By Marlene Quaroni - Florida Catholic
Photographer: MARLENE QUARONI | FC
Archbishop Thomas Wenski celebrates the Mass with Father Jesus Arias, right, pastor of Good Shepherd Church in Miami. His master of ceremonies, Father Richard Vigoa, can be seen kneeling during the consecration.
MIAMI | There�s no place like Krome for the holidays, an advocate for the undocumented said jokingly before Archbishop Thomas Wenski celebrated Christmas Mass for detainees at the Krome Avenue detention center.
�This is a bitter sweet holiday for them,� said the archbishop, who is no stranger to the detention center. As a priest and auxiliary bishop he often celebrated Mass for the detainees. �These men are far away from their homes. Some have been in the United States for several years. They were plucked out of their homes and away from their family.�
The archbishop celebrated the 9 a.m. Mass Dec. 25 on a basketball court in the fenced-in outside recreation area of the detention center. Several armed guards stood watch over the detainees. The fence, topped off with barbed wire, was the first of two; a second fence had concertina wire both on top and on the bottom.
Krome is a detention facility for undocumented immigrants. Those detained there are classified into three groups: undocumented immigrants (blue jumpsuits); immigrants coming from jails or prison after serving time for non-violent crimes (orange jumpsuits); and immigrants coming from prison after serving time for violent crimes (red jumpsuits).
The blue-clad detainees sat directly in front of the makeshift altar on a patch of grass between the basketball court and a volleyball sand court. Behind them, separated by a fence, was a group wearing orange jumpsuits.
�I�m happy to be here with you, today,� the archbishop told the detainees, speaking in English, Spanish and Creole. �In this moment, we�re united as Christians. May we lift each other�s spirits up today as we celebrate the birth of Christ.�
Archbishop Wenski gave Communion to the detainees in blue jumpsuits. They sang and prayed devoutly and seemed impressed when first seeing the archbishop�s vestments and miter. As the Mass concluded, five detainees knelt on the grass before the altar, lingering there until a guard approached them.
�Our broken immigration policies say that there is no room at the inn,� Archbishop Wenski said.
Because Krome is a federal facility, pictures of the detainees, guards or grounds were not allowed. Along with the archbishop, deacons and priests, detention ministry volunteers and a music ministry group from Mother of Our Redeemer Church, �Lanzando La Red� (Casting the Net), took part in the Mass.
In order to get to the field, visitors had to pass through security and several locked doors. As the visitors walked through the hallways on their way out, someone called out to a group of detainees, �Merry Christmas.� The men in orange jumpsuits returned the greeting.
Carlos Bustamante, a Catholic who is interim assistant chaplain at the detention center, said it was generous of Archbishop Wenski to celebrate Mass at Krome. �It�s truly a blessing to have him here.�
In addition to the Mass, the detainees would receive visitors and a special Christmas meal, said a guard.
�We provide Catholic services at Krome Service Processing Center in English, Spanish, Creole and Portuguese for the three classified populations,� said Deacon Edgardo Farias, who took part in the Mass and directs the archdiocese�s Detention Ministry.
Three priests, three deacons and 20 lay people visit and interact with the detainees every Monday and Wednesday evening and on Fridays and Saturdays every other week.
�This is a bitter sweet holiday for them,� said the archbishop, who is no stranger to the detention center. As a priest and auxiliary bishop he often celebrated Mass for the detainees. �These men are far away from their homes. Some have been in the United States for several years. They were plucked out of their homes and away from their family.�
The archbishop celebrated the 9 a.m. Mass Dec. 25 on a basketball court in the fenced-in outside recreation area of the detention center. Several armed guards stood watch over the detainees. The fence, topped off with barbed wire, was the first of two; a second fence had concertina wire both on top and on the bottom.
Krome is a detention facility for undocumented immigrants. Those detained there are classified into three groups: undocumented immigrants (blue jumpsuits); immigrants coming from jails or prison after serving time for non-violent crimes (orange jumpsuits); and immigrants coming from prison after serving time for violent crimes (red jumpsuits).
Photographer: MARLENE QUARONI | FC
Deacon Alpha Fleurimond, left, and Deacon Edgardo Farias hold the archbishop's staff and miter during the Mass.
�I�m happy to be here with you, today,� the archbishop told the detainees, speaking in English, Spanish and Creole. �In this moment, we�re united as Christians. May we lift each other�s spirits up today as we celebrate the birth of Christ.�
Archbishop Wenski gave Communion to the detainees in blue jumpsuits. They sang and prayed devoutly and seemed impressed when first seeing the archbishop�s vestments and miter. As the Mass concluded, five detainees knelt on the grass before the altar, lingering there until a guard approached them.
�Our broken immigration policies say that there is no room at the inn,� Archbishop Wenski said.
Because Krome is a federal facility, pictures of the detainees, guards or grounds were not allowed. Along with the archbishop, deacons and priests, detention ministry volunteers and a music ministry group from Mother of Our Redeemer Church, �Lanzando La Red� (Casting the Net), took part in the Mass.
In order to get to the field, visitors had to pass through security and several locked doors. As the visitors walked through the hallways on their way out, someone called out to a group of detainees, �Merry Christmas.� The men in orange jumpsuits returned the greeting.
Carlos Bustamante, a Catholic who is interim assistant chaplain at the detention center, said it was generous of Archbishop Wenski to celebrate Mass at Krome. �It�s truly a blessing to have him here.�
In addition to the Mass, the detainees would receive visitors and a special Christmas meal, said a guard.
�We provide Catholic services at Krome Service Processing Center in English, Spanish, Creole and Portuguese for the three classified populations,� said Deacon Edgardo Farias, who took part in the Mass and directs the archdiocese�s Detention Ministry.
Three priests, three deacons and 20 lay people visit and interact with the detainees every Monday and Wednesday evening and on Fridays and Saturdays every other week.
Photographer: MARLENE QUARONI | FC
Eira Luis, Miriam Gomez, Maria Almanza and Fernando Gomez, members of Lanzando La Red music ministry at Mother of Our Redeemer Parish in Miami, sing during the Mass.
