Archdiocesan leaders trying to help Our Lady of Guadalupe navigate parish discord

Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul is a parish founded in 1931 to serve Mexicans and those of Mexican descent. Leaders in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are working with the staff and pastor of the parish to address issues stemming from a variety of causes, including the increasing diversity of its members. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

It was 11:45 p.m. when the final speakers shared their views at a Dec. 9 listening session at Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul. The session, which began at 8 p.m., drew a full house of about 300 parishioners and guests, with about 50 expressing their views on changes initiated by the parish’s pastor, Father Andrew Brinkman. Most who spoke expressed support for Father Brinkman and the parish’s direction, but others were concerned or even angered by changes related to liturgy, cultural traditions, parish life and outreach.

Father Brinkman, 36, has served the parish for more than six years, first as parochial vicar, then parochial administrator and as pastor since 2018.

Attending the listening session were Archbishop Bernard Hebda; Father Michael Tix, episcopal vicar for Clergy and Parish Services; Estela Villagrán Manancero, archdiocesan director of Latino ministry, and Tom Halden, the archdiocese’s director of communications. Bill Lentsch, the archdiocese’s chief operating officer, moderated the session.

The listening session was one way the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has responded to calls for attention to Our Lady of Guadalupe, especially after a Nov. 21 protest at the parish alleging cultural erasure. Some supporters of the parish’s recent changes say a story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune about the protest contained misrepresentations that have exacerbated the situation.

Father Tix said conflicts happen in parishes and, hopefully, they can resolve on their own. In this case, officials from the archdiocese, including he and Archbishop Hebda, have been working to help resolve them. The situation at Our Lady of Guadalupe is complicated, he said, combining people of multiple cultures, generations, perspectives and expectations.

Founded in 1931, Our Lady of Guadalupe was Minnesota’s first “personal parish” for Mexicans and those of Mexican descent (where membership was determined not by territory but by national origin) and the first in the state to offer Masses in Spanish. In the decades since, it’s been known for robust expressions of Mexican culture and for being a haven for new immigrants from Latin America.

In 2019, it was named the first and only diocesan shrine in the archdiocese, a request made by Father Brinkman and granted by Archbishop Hebda.

Calling the listening event “a major step in the process moving forward” and an important opportunity for all to be heard, Father Tix said he continues to be grateful to the parishioners, staff and leadership — including Father Brinkman — for their caring, honesty and commitment to working together to unite the parish and renew it on its mission going forward.

Conversations with concerned groups and parish and archdiocesan leadership continued last week, he said.

Deacon Luis Rubi, who ministers at the parish, estimates about 80 percent of the parish’s approximately 850 parishioners are predominantly Spanish speakers and newer immigrants who attend the two Sunday Masses in Spanish. Most arrived from Mexico, perhaps as many as 90 percent, he said, but others are from Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. The parish also serves descendants of immigrant families as well as Catholics without Latin American heritage.

The demographics bring a challenge in bridging cultural and language differences, said Father Brinkman, who is bilingual. While he sees some of his changes as steps toward unifying English and Spanish speakers, and established parishioners and new immigrants, some parishioners — including some who spoke at the listening session and others interviewed by The Catholic Spirit — said the changes instituted by Father Brinkman, and a perceived lack of input from longtime parishioners, have divided the parish.

Larry Lucio, 71, a lifelong parishioner whose father helped found the parish, has coordinated several community meetings over the past few months to discuss concerns about changes in the parish.

Some but not most of the contested changes were related to pandemic precautions, parishioners say. Among changes unrelated to the pandemic is Father Brinkman’s adoption of an “ad orientem” posture at Mass, with the priest and faithful all facing the altar at the time of the eucharistic prayer, as well as introduction of some Mass responses in Latin, such as the “Lamb of God,” in what he saw as a step toward unity between the English and Spanish-language Masses. Some parishioners have also expressed concerns about funerals, noting that requests for eulogies during the funeral Mass and certain traditional songs have not been honored. Father Brinkman told The Catholic Spirit that he aimed to follow Church guidelines that discourage eulogies and secular music in the funeral Mass, but is looking again at how best to serve the community and mourners at funeral Masses. He has recently taken other steps to re-establish some of the cultural traditions he has been accused of sidelining.

“We are two different language groups and it’s just so easy to feel like ‘I’m in my own little world,’ but we belong to a parish and these are our brothers and sisters,” Father Brinkman said, speaking to the addition of Latin in the Mass. “And one way of showing that is using a common language.”

Only with eyes focused on Christ and nourished by the Eucharist can all parties respect differences and truly unite with the Lord, Father Tix said. “The archdiocese is committed to continuing this walk with the faithful and leadership at Our Lady of Guadalupe to find common ground and means of moving forward together.”