Hispanic Society and Religion Various

¶ … Hispanic society and religion [...] various ways religion plays an active role in Hispanic society and the molding of women within the society. Religion, specifically the Catholic religion, is a vital part for many in Hispanic society, and it has been for centuries. It plays an active role in Hispanic society by offering not only hope and faith for its members, but social opportunities for interaction, support, and comfort during times of need. The Catholic Church is vital to most Hispanics, and has the power to create strong and vital Hispanic communities throughout a nation.

First, it has been the religion of Latin America for centuries, since the Spanish Conquistadors first conquered Mexico in the late 1400s. Second, because the Church is organized on a parish system, the Church has locations throughout the Hispanic community neighborhoods, making it more accessible to the people in different Latino neighborhoods throughout larger communities (Warren 57). Puerto Rico is home to the oldest Catholic diocese in the New World, and today, there are nearly 3.5 million practicing Catholics in the country. Most homes contain a crucifix and other religious items, and religious festivals and observances are the backbone of culture and society in the country.

Puerto Rican women who immigrate to the United States bring a strong cultural tradition of Catholicism when they enter the country, and often, that tradition continues largely for their need to keep some their traditions from home alive and well in their new country. These authors note, "Hispanics, by and large, especially the first generation in the United States, are rather traditional. The experience of being in a foreign land reinforces their need for recognizable institutions and traditional ways" (Deck, Tarango, and Matovina 2). The presence of the Church in the U.S. gives a feeling of comfort and sameness to lives that have been uprooted and are in turmoil, and thus, it has a calming affect on communities filled with recent immigrants.

The Church plays an important role in everyday life for the Hispanic community, but it also provides authority and guidance for people who may be lost in a culture they do not understand or feel a part of. Another author notes, "Indeed, it is the ability to provide content that is ecclesiastically authoritative, theologically informative, socially relevant, and spiritually nurturing that describes what is most characteristic of good inculturated preaching by and for Latinos" (Burgaleta). In other works, Hispanics want authority and nurturing, and they can find it at their local parish with their priests and laypeople, easily and just as if they were still back home.

While women do not play a role in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, (except as nuns), they do serve locally, and this has turned out to be an important role for women. One woman notes of her involvement, "When Father Benavides came to St. Mary Magdalene's, he set up ministries and leaders developed [including me]. It gave me a sense of ownership. That I'm important and I don't have to be a tamale or taco-maker. I can have a voice and a vision for me and my family'" (Warren 59). Thus, for many people in Hispanic society, especially women, playing a role in the Church gives their life additional meaning and purpose, and it only increases their faith and belief in the Church and its doctrines. Increasingly, the Church is relying on laypeople, representative of their respective communities and parishes, to help spread and maintain the message and support of the Church. Many of these laypeople are women, and it offers additional meaning and purpose to their lives - spiritually and personally.

Besides being actively involved in the Church, it is often the women of a family that establish and maintain the traditions, and pass on the beliefs and traditions associated with religion. These authors continue, "My grandmother and the women of her generation exercised their religious leadership in the Hispanic community as healers, prayer leaders, and dispensers of blessings. They were also the main persons responsible for passing on the traditions" (Deck, Tarango, and Matovina 41). Thus, the women are the part of the Hispanic community that make sure the traditions are kept, from holy days to religious celebrations, and pass those traditions on to the other members of their family. Without the women, the Church might not have survived as long as it has in Hispanic culture. They have embraced it and ensured by their participation and support that the Church and its traditions have only become stronger with each passing generation, for the most part. Some modern women question their real role in the Church, and the lack of women in Church administration, and some are turning to other religions as a result of their questions. However, the Roman Catholic Church is still the most popular and influential Church in Hispanic culture in Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the United States.