Spirituality and Hope During Holy Week 2025
With the goal of living the central mysteries of the faith, the Hispanic Ministry of the Diocese of Gaylord, led by its Episcopal Vicar Father Wayne Dziekan, organized various activities for Lent and Holy Week at Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel in Traverse City.
Way of the Cross for Migrants
During the six Fridays of Lent, the Way of the Cross was prayed; on Good Friday, as a gesture of solidarity with the thousands of migrants suffering in the country, the Way of the Cross for migrants was offered for them in Rotary Square Park in downtown Traverse City. This was an opportunity for evangelization, witness to the faith and ecumenism, as members of Central United Methodist, Traverse City Presbyterian and St. Patrick Catholic and St. Mary of Hannah Catholic churches joined in the activity.
Chrism Mass: Translation into Spanish
A new feature during the Holy Week celebrations was simultaneous Spanish translation was offered for the first time during the chrism Mass at St. Mary Cathedral in Gaylord. This was a great effort on the part of the diocese, which purchased 60 interpretation devices to help Hispanics who are not fluent in English to experience the solemnities and events of the diocese in their own language.
On that occasion, Spanish speakers had the joy of hearing a few words in Spanish from Bishop Jeffrey Walsh, who reminded us : “God speaks to us in all the languages of the world. Thank you for being here and traveling to this mother church of our diocese...As the oils are blessed, the vows of the priesthood are renewed, and we receive Jesus both in the word and in the sacraments, we form a bond of love and strengthen ourselves.”
It is important to mention that Palm Sunday and the entire Easter triduum were also celebrated in Spanish in the Guadalupe Chapel, as well as a day of confessions and study to understand the liturgies of the Holy Days.
