SAN DIEGO — Deacon Luiz Bueno has one word to describe the diocese’s annual Pentecost Mass for All Peoples:
“Amazing.”
A leader in the Brazilian Catholic community, he has participated in the Mass since it started in 2018 and plans to be on hand for the ninth edition, to be held May 23 at Cathedral Catholic High School. As a deacon, he will be assisting Bishop Michael Pham, who will preside at this year’s Mass.
The Pentecost Mass brings together about 25 cultural communities present in the diocese for a joyous, colorful celebration. With roots in the Americas, Asia, Europe and Africa, they are united by their Catholic faith.
The Mass opens with a procession, starting with the Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver, followed by cultures representing faithful from Africa to Vietnam, all wearing their traditional attire. The liturgy highlights traditions of many cultures and prayers proclaimed in a variety of languages.
The Mass is not about showcasing the cultures, Bishop Pham told their leaders at a planning meeting on April 16 at the diocesan Pastoral Center.
It’s about the experience of “coming together to be united in Jesus, as a foretaste of the banquet in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
“It does not matter what culture we belong to, or language we speak, Jesus is bringing us together through his life, death and resurrection,” he continued.
Teresa Mora, vice president of the Hispanic Commission, was among the cultural leaders at the meeting.
What does she like about the event?
“Well, everything!” she responded.
During the Mass, each culture places a cloth that represents their community on the altar. At last year’s Mass, she and her 17-year-old son carried their community’s cloth.
“He was so proud,” she recalled, “Seeing all those cloths placed on the altar was so beautiful.”
Claire Silke, representing the Irish Catholic community, said she had attended every Pentecost Mass.
She said she loves “the fire and the passion” of those who attend the Mass, numbering more than 1,800 last year.
After the Mass, the communities present a festival, complete with samples of their native foods, and musical entertainment. Participants can visit booth after booth, learning about the roots of each community’s faith, as well as getting a taste of their culture.
“I would invite people by telling them all the great food you can get there,” Silke said. “People love that.”
Bishop Pham organized the first Pentecost Mass when he served as Vicar for Ethnic and Intercultural Communities. He has a different role now, bishop of the diocese, but his message remains the same.
“It’s not about dressing up in our attire,” he said. “We are about Jesus … and helping people to encounter Jesus in their lives.”
