Santa Rosa bishop is special guess at youth Mass
By James McEvoy
Staff Writer
Bishop Bernabé de Jesús Sagastume and Father Raul Monterroso of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Guatemala, were guests at the quarterly diocesan youth Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Church Sept. 21.
Bishop Sagastume and Father Monterroso are spending the week in the Diocese of Metuchen visiting various parishes and ministries to help build a stronger relationship with their sister diocese. The Dioceses of Santa Rosa and Metuchen were brought together through Catholic Relief Services’ Global Solidarity Partnership program.
Diocesan youth Masses attract participants from parishes throughout the diocese giving youth the opportunity to worship, learn about their faith and socialize together.
During his homily, Father Michael Gromadzki, parochial vicar, reflected on the grace bestowed upon all God’s children regardless of where they come from.
“We are uniquely different, yet the same,” Father Gromadzki said.
He also spoke of the dedication of the youth ministry members who visited Guatemala this past July and how it made him optimistic for the church.
He said that because of the work of the youth “our faith will continue into the future.”
Father Gromadzki also spoke of the hardships some face abroad and how easy it is for Americans to forget their many blessings.
“It’s so easy to just go down to the corner store … other countries don’t have this,” he said.
Following the Mass, there was a presentation about the youth ministry’s second delegation to Guatemala.
At the presentation both Bishop Sagastume and Father Monterroso spoke through a translator, Natasha Roig of St. Augustine of Canterbury Parish, Kendall Park.
Bishop Sagastume thanked the youth and expressed hope to continue the fellowship between the two dioceses.
“We come here to thank you. We hope that we can stay together and our bond can stay strong,” he said.
He added that he was glad the youth was able to experience the “simplicity and humility” of life in Santa Rosa.
Bishop Sagastume also said he looked forward to visiting with Bishop Paul G. Bootkoski and expected the meeting to build a “closer, deeper relationship.”
Father Monterroso also expressed tremendous gratitude to the youth saying “we’re constantly praying for meetings like this.”
He described the Catholics in his home country as being strong in worship despite the hardships of their lives.
“Our people are disadvantaged economically, but we have big hearts and great faith,” he said.
The youth ministry delegation involved 14 youth group members from the diocese who had life-altering experiences in their pilgrimage.
The week-long service voyage was the second annual trip to Guatemala coordinated between the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry and Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen, Solidarity Team.
There is a third trip in the works for next summer.
Roig, who participated in the youth delegation to Guatemala, admitted that prior to her translating for Bishop Sagastume and Father Monterroso she was “kind of nervous.”
Peter Barcellona, who served as a chaperone for the youth trip, described a project they were working on in which they give out bottles of fresh water as a simple but poignant reminder of the gifts we have in this country.
Once the bottle is empty, people are asked to fill it will dollar bills and loose change, the money is then put towards further assisting the people of Guatemala.
Adding to the consensus of everyone else who went on the trip, Barcellona would consider himself blessed to return.
“I pray I go back real soon.”
