Denver Catholic

CATHOLIC LIFE I 3 DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER I OCTOBER 30, 2013 Migrants look to Church for flood relief Some 300 undocumented families lost everything BY NISSA LAPOINT BY MAVI BARRAZA EL PUEBLO CATÓLICO More than a month after historic amounts of rainfall deluged the state of Colorado, thousands of survivors are still living the ravages of the natural disaster, including some 300 undocumented families who count among the most affected. Although it is difficult to know exactly how many Hispanics were affected by the floods in northern Colorado, it is believed that the vast majority of undocumented immigrants lived in the mobile home parks that were destroyed by the flooding in Evans, Milliken, Windsor and Greeley. As time passes, the situation gets worse as the few resources they had are exhausted, as is the help available to them from friends and family. Aid from the government is unavailable, and approaching nonprofit organizations such as the Red Cross can often be seen as dangerous to this population that lives in constant fear of deportation. Aracely Garcia, business Texas parish gives to flood victims PHOTO BY TIM RASMUSSEN/THE DENVER POST PEOPLE walk down 37th St. in Evans Sept. 16 carrying belongings recovered from flooded homes in the area. manager at Our Lady of Peace Parish in Greeley, told El Pueblo Católico that many of these undocumented migrants are turning to the Church, the only institution they trust. "There are many people who have lost their homes, and they hadn't finished paying them off yet; now they have to continue paying on them. There are also those seeking help to pay their monthly bills. There are also many who lost absolutely everything and need very basic items such as food and clothing. These people prefer to turn to their parish than to other organizations," she said. Larry Smith, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Denver, explained that immigrants devastated by the flooding in Colorado depend on the Church for help, more than any other organization, "because they trust that Catholic Charities will support their needs, regardless of their legal status, race or beliefs." Initially, Charities opened shelters for the victims, as well as distribution centers to hand out emergency supplies and necessities such as food and water. Currently, those affected by the flooding continue to News of the flood that caused catastrophic damage across the Front Range prompted one Texas parish to send help. Father Anthony Pesek, pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Church in New Braunfels, Texas, mailed a $4,115 check to the Denver Archdiocese to aid flood victims early this month. His parish held a second collection after hearing about the needs of Colorado victims. "We do this whenever there's need," Father Pesek said. "It was no more than a gesture from here saying, 'We know how important it is for someone to say they care.'" The 4,200-family parish located northeast of San Antonio regularly holds second collections for local or national needs. He said the parish did the same collection for tornado victims in Oklahoma. "We also get floods down here and hurricanes," Father Pesek said. "We can stay colloquial but there are needs beyond us." Larry Smith, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Denver Archdiocese, called Father Pesek to thank him and his parish for their donation. Smith said their gift is truly what it means to be "Catholic" and is an example of Pope Francis' call to be a global Church. "They are reaching out with love to help those in need regardless of boundaries, creed, color or documents," Smith said. "They saw a need and did what they could to help. "That is what we are all called to do as Catholics; this is what charity is all about." Their gift also exemplifies the mission of Catholic Charities, where "we help people with a need to give connect with those with a need to receive," he added. See Flood, Page 6 YEAR OF FAITH TESTIMONY Years of suffering grew faith, brings year of gratitude for priest BY NISSA LAPOINT This article concludes a special series on personal testimonies during the Year of Faith, which ends Nov. 24, 2013. This Year of Faith was a year of victory for Msgr. Peter Quang Nguyen, V.F. For the years the Denver priest spent jailed, tortured and persecuted in his native Vietnam in the communist 1980s, he spent the year giving thanks to God for the strong faith it engrained in him. "From an altar server in Vietnam and now here I am in the United States—the Year of Faith is really a year of celebration for me because it's a triumph of the faith," said Msgr. Quang, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Denver. "The endurance from that time of suffering and difficulty—I believe that God had trained me." Suffering became an opportunity to strengthen his faith, which in turn enables him to spread and build the faith of his parishioners today, he said. It began in his homeland when Msgr. Quang discerned a vocation to the priesthood and entered the seminary. With other seminarians, he put his faith and prayer into action, he said, by spending weekends rebuilding poor communities. But the oppressive communist regime bore down on religion and closed the seminary. He and other Catholics attempted to flee but they were captured and jailed. The jail became fertile ground for prayer and an awareness of God's presence. "It seemed like every moment of life, when contemplating the suffering of people, it strengthened the life of prayer and hopefully the work of charity," Msgr. Quang said. "Faith had become a source of comfort for people; it strengthened the people looking forward to the good to come." The seminarians secretly became catechists and led people in prayer. Some would meet in the jungles to teach, only to pack and flee if the warning signals—typically a frog sound or dog bark—told them someone was coming. "When we heard that signal, that meant we had to wrap it up and run away," he said. "When the police came, they saw people gathered for prayer but not catechism." Some of the captured priests secretly celebrated Mass using consecrated hosts smuggled in through containers of rice and powered soap. The youths became extraordinary ministers of Communion and took Eucharist to the homebound or those in the jungle. Sometimes seminarians worked together to prepare couples for the sacrament of marriage in the absence of a priest, he said. "Faith became the foundation to make sense of the life of suffering," Msgr. Quang said. "During those times, I grew in Local priest meets three popes PHOTO PROVIDED MSGR. Peter Quang Nguyen, V.F., greets Pope Francis in Rome. shaking hands with Pope Francis, receiving a blessing from An outside observer would Blessed John Paul II and a picsay Msgr. Peter Quang Nguyen ture of Pope Emeritus Benedict has a knack for meeting popes. XVI. "I could never believe His office at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Denver See Faith, Page 12 is lined with photos of him See Quang, Page 5 BY NISSA LAPOINT

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