Since 1997, priests, deacons and seminarians from the Society of the Divine Word have served the Chicago Archdiocesan ministry for an estimated 10,000 Hispanic immigrants living in the parish boundaries of five north suburban Chicago parishes. Fr. Sonny de Rivera, SVD, who served as a missionary in Santiago, Chile, for seventeen years, coordinated the ministry.

At a farewell Mass at St. Cecilia church on August 14, the heads of the communities ministries stood behind the altar holding lighted votive candles. Deacon Leonardo Peña presented Fr. Sonny with a candle that had been lighted from one of those held by the lay ministers. The candles symbolized the light of the Faith that had been kindled so brightly in the community where Sunday Mass attendance has grown from a few hundred to standing-room-only and where lay persons serve as religious education ministers, prayer ministers, lectors, communion ministers, RCIA coordinators, youth group ministers and minister of care.

Fr. Sonny told the community that he had been honored to be a channel of God’s love in this ministry and that the community had also been a channel of God’s love to him. With this farewell, Fr. Sonny was leaving to prepare for a new ministry in Florida. He did not say, “Goodbye”—he said, “Hasta luego” (until we meet again). The inevitable sadness of moving on was tempered by the knowledge that the community will be able to carry on the ministry until and after a new coordinator arrives.

As Fr. Sonny left the altar carrying the lighted candle, the heads of the ministries formed an honor guard with their candles.