nicaraguan bishop

Nicaraguan Bishop Calls Arlington Visit ‘Positive and Fraternal’

By Alfonso Aguilar
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the Issue of 2/15/07)

“I consider my visit throughout the Arlington Diocese as very positive and fraternal,” said Bishop Carlos Enrique Herrera, head of the Diocese of Jinotega, Nicaragua, at the conclusion of his one-week.
The bishop ended his journey with a Mass in Spanish at Blessed Sacrament Church in Alexandria last Sunday. Father John C. Cregan, pastor, and Father Joel D. Jaffe, parochial vicar, concelebrated the service.
“I had a very important meeting with Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde to discuss the possibility of establishing a sister parish between both dioceses,” said Bishop Herrera, 54. “We also reviewed a literacy project to help our poor communities in Jinotega.”
St. Louis Parish in Alexandria has been mentioned as a possible sister parish with the one in Diocese of Jinotega, established 18 years ago.
Jinotega, one of the eight dioceses in this Central American country, has a population of 430,000 inhabitants, of which 80 percent are Catholics, said the visiting priest.
The journey’s main goals were to establish a closer relationship between both dioceses and to raise money to enhance programs benefiting the poor in Nicaragua.
Members of the Nicaraguan Catholic Community, cosponsors, along with the Knights of Columbus, of the bishop’s visit, also said they wanted to send a message to the new leftist government in Nicaragua that the Catholic community in the United States will defend the Church.
“So far everything seems to be the same with the new president [Daniel Ortega]; however, there are concerns that some changes may impact the relationship between the government and the Church in our country,” said Bishop Herrera.
Parishioner Onofre Gutiérrez, a native from Nicaragua, said that “under Orterga’s communist regime the country would be a war between Christians and atheists.”
During his visit and dialogue with many groups and families, Bishop Herrera said his diocese needs a lot of help in both spiritual and material aspects.
“We still have a large population that cannot read or write, and at the same time we do not have enough Bibles or printed materials to be more effective in our outreach efforts for evangelization,” he said.
The bishop also mentioned that Evangelical groups of other faiths in Nicaragua are attracting thousands of people. “We need more resources for religious and social programs as a way to cope with this situation.”
Other activities of his visit included a ceremony with Knights of Columbus (Council 11947), where he was installed as a member; a conference with Hispanics at the Spanish Apostolate Office, and tours to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and the Franciscan Monastery, both in Washington.
“His visit to our parish was a great blessing,” said Father Jaffe. “Bishop Herrera is a good leader and has a very calm and humble disposition to lead his diocese, which has great needs and not too much resources.”
“We are fortunate that the bishop visited our parish,” said Rosa María Sánchez, a native of El Salvador, after she was blessed by the bishop.
Organizers reported that fun-draising events totaled nearly $7,000. However, other pledge contributions may arrived in the upcoming weeks. The money will be sent to the Diocese of Jinotega.