Cristina Hernandez to lead Youngstown Diocese's Hispanic ministry

CANTON − Back in 2021, Cristina Hernandez was the first Hispanic parishioner Bishop David Bonnar met when he was elevated to lead the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown.

She took the opportunity to suggest to the new bishop that he consider including a Spanish-language reading during Mass.

"He told me he was taking Spanish classes," she recalled. "This is one of the things I like about this bishop. He knows our needs and is embracing the community."

Bonnar didn't forget the moment. Earlier this month, he appointed Hernandez, a member of St. Francis of Assisi parish in Canton, the new diocesan coordinator of Hispanic ministry.

Earlier this month, St. Anthony/All Saints and St. Mary/ St. Benedict parishes in Canton merged to become the singular St. Francis of Assisi Church.

"From that first encounter, it was clear to me that she was an advocate for Hispanic ministry," Bonnar said in a statement. "I am excited to collaborate with her and I welcome her passion and many gifts.”

Hernandez's job will be to assist Spanish-speaking priests in Ashtabula, Youngstown, Salem and Stark County, and to coordinate Hispanic programs and celebrations within the six-county diocese.

"My job is to be in support of priests with Hispanic parishioners if they need support from the diocese," she said.

A resident of Massillon, Hernandez and her family moved from their native Mexico to the U.S. on July 22, 2001, when her husband's job was transferred to Topeka, Kansas.

The change from life in Mexico City, one of the world's largest and most vibrant cities, to Topeka was a culture shock, she said with a laugh, adding that "My son was concerned there would be no McDonald's."

"I was up here, without the language," she recalled. "I remember the date because it was the day my life changed."

Although she spoke no English at the time, the mother of two children, then 7 and 12, jumped at the chance to volunteer at her son's school, relying on a hand-held translator.

"When I took my son to school, I realized I needed to learn, to take English classes," she said.

The family also found a parish, Our Lady of Guadalupe, a magnet for Topeka's Spanish-speaking families.

"I found something that was a part of me," she said. "The Hispanic community is one of my passions. Helping Hispanics makes me happy."

'If I can do it, you can do it'

Serving others has become Hernandez's life's mission. She joined her adopted parish's council and volunteered as a translator for other families.

"I took them to their appointments," she recalled. "I helped the community because I knew they had a lot of needs."

While in Topeka, Hernandez earned a bachelor's degree in social work from Washburn University. She also holds a leadership certificate from the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry and completed the diocese’s Foundations in Ministry program.

"I tell people 'If I can do it, you can do it,'" she said.

Rev. Thomas Kraszewski, who served at St. Anthony/All Saints for nine years, cites Hernandez as one of the people who helped him get acclimated to the Hispanic community when he arrived there in 2014. He's now an administrator of two parishes in Youngstown.

"I learned how to read the Mass in Spanish," he said. "Cristina was one of my interpreters. When I preached off- the-cuff, they would interpret in Spanish for me. She was a great help because she helped introduce me to a lot of families and people in community, and she herself was very much an advocate for the community."

Kraszewski said Hernandez also helped allay new arrivals' fears.

"Even going up to the bishops, she's always ready to advocate for the Hispanic community throughout the diocese and Stark County region," he said.

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Today, Hernandez continues such work as a consultant and case manager for Proyecto RAICES, which provides educational and social support to children of Latino/Hispanic families in Akron, and as a cultural ally for local Latino and Mayan residents with Stark Mental Health and Addiction Recovery.

"They need medical services and dentists," she said. "They want to (acquire) licenses to drive. If they don't have those opportunities, they're going to have more legal problems. With the pandemic we saw a lot more depression and anxiety, and not just in the Hispanic community. This is something that concerns me."

On June 24, the diocese sponsored "Jornada Familiar," a gathering for Hispanic families, at Walsh University.

"This is one of the things we hope to continue to do," she said.

Hernandez said another item on her wish list is a Spanish-language Mass at a parish in Massillon.

"The hope is perhaps once a month," she said.

In 2009, the family moved to Stark County, joining St. Anthony/All Saints parish, where Sister Karen Lindenberger is director of the Hispanic ministry.

"Cristina is very energetic and is passionate about helping the Hispanic community in any way she can in order to make their lives easier and more fulfilling," Lindenberger said. "She is very knowledgeable about community services and tries to make use of them for our community. She is bilingual, and so is able to serve on many different committees and civic groups that work to improve the lives of those who have fewer resources. She loves to help people."

'A true disciple'

As a member, Hernandez got right to work, joining the parish's Hispanic Pastoral Council and its Pastoral Council as youth ministry coordinator, translator, and in various liturgical roles. She has also served on the Diocesan Council for Hispanic Ministry, and was diocesan co-chair with the Rev. Ernesto Rodriguez as regional and national representatives for the Fifth National Encuentro, a historic, five-year process (2014-2019) that included parish, diocesan, regional and national gatherings of Hispanic Catholics, American bishops, and pastoral leaders dedicated to fostering discipleship.

Pastor Emeritus Thomas Bishop, who served St. Anthony's/All Saints for 19 years, calls Hernandez "a true disciple."

"She's a woman filled with deep and real faith with a genuine love of God," said Bishop, who retired in 2014. "She's strongly committed to the community, Latino and Anglo. She's faithful, loyal, dependable and kind. Cristina has a love of family at home with her husband, Juan and their two grown children Eva and Juan, as well as their families in Mexico."

Bishop said Hernandez's definition of "family" extends to her fellow St. Francis of Assisi parishioners, and the wider Stark County community.

"It's manifested in her generous gift of time, kitchen, and resources," he said. "She's truly a team player, a good listener. She wears a genuine concern for immigrants from all countries. Cristina has no stopwatch when it comes to service both day and night. She's truly a disciple of Christ and the Church, and is well-educated in both books and life experiences."

Hernandez also helped plan the Youngstown Diocese’s 2023 Hispanic Ministry Summit, which brought together Hispanics from throughout the diocese and Bishop Bonnar for conversation and planning.

Hernandez said Stark County's Hispanic population is growing, with newcomers arriving from Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.

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These newcomers, she said need encouragement and assistance from the church. According the Pew Research Center, one-third of American Catholics are Hispanic. Forty-three percent of adults identify as Catholic, down from 67% in 2021. The percentage of "Nones," or religiously unaffiliated Hispanics, has grown from 18% in 2010, to 30% in 2023.

The Hernandezes became U.S. citizens in 2011, the same year Hernandez earned her master's in social work from the University of Akron.

"Without my husband's help, I wouldn't have been able to achieve it," she said. "Not everyone has the same chance. Sometimes, it's very challenging. I want to be the person who is the voice of Hispanics when they need something. This is why I'm helping this community. I want our community to be safe, to be happy."

To learn more visit https://doy.org/ministries/ministerio-hispano/ or call 330-744-8451.

Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Cristina Hernandez to lead Youngstown Diocese's Hispanic ministry