Cardinal to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with special Mass

NEWARK, NJ — In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, archbishop of Newark, will lead a jubilant Hispanic heritage Mass on Friday, Oct. 1, at 8 p.m. Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, 89 Ridge St. in Newark.

All are welcome to the Spanish-language Mass, which will be concelebrated by the Archdiocese’s four auxiliary bishops and many priests from throughout Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties. Those gathered will celebrate the Hispanic culture and the integral role the Catholic faith plays in it. Prayers will also be offered, especially for those struggling with poverty, immigration issues and civil unrest in places such as Cuba and Central America.

The Hispanic heritage Mass will feature songs popular among the Hispanic community to supplement the traditional organ music. The celebration will include additional musicians and a procession of flags representing all 20 Latin American countries.

“Faith is very important to Hispanics — it’s ingrained in our way of life,” said Deacon Asterio Velasco, the Archdiocese’s director of Hispanic Ministry. “In some of our archdiocesan parishes, Hispanic Masses are among the most well-attended and also among the first to see parishioners return to church after the pandemic. So I hope people celebrate their faith at this Mass and see that they belong to an archdiocesan Church that is alive and prays together. To know you are part of something bigger than yourself is phenomenal.”

To learn more about the Archdiocese of Newark, visit https://www.rcan.org/.

  Archdiocese of Newark, Hispanic Heritage Month