By Emily Chaffins - Freelance Writer

Photography: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC

MIAMI | The universality and richness of the Catholic Church were vibrantly on display at the Cathedral of St. Mary on the feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 8, 2023, as Catholics of all ages representing diverse cultural and ethnic groups gathered to take part in the annual Migration Mass presided by Archbishop Thomas Wenski.

The Brazilian, Chinese, Filipino, Haitian, Indian, Korean, Nigerian, Polish, Trinidadian-Jamaican, and Vietnamese apostolates all participated in the Mass, parts of which were celebrated in many of their languages. The readings were proclaimed in Haitian Kreyol and Polish, and the Gospel in Igbo. Representatives of the various apostolates read the prayers of the faithful in nine languages.

Many of those present wore the beautiful traditional dress of their countries, such as the Haitian Karabela, the Korean Hanbok, the Chinese Tang suit and the Indian sari.

“And today we celebrate the rich gift of our diversity,” said Archbishop Wenski at the start of the Mass. “Many people fear diversity. Many people believe that diversity divides us. But it doesn’t divide us. It enriches us. The only thing that can divide us is sin.”

Archbishop Wenski also shared the significance of the Migration Mass, pointing out that “Catholic” is derived from a Greek word for “universal.”

“It is no coincidence that we celebrate the [Migration] Mass on the feast of the Three Kings, because the Three Kings show for us the universality of salvation, and also the universality of the human family. We all are brothers and sisters, brothers and sisters of one father.”

This fact was powerfully reflected at the Lord’s Prayer, where each participant prayed the Our Father in their native language.

The rich diversity of the South Florida community was evident not only through the array of traditional dress and the many languages spoken, but also through the music. Choirs from various cultural groups sang in their native tongues. The Haitian and Chinese choirs sang during the Offertory. The Korean and Filipino choirs sang during Communion. The Nigerian choir sang the postlude music accompanied by their traditional instruments such as an alo (metal gong), an igba (cylinder drum) and an udu (pottery drum).

The archbishop also took the occasion to commend Catholic Legal Services, an agency serving immigrants which is marking its 25th anniversary.

In addition, under a tent outside the cathedral doors, the Cathedral Council of Catholic Women held a bake sale and white elephant sale to raise money for the many services they provide the community. They sold food and drinks such as coffee and Haitian pate and even ran a boutique selling items such as apparel.

John West from Visitation Parish in North Miami, who represented Trinidad and Jamaica during the prayers of the faithful, said one of his biggest takeaways was “seeing how many Catholics are in the world, how Catholics come from so many cultures and ethnicities.”