Today our parochial vicar left our parish to return to Peru where he comes from. (A parochial vicar is the correct term for an assistant pastor.) He served our people very well. We have a very large Spanish-speaking population here in Boulder. As much as Gringo priests serve the Spanish-speaking with just as much dedication, there are cultural aspects of the Latinos that are very different from North Americans. In the Latino culture the sense of family is very strong; and having many children is seen as their greatest treasure. They also cling to a multi-generational way of being family. They have a very strong sense of reverence for the things of God. This aspect was most obvious to me in the way our parishioners said farewell to Father Daniel last Sunday. The English-speaking were very loving and wishing him well. The Spanish flocked to him for his blessing. Vaya con Dios, Padre Daniel.





