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Bible, Catholicism, Christ, Developmentally Disabled, God, Jesus, Mass (liturgy), Parish, SPRED, United States
Congratulations to Sister Aurora Perez, SHF who was the recipient of the Oakland Diocese Medal of Merit Award which acknowledged her 37 years of service to the developmentally disabled in the Diocese. Sister was given the commendation at her retirement luncheon on June 6 by Bishop Michael Barber, S.J.
Bishop Barber, Bishop Cummins, Sister Aurora, and all present today to honor Sister Aurora for her many years of ministry as director of SPRED. I am grateful to be here.
In 1988, Sister came to St. Clement in Hayward to speak at the Masses in order to recruit catechists to begin a SPRED Center (which, by the way, is in its 24th year with Belem Reta, leader catechist and here with us today). Starting as a SPRED catechist and Parish Chairperson at St. Clement so many years ago, I am finding it difficult to accept the reality of that Sister moving on. At the same time I am happy for her, that after acting as a consultant for the new SPRED director until January 1, she will have time for some long, overdue rest, prayer and renewal.
When Sister Aurora asked me to speak today, she asked that I talk about SPRED, not her. I had to smile because Sister Aurora and SPRED seem very much to be made of one piece with catechists, families, supporters and our beautiful participants – our SPRED friends with special needs.
It was in 1991, after two years in SPRED, that I was asked to work in the Diocese with Sister, first as the coordinator of Parish Chairpersons in the Diocese and later as Associate Director. One of the first things I noticed on her office wall at Sacred Heart was an oil painting of three peasant women working in a field – it was The Gleaners by the painter, Millet, done in 1857. She explained that the three peasant women were gleaning, or gathering, scraping with their hands the stray grains of wheat in a field after it had been harvested. The Sisters of the Holy Family have a statement that reads, “We stand at the edge of society where Christ is encountered in Word, Silence and Action, where power of His Kingdom pushes out the boundaries of our world. We will be recognized by our…visible presence among the most abandoned. Our mission as Gleaners will be to serve segments of the population who are under served by Church and social institutions.”
This is the work of Sister Aurora in SPRED that we are here today to recognize, honor and celebrate.
She has gathered and welcomed friends with intellectual challenges that in so many cases are left on the margins, overlooked or dismissed as “not as important” or unable to understand. She has put into action the words of the U. S. Bishops in their Pastoral Statement on Persons with Disabilities, “The same Jesus who heard the cry for recognition from the disabled in Judea and Samaria two thousand years ago calls us, his followers, to embrace our responsibility to our own disabled brothers and sisters in the United Sates.” Some may question the value of time, money and effort spent in this unique, one of a kind, faith formation for children, teens and adults with intellectual challenges. That was one of the first things a relative asked me when I began in SPRED, “Why are you doing this, Mary, when they won’t understand, isn’t it a waste of time?’
The method of catechesis that Sister Aurora brought back to the Oakland diocese in 1980, after her training in the Archdiocese of Chicago at the SPRED Model Training Center and through a masters degree from Loyola University, is unmatched by any other catechesis for persons with developmental disabilities. Other methods rely on books to teach about the faith which for many of our friends is not the vehicle through which they can learn. If you feel you have at times in your life experienced God with you, then you will accept the method of SPRED – the method Vivre – French for “life”.
The catechism tells us we must meet people in their life or lived experiences in order to share the message of God’s love for them in a meaningful way. This is exactly what we do in SPRED. It is in a setting much like an altar, that each friend and catechist is invited, called by name, to come and pray together. They sit in a semicircle around a beautifully enthroned Bible, with lighted candle and fresh flowers. The session begins with a symbol, something our friends can relate to, one of their lived experiences, e.g. a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Each smells them, touches them, and sees how different each flower is yet how beautiful. Juxtapose now to the immediate group, the community of friends and catechists gathered together, noting how different each is (tall-short, young-older, brown hair-blond or gray hair, etc.), yet how beautiful, how happy to be together. Juxtapose again to liturgy; “When we look around us in church we see how different others are, yet how happy we are to be together to thank and to praise God.” Juxtapose to the Bible, In the Book of God’s Word we read:
Jesus said, “If my Father cares for the birds of the air and the lilies of the fields how much more will He care for you…” Now a message, the leader catechist takes each ones hands saying, “(Aurora),
Jesus says to you today, I will be with you, always.” A song of thanksgiving is sung with gestures, followed with instrumental music; the group sits for a short time in silence to rest in what has been experienced. The evening closes with agape, eating together in loving friendship with laughter and joy. To quote Fr. Mesney, “The human experience most like that of faith is friendship.”
Sister Aurora also brings to this diocese an annual SPRED Labor Day Retreat for adults with special needs. For the 36th year it will take place at beautiful San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville. The hospitality of the Franciscan staff is so gracious. My favorite place on the day of the friends’ arrival was at the front door as they drove up, car after car, to be dropped off for the weekend. Their smiles and hugs are heart memories I will always carry as well as seeing them get their individual hug from Sister when departure time arrives. The first time I experienced the retreat I wrote to the Catholic Voice that if anyone wanted to experience a little bit of heaven on earth they just needed to be at San Damiano chapel on Labor Day Sunday. The retreatants with their catechists take active part in the Liturgy of the Word, portraying the First Reading, and the Gospel as they are proclaimed, the responsorial and Communion meditation with gestures of prayer, and reverently prepare the altar and present the gifts of bread and wine. Truly, for me, it is a little preview of what I think heaven will be – a place where everyone sees the other as God sees us – equally valued and loved.
So, I thank you, Sr. Aurora, with a grateful heart for all your years in the fields. Rather than gleaning scraps of wheat as the woman depicted in the painting, you have tirelessly, passionately (which many of us in this room can attest to) recruited and trained catechists, worked in partnership with parishes to form new SPRED centers for those who were not able to participate in their parish faith formation programs and established the Diocesan SPRED Labor Day Retreat for adults. In a parish setting they experience a community of faith where God’s message of love is shared one on one with a catechist.
In friendship and love catechist and friend journey together in faith. For no one gives the gift of faith to another, however, we do have the privilege of helping another discover the gift of faith given to them by God.
You have touched the hearts and souls of families who need to know that their children are embraced by us, the church, in a meaningful, ongoing and lasting way. Through SPRED their children, throughout their entire lives, are able to experience belonging to the church. They come to know God’s love for them through life experiences and their catechist’s friendship, love, and respect which fosters their dignity and self-esteem. According to individual capabilities many, because of SPRED, are able to actively participate and to share their gifts in the faith and life of their parish.
My prayer for you, Sister Aurora, is that in the coming years you are surrounded with blessings of faith, hope, joy and love bringing you renewed life and enduring peace.
Sisters of the Holy Family 
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