispanic community.”
Brenda Hascall, the Archdiocese of Detroit’s coordinator of Hispanic ministries, told Detroit Catholic she was moved when she learned Archbishop Weisenburger taught himself the Spanish language as he ministered to the Hispanic community.
While many members of the Detroit Hispanic community, especially children, are bilingual, Hascall said hearing someone speak even a couple of words in Spanish is inviting.
“I was looking at him during Mass, and he was singing with the people, and he knows the hymns, and you can see that they can relate to him,” Hascall said.
Hascall said having an archbishop who not only speaks the language, but values the diversity and beauty that Hispanic Catholics bring to the Church, gives her hope.
At the end of Mass, uniformed students from Holy Redeemer Grade School presented the new archbishop with a welcome gift basket. At the reception in his honor, parishioners lined up to greet him, take photos and receive blessings from Archbishop Weisenburger.
Pastor Fr. John Robinson, SOLT, said the Holy Redeemer community receives everyone with open arms, but as he looked around at the faces of his parishioners, it was apparent that the archbishop’s welcome was special and that the community was “overjoyed.”
Bernadette Re, who works in the school’s development office and serves as a missionary volunteer with the SOLT community, said the grade school students were excited to wear their uniforms at Mass and meet the archbishop.
“What I've come to see and know about Holy Redeemer is that the parishioners are so vibrant and dedicated to the Church, their community and to the faith,” Re said. “They love the Church so much, so I think that the validation of the archbishop seeing their witness of faith and their beautiful presence in the community is really special to them and think speaks a lot to their dedication.”
Geraldine Hernandez, the parish’s secretary of 31 years, said she “felt so much peace” during Mass with Archbishop Weisenburger and was also delighted and surprised when he introduced himself to her in Spanish.
“I feel like he's going to be good to the city of Detroit and to the archdiocese, especially to the Hispanic community,” Hernandez said. “He is very charismatic, and we need someone like that who is going to speak Spanish, especially now. We are living in a difficult time, especially for the young people living away from the Church, so hopefully, he will bring people back to the Church, especially the young ones.”
Antonio Guzmán-Díaz, archdiocesan coordinator of discipleship formation and a parishioner at Holy Redeemer, is hopeful Archbishop Weisenburger’s bilingualism will break down language barriers and draw attention to the needs and issues facing the Hispanic community, including immigration.
Guzmán-Díaz added that now, more than ever, the Church needs to draw closer to the migrant community, and Archbishop Weisenburger has already been a witness to this by caring for the community in Tucson.
“I think it’s a sign that he is a bishop who cares for the people he has been entrusted with, and it's beautiful to see how he's doing that pastoral care for the people who are being affected by this issue with immigration,” Guzmán-Díaz explained. “I think it's an ongoing issue due to our broken immigration system, and I know there is not much more that he can do, but his presence does make a difference in the community and people's lives.”
Archbishop Weisenburger’s presence alone gives people hope that the Church is listening to them, Guzmán-Díaz added, and other parishioners echoed the same sentiment.
“I think they are feeling supported and very close (to him) just by the fact that they can communicate (with him),“ Muñoz said. “I think that especially nowadays with what the whole Hispanic community is going through right now, they are going to feel supported by him. We are so excited; we continue to pray for him as he’s going to pray for Detroit.”
