American 'family' join Colombian priest at home

After Father Victor A. Sierra’s ordination June 23, he returned to Colombia to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving in his home parish and to visit family. But he didn’t go alone. Some of his American “family” went with him. Ten people, from parishes where he served, visited Colombia from June 26 to July 6.
Preceding his ordination he was a familiar face at St. Mary of the Assumption in Milford, St. Stephen in Worcester, and St. Cecilia and Holy Family of Nazareth in Leominster. Travelers included: Mary Castrucci, Carol Ann Thompson, Marion Mairs and Deacon David Vaillancourt, all from St. Mary’s; Deacon Robert S. Connor, his wife Irene and daughter Erin from St. Cecilia’s; Kathy MacAulay and Penny Murray
from Holy Family, Leominster; and Jean Lawler.
Deacon Vaillancourt first met Father Sierra when he came to the Holy Name of Jesus House of Studies to study English in August 2014. Vocations Director Father James S. Mazzone assigned Mr. Sierra to St. Mary of the Assumption where Deacon Vaillancourt still serves.  Deacon Vaillancourt recounts the visit.


By Deacon David Vaillancourt
Special to The Catholic Free Press

Traveling to Colombia to help, as it were, Father Victor Sierra celebrate his ordination at the first Mass in his home parish was a pilgrimage, a cultural eye-opening, and a little bit of a vacation.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

When we arrived at the airport in Panama City for a brief layover, it was easy to see how being in Latin America was not the same as being in North America, particularly in the United States. Leaving a secular culture in the United States, we were immediately impressed with the fact that the airport had a chapel in the main walkway that connects the two different areas where the departure gates are, near some duty free stores. We stopped and prayed there briefly, and also admired the exquisite mosaic of our Blessed Mother.

COLOMBIA

As an introduction to the way of life that is Columbia, the first church that we visited was San Antonio in the town of Barbosa. We were told by Father Sierra that the church was built first and then the town park and town square was built in front of the church. This was a very visible and tangible demonstration to us of the centrality of the Church in public life and in the marketplace in Columbia. This is also the norm rather than the exception, even in the very large city of Medellin. Once inside the church, we noticed, and several of us commented on, the statue depicting the scourging of Christ at the pillar. A remarkable aspect about the statue is the fact that it didn’t sugarcoat the Passion of Christ. The artist depicted skin ripped away on the knees the shoulders and on the back of Jesus.
This image is a standard feature in every church that we visited.
One of the other observations that I made was the size of the Easter candle. This candle is about 8” in diameter and is placed on a holder with wheels. Given that this candle appeared already burned about half way, one can only imagine how large it was originally. Again, very large Easter candles were the norm in the churches that we visited.
San Antonio was the church that Father Sierra’s grandmother attended. After visiting the grave of Father Sierra’s grandmother, we traveled to San Domingo. It was in this church, of the town of the same name, that Father Sierra was baptized. Once inside the church, we heard a woman chanting beautifully. She was in front of the statue of the Blessed Mother. Father Sierra approached her and discovered that she was the same woman who, as a midwife, delivered him as well as his mother into this world. This is a prime example of how life comes full circle. She is 92 years old and is as spry and sharp as ever. It was one of those “prophetess Anna” moments which left us all feeling very blessed to have witnessed.
Later in that afternoon, Father Sierra celebrated Mass in a schoolyard a short distance from his mom’s house. The information was spread word-of-mouth and more than 100 people showed up.
On Thursday, June 28, we visited Jerico, the city where Colombia’s first native canonized saint, St. Laura , was born. The fact that Colombia is very proud of its native-born saint is evidenced by her picture or statue appearing not only in churches but also in the public squares.
After a few more days, a few more cities and towns and churches where the faith is so prominently displayed,  we came to the “main event,” Father Sierra’s first Mass at his home parish, La Epifania. We arrived quite early, vested and prepared for Mass. Once we processed into church, it was totally packed and about 75 people stood for the entire Mass, along with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and the Divine Mercy devotion which occurs the first Sunday of every month. Not a single person left until after we processed out of the church (about 1 hour and 40 minutes).
    
Cultural sites

The reception in the parish hall afterwards featured a cake that synthesized the reason for the event. I posted a picture of it on our St. Mary of the Assumption Facebook page. It was also edifying to see the families of some of our priests from Columbia present for this occasion to support Father Sierra and his family.
We rounded out our Colombia experience by visiting cultural sites such as the Botanical Gardens in Medellin. We also visited a nature, geological, and indigenous historical site at the end at the Metro Tram (at the top of a mountain in Medellin), and watched the Colombia vs England World Cup game at a restaurant at the former seminary complex in Medellin. To say that the Colombians take “futbol” seriously would be the understatement of the year. The crowd was totally excited and invested in every play, every call of the game.
We had many wonderful experiences, including celebrating Mass and meeting with the cloistered nuns who prayed for Father Sierra throughout his seminary days. Finally, we thank the Colombian people for being so warm and welcoming to us. The whole trip was an affirmation of our faith in a way which I believe would have been difficult to replicate here in the United States. We can learn a lot about practicing our faith from our Colombian sisters and brothers. Thank you, Colombia.

– On Aug. 1 Father Sierra begins his new assignment as associate pastor of both Good Shepherd Parish in Linwood, and St. Augustine Parish in Millville