'Keep walking ... Jesus is at your side'

By Cristina Cabrera Jarro -

Photography: CRISTINA CABRERA JARRO | FC

KEY BISCAYNE | Walking is, figuratively, in St. Agnes Church’s mission statement. It reads: “To walk humbly in God’s presence through prayer, service, and evangelization, while putting Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last (‘JOY’).”

In February 2016, parishioners began heeding that call literally. To mark the Year of Mercy, they walked from their Key Biscayne church to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity — also known as La Ermita de la Caridad — seven miles away. They repeated the pilgrimage that November, and every December since, around the feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Four hundred people joined that first pilgrimage, a number that grew to around 700 this Dec. 7. And they walk regardless of rain or shine, heat or cold.

Fabiana Orellano Esperalta, an Argentine parishioner who walked with her husband, Marcos, and two daughters, Fatima and Guadalupe, remembers the year that wind and rain accompanied them.

“And that was the best sacrifice because it demonstrates how with adversity, when you have faith, it doesn’t stop you because there is a superior strength which is God’s and the Virgin Mary’s. We do this for her, and she leads us in our walk toward the Father,” Orellano Esperalta said.

The aim of the Year of Mercy pilgrimage was to pass as a community through the Holy Doors at La Ermita. Catholics who make such a pilgrimage during a jubilee year may earn plenary indulgences for themselves or their departed if they also confess their sins, receive Communion and pray for the intentions of the pope.

“From then we received our grace to walk together as a community. In other words, the Holy Doors not only helped us win indulgences, but united us as a community. We are walking together as one family and one faith,” said Father Juan Carlos Paguaga, pastor of St. Agnes.

This year, the theme for the walk was Mary, Mother of Hope, a fitting one after what has seemed a trying year for their community.

“We are going to offer this in a special way for those that suffer, for those that are sick, for those that have died. This year has been a very hard year for the parish. So we want to make a special effort,” said Narciso Muñoz, also a parishioner of Argentine descent, who walked with his wife, Malena, and six of his eight children.

 

WALKING BAREFOOT

Inspired to take sacrifice to the next level, like the Nazarenes do during Holy Week processions in Spain, Muñoz and nine fellow parishioners committed to making the journey barefoot, dubbing themselves the “confraternity of the bare feet.”

Father Paguaga would have joined them, but emergency foot surgery prevented him from walking any stretch of the journey. The barefooted joked that Father Paguaga would still participate barefoot, but from the backseat of a car.

But the “confraternity of the bare feet” wasn’t that exclusive. As they walked, men, women and children, young and old alike, began to remove their socks and shoes, dipping them into waves along the shore to cleanse and refresh themselves.

“You get cut, you bleed, but when you are motivated, after a while, you don’t even feel it,” said Alejandro Rodriguez, one of the barefoot walkers.

And if a crowd of about 700 walkers wasn’t visible enough for those driving, biking, running, swimming or bathing in the beaches of Key Biscayne, the pilgrims also carried 14 flags representing the different nationalities present at St. Agnes, as well as 21 banners representing each church ministry, 20 banners with different representations of the Virgin Mary, and a chest bearing the intentions of parishioners.

“We really wanted people that saw us in the streets to know that we are proud Catholics,” said Guillermo Plegn, a parishioner of Mexican and German descent, who also walked barefoot with his family.

 

REMEMBERING ‘RUSPA’

On the backs of their Marian pilgrimage T-shirts, many also wrote “Ruspa,” the nickname of Gustavo Lauria, a parishioner who died two days before the pilgrimage. He had been diagnosed with cancer before last year’s pilgrimage, but that did not stop him from walking with the Lord, his family, friends, and parish community.

“That union and recognition (of the Lord), his walk before he got sick, helped prepare him” for his final journey, said his widow, Beatrice Briceño Lauria. “And it was a blessing for him to have it in his heart throughout his entire illness...

“He said that Jesus and the Virgin Mary gave him strength,” she added, “that the Lord was with him and carrying him, even in his moments of anguish.”

Because the pilgrimage was one of Ruspa’s favorite parish events, he requested quick funeral services, to make sure everyone was rested for the Saturday walk. A day earlier, St. Agnes Church was filled to capacity for his funeral Mass.

“He wanted all of us to walk on Saturday, and he would walk with us,” said Plegn.

The pilgrims also created a white flag bearing the words of St. Padre Pio, “Pray, hope and don’t worry,” where all were welcome to write personal messages. The flag was later presented to the Lauria family.

Beatrice said Gustavo wanted everyone to remember to “keep walking, and keep recognizing that Jesus is here at your side... Recognizing that Jesus is with us makes our steps easier and lighter.”