On the evening of Friday, October 11, the annual Hispanic Heritage Month Mass was celebrated at St. Elizabeth Church in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, focusing on faith-based family values. Father Ambiorix Rodriguez, pastor of St. Elizabeth, served as principal celebrant and homilist.

The Mass was conducted in Spanish and sponsored by the Office of Family Life, Archdiocese of New York. About 400 people attended.

“Brothers and sisters, tonight we celebrate, among other things, the family. It is a wonderful gift that God has given us,” Father Rodriguez said early in his homily, noting that, “Each of us was born into a family. No family, we can say, is perfect, but it is the one that God gave us. Amen?”

“Amen,” the faithful responded.

The pastor noted that as Christians we must see the family “as the plan of God. What God has made, what God imagined for man and for woman.” He talked about the importance of family life and the significance of parish community, church life, the Body of Christ.

He cited the first reading from Galatians 3, which says in part, “Brothers and sisters: Realize that it is those who have faith who are children of Abraham. Scripture, which saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, foretold the good news to Abraham, saying, Through you shall all the nations be blessed. Consequently, those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham who had faith.”

Father Rodriguez, alluding to the Gospel reading from Luke 11, said, “A family that is divided, cannot sustain itself.” He noted the importance of overcoming challenges by striving to maintain love, harmony, and unity in the family, keeping family life centered on the teachings of the Lord.

In addition, he spoke of the increasing concerns the Church has over so-called “gender-affirming” medical procedures, especially among minors who later suffer trauma after realizing they’ve made an egregious decision. “Let us find the light, the strength, and the grace to fight these evils that attack this great gift from God, which is the family,” the pastor said.

Pascual Balbi, a parishioner of St. Elizabeth Church, was among the faithful at the Mass. He and his wife Dominga are parents of three and grandparents of two.

“It was very good; this was a very good Mass,” Balbi told The Good Newsroom afterward, before joining a post-Mass social gathering at the parish. “There is too much confusion in society today,” he added, noting he appreciated the pastor’s words about the importance of faith-based family values.

Estefany Toribio, Hispanic Ministry coordinator at the Office of Family Life, gave closing remarks about the office and its mission, and she noted to the faithful that it was a pleasure for her to be with them for the Mass celebration. The Office of Family Life cultivates prayer, formation, accompaniment, and advocacy through outreach to families in their homes, parishes, and Catholic schools.

Two days after the Mass, Sunday, October 13, New York City’s Hispanic Day Parade (Desfile de la Hispanidad) was held in Manhattan. Twenty-one Latin American countries united to showcase their music and culture.