By Melody Regalado - Florida Catholic correspondent
MIAMI | Catholic Peruvians in Miami will soon have a deeper connection to their country and patron saint without having to travel overseas.
Over 800 attendees, including Peruvian council Eduardo Chaverri, came together with Father José Luis Menéndez July 25 to celebrate Mass at Corpus Christi Church in Miami.
The occasion was the 189th anniversary of Peru's independence, proclaimed by José de San Martin on July 28, 1821 after the Peruvian War for Independence.
Following the Mass, participants saw for the first time the progress of the construction of Nuestra Señora de la Merced Iglesia-Museo Perú (Our Lady of Mercy of Perú Church-Museum), which Father Menéndez, pastor of Corpus Christi, said would be the first Peruvian church in the United States.
According to U.S. Census figures, from 2005 to 2007, an estimated 54,373 Peruvians were living in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
"We are building this chapel for the Peruvian community that has brought us the Lord of Miracles," said Father Menéndez, who hopes to celebrate weddings and baptisms in the chapel.
A committee began discussing and planning for the project in 2004, and construction began in 2006. Members hope the church will be ready to open next year if the $500,000 needed to complete it are collected.
Many of the construction materials were donated, and although many who have participated in the project are Peruvian, they also have a lot of support from other nationalities in the community©for example Venezuelans, Colombians and Cubans.
"I came today to celebrate Peru's independence and to share in this beautiful moment with my neighbors," said Sergio Velasquez, an Argentinean member of Corpus Christi Parish.
"This is going to be a place where we can profess our Catholic faith through Peruvian art and culture," said Wilson Alayo, a Peruvian and member of the committee.
The church contains paintings and sculptures donated from the archdiocesan collection of colonial Latin-American art, which is curated by Father Menéndez.
"We live in front of the art district in Miami and it's good for the Church to become part of this area too," Father Menéndez said.
Although the building's structure is finished, including a balcony where the choir will sit, there still remain some things to complete, such as the floor, the altar and painting the walls. Currently completed are the baptismal area and the chapel housing an image of the Lord of Miracles.
This image of a dark-skinned Christ hanging on the cross, with the Holy Spirit, God the Father, the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene by his side, is considered the patron of Peru.
It was first painted by an Angolan slave in 1651 on an adobe wall near Lima, in the region of Pachacamilla. The image remained nearly intact even after several earthquakes and natural disasters, which led to its fame and the people's devotion.
The Church of the Nazarenes was later built around it and still stands today. People continue to travel there to pray and ask for miracles. The devotion has spread all over the world, including south Florida.
At the event Sunday, participants raised the Peruvian flag next to the American flag as the national anthem of Peru played from loudspeakers, and the celebration concluded with a reception featuring foods typical of the country.
"It reminds us of Peru," said Hilda Romero, member of Corpus Christi parish since 2003. "It brings us closer to our country and our community."
