Experience of Incarnation in Massachusetts
Our missionary experience in the United States began on December 1, 2022, when we were sent by God's providence and welcomed into the Archdiocese of Boston, under the guidance of Cardinal Seán O’Malley, who served for many years as the archbishop of this local Church. He entrusted us with the mission of accompanying the Hispanic community in South Boston, specifically in the parishes of St. Monica and St. Peter, where the majority of the faithful were of Dominican and Lithuanian origin.
At the beginning, the pastoral reality was challenging. The Hispanic community had approximately 80 parishioners, largely due to the prolonged absence of full-time Hispanic priests. Liturgical celebrations were occasionally performed by American priests, which made understanding and pastoral closeness difficult. However, little by little, through proximity and our charism of INCARNATION, listening, accompaniment, and a constant presence, the community began to be reborn. After a year of pastoral work, the community grew significantly, reaching approximately 500 faithful, which evidences the hunger for God and the need for a close and incarnate Church.
In 2024, Cardinal Seán O’Malley entrusted our mission and moved us to a new pastoral reality: the Parish of the Sacred Hearts, a multicultural community with 133 years of foundation that was in a state of progressive abandonment. The parish lacked a stable pastoral presence, as the administrator resided in another community and could only visit occasionally to celebrate the Eucharist.
This new mission allowed us to experience the mystery of the Incarnation more deeply. The Hispanic community is mainly composed of faithful from El Salvador, along with brothers and sisters from Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Peru, and Mexico. At the same time, the Anglo-American community includes faithful from diverse cultures: Irish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, Haitian, Brazilian, and Africans from Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, and Cape Verde. This cultural richness has been a true sign of the universal face of the Church.
In the midst of this diversity, we have been able to contemplate and live the human face of the Incarnate Word in every person, recognizing that God is present in every culture, every history, and every concrete reality. We have allowed ourselves to know, value, and accompany these cultural expressions, bringing our spirituality of the Incarnation to life.
Three months after our arrival, we began a process of both material and pastoral restoration of the parish, counting on the help of committed volunteers. Although we have made significant progress, the work continues, reflecting that mission is always a process in motion.
We live this entire experience in fidelity to our charism, following the spirit of our founder, Louis-Marie Baudouin, incarnating the Gospel in daily life, both in pastoral work and in communion with the clergy.
Finally, we thank God for this missionary experience, which is an extension of the Venezuela region, for every person, every story, and every seed of the Word that has been sown in American lands. With hope, we continue to trust that He who began the work will bring it to fulfillment.
Sacred Hearts Parish of Malden, Massachusetts
Procession of the Vietnamese community
Hispanic community celebrating