An Immigrant with Faith

An Immigrant with Faith.

A simple woman, a simple immigrant who has changed my old world, for a new world. As an immigrant, I have gone through a process of adjustment, not only cheerful experiences, but also bitter perhaps because of being physically different, speaking with a certain accent, or simply not knowing local customs.

Some people have considered me a not so smart simply because they did not understand what I said, not knowing that it has nothing to do with intelligence, but with learning a new language.

Others may have thought I was deaf, as they have yelled at me thinking I was going to understand them better. I am not deaf; I am just learning English.

Unless you have been an immigrant it is hard to understand people who had left everything behind looking for a new opportunity at work, school, love, or adventure; or simply because you want to live in a country without war, violence, or persecution.

This process of constant struggle to establish itself in a new world is not easy and the process of adaptation and the possibility of establishing itself carries with it frustrations and disappointments that has undoubtedly changed my life, but as a Catholic immigrant I have found a link with other members of my parish and my community establishing relationships with them.

Faith. People who share the same faith are brought together to learn, to cheer up, to socialize. Does not matter where you are from, because at the church, you do not become one of them, you are part of the same family and share the same religious principles. It is the same family, the family of Jesus.

For me, as for many immigrants, faith has sustained me as a new commoner. For so many things I could not understand, only faith has brought an answer to my questions. Only faith has changed the question Why me? to What for?

Inspired by the fact that Jesus was persecuted since he was born and by the fact that he had to emigrated, inspired me to write about Gospel reflections from an immigrant’s point of view. My book “Immigrants with Faith” has helped me to tour various parishes and to meet many immigrants who had heard my story and shared with me their stories.

Having book presentations in different parishes has been a fulfilled experience. Certainly, it is more what I had received form each one of these beautiful ladies than what I could have given to them.

No doubt that “It is in given that we received”. (St. Francis)

We immigrants are not perfect, but we are full of hope!