I solemnly declare that I do believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the word of God, and to contain all things necessary to salvation; and I do solemnly engage to conform to the doctrine, discipline and worship of the Episcopal Church.
With those words, Luis Antonio Rabago-Nunez declared not only his fidelity to his faith but took upon himself the obligations that come with being ordained a priest. In ceremonies held four months ago at St. Mark's Cathedral, the Rev. Rabago-Nunez became the newest Latino priest to be ordained in Utah's Episcopal Diocese.
He is one of a growing number of immigrants who have come to the United States from Latin America in recent years to find not only economic freedom but a smorgasbord of faiths from which to choose. His ordination came on the heels of an announcement last summer that the Diocese of Venezuela would be admitted into the Episcopal Church.
For most of the past century, Latino immigrants to this country were overwhelmingly Catholic, both culturally and religiously. But as the faithful from their native lands continue to embrace Protestant Christianity in growing numbers, so do many of those who have come to Utah.
The Rev. Rabago-Nunez, who completed seminary in 2002 and served as a deacon in the first Episcopal church in Mexico City, said he has long been impressed with the openness of the local Episcopal Church to Latinos, with Bishop Carolyn Tanner Irish taking the lead. "The bishop said one time to a Latino congregation that 'Wherever you come from or wherever you are, you are welcome with us.' This is for me a priority because I am now a priest."
He said he wants to spread the word that Latinos can truly be involved in their faith, rather than simply depending on the priest to say Mass on Sunday.
Many have speculated that part of the reason many Hispanics are choosing the Episcopal Church is an openness to those whose lifestyles may not be in strict compliance with Catholic teaching. Some people with children born out of wedlock or unmarried couples who are living together have bristled at restrictions they feel keep them outside some of the ritual practices of Catholicism.
The Rev. Dan Webster, spokesman for the diocese, said it was only a decade ago that Jack Potter — who was serving as dean of St. Mark's Cathedral — initiated the church's now-burgeoning Hispanic ministry by forming one Spanish-speaking congregation, which was adequate for the demand at the time.
Yet the most recent figures the diocese has show there are more than 25,000 Spanish-speaking residents in West Valley City alone. And that's where the Rev. Rabago-Nunez is now serving, as a priest at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. He presides over a weekly Spanish Eucharist service each Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
At some point in the future, he may well be joined by a woman in those duties.
The Episcopal Church ordains women, while the Catholic church maintains a strictly male priesthood.
That's attractive to Isabel Gonzales, who grew up in Mexico and is preparing for her eventual ordination to the ministry. She came to Utah after working in the fields of Salinas, Calif., where she and her husband became discouraged at the growing apathy toward migrant workers.
She had attended an Episcopal congregation before moving, and her initial experiences in the local diocese here confirmed her love for the faith, which she said feels "much like family."
"I noticed that it's different than the Catholic church because all people come together."
Though she has always enjoyed an active role in her faith, as a child she said she thought the priesthood would be wonderful but didn't think it was possible for her. "But I'm so excited now, because I can see my dream coming true" through a new program within the diocese.
Because there is such a demand for religious training, the Rev. Webster said the Diocese of Utah has formed a joint effort with the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, an Episcopal seminary in Berkeley, Calif., to facilitate a three-year theological program for Latinos who can't go through the traditional process toward ordination. Many Latinos don't have bachelor's degrees and consequently can't be admitted to seminary.
The Rev. Canon Pablo Ramos, who oversees Hispanic ministry for the diocese, said the program is "an attempt to raise our own leaders." Training is provided not only for those seeking the priesthood but for those who simply "want to be a Sunday School teacher, or just to learn more about the church in general."
The Rev. Ramos was the first Latino to be elevated to church administration in Utah. He says he has felt a great deal of support throughout the diocese, and especially from Bishop Irish.
A native of Guadalajara, Mexico, he was ordained in 1996 and first served as assistant director of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in San Miguel, serving an English-speaking congregation.
He got to know Jack Potter, who asked him if he would come to Utah and work in Hispanic ministry. When he arrived in 1998, "we had probably five or six Latino members," he recalled. He estimates there are now 120 Latinos in the diocese, and as outreach efforts continue, he anticipates the numbers will follow.
"I think it's the hope of all of us who are working with Latino ministry that it will really take off. When people are in America, they are free to do what they want."
He believes the church will keep drawing new members in part because outreach efforts have been "very honest."
"We've been telling people who we are from the beginning. For some people the search" for a faith community once they arrive in Utah "is very confusing. . . . We try to show them the basics of the church, that God is a loving God and that the priest is not a dictator but a friend."
As a shepherd who often sees the challenges of migrant workers and their families, the Rev. Ramos said he feels great responsibility "to be available sometimes just to listen to the people" who are struggling not only with faith but with language barriers and even legal challenges.
"I believe for many Latinos, being in the Episcopal church is like a pilgrimage," much like the annual Las Posadas trek made each Christmas season by the Catholic faithful. "They're looking for a church, knocking on doors and many times they're told no" when it comes to feeling welcomed, he said.
"Finally they find the cathedral, where they can develop a relationship with God."
E-mail: carrie@desnews.com