Hispanic Holy Week looks different in Louisville. How some churches work to keep the faith

When Jose Javier Carroz lived in Venezuela, he and his wife were among 12 people chosen by their church to have their feet washed, a Holy Week act that represents when Christ washed the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper. Five years later in Louisville, he was picked at St. Edward Catholic Church for the same tradition.

Lorena Criollo, Carroz's wife, was touched by the moment — it felt like the Holy Spirit was among them, she said. And at St. Edward Catholic, it was a reminder of their old life in South America, and a way to keep up their traditions and faith while living in Louisville.

Lent is an important custom in Latin American cultures, and the Holy Week — which began Monday — can make members of Louisville's Hispanic population feel nostalgic, Carroz and Criollo said. And while there is a difference in how it's recognized in Kentucky, they said, the feelings remain the same.

It's a "renewal of faith," Carroz said, "like saying 'God is unique.' He has only one language ... yesterday we were there, today we are here and we live our faith in the same way ... the differences are in the traditions."

Lent in the Latin American culture is unique from other countries. The first 40 days of the period are part of a celebration called "Cuaresma," which begins on Ash Wednesday, before celebrating Holy Week — beginning on Palm Sunday and ending with Resurrection Sunday.

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Holy Week looks different for Hispanics in Louisville as well, as customs differ in the U.S. A week off of work to celebrate isn't baked into the calendar, for instance, and most churches don't come together to worship each day.

But little by little, Latinos who recognize Lent are working to teach neighbors in Louisville about their customs and culture. And in turn, several told The Courier Journal, they're learning more about U.S. traditions as well.

Lent at St. Edward Catholic Church

St. Edward Catholic, in Louisville's Jeffersontown neighborhood, has a routine to recognize the final days of Lent. The church hosts a Palm Sunday procession, a washing of the feet ceremony on Maundy Thursday, a Way of the Cross service Friday, a vigil Saturday and an Easter Sunday service.

Some of those traditions, like Maundy Thursday services, are similar to how the occasion is recognized in Hispanic countries, according to Rev. Scott Murphy, the church's pastor. And Murphy said he and his parishioners want to incorporate more Latin American traditions in coming years, including Passion of the Christ reenactments, which are a common custom in Hispanic countries.

Murphy said one way Latinos who attend his church have adapted to Louisville's traditions is through one of the holiday's most visible aspects — Friday fish fries. Many attendees from Latin American countries, he said, have brought their own spin by selling fish tacos at the events, a move Carroz said represents those Hispanic attendees bringing "their roots" to a local custom.

"The tradition has gotten mixed," he said. "... Why the taco? Obviously the Mexican emigration is the strongest in the United States and the parish hasn't escaped that reality either."

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His wife joked in the future they may add arepas, a popular dish in Latin American countries, to the menu, stuffed with fish instead of chicken.

Criollo said the church has become more diverse since Murphy joined three years ago. He learned Spanish while he lived in Italy, and Criollo said that's helped him connect with the St. Edward Catholic's Hispanic parishioners. The church hosts separate masses in English and in Spanish throughout the year, but during Lent, the masses as well as the special celebrations are bilingual and integrate both communities.

The different customs in Louisville

St. Edward Catholic takes part in several celebrations to recognize Lent. But some other Louisville churches have had a tougher time recognizing every day of Holy Week, as is custom for Christians in Hispanic countries.

Marissa Galvan, a pastor at Beechmont Presbyterian Church, moved to Louisville from Puerto Rico 18 years ago. She misses the way she used to commemorate the occasion on the island, including a year when she took part in a daily Holy Week theater.

"It was what they would call here 'Holy Week on steroids'," Galvan joked.

The week looks different for her Hispanic congregation in Louisville.

Friday service wasn't a tradition in the church before she arrived and people aren't given the day off from work. She's tried to host services on Good Friday, but they received smaller attendance than others throughout the week.

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Still, she said, many Latinos miss that Good Friday ceremony — herself included — and Murphy said turnout at St. Edward Catholic's Good Friday service has been low as well.

Working throughout the Holy Week, Galvan said, leads many to only observe holidays on the Sundays that bookend the Holy Week. And if people only celebrate Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday, she said, it's easy to forget what happened in between — like the crucifixion of Jesus.

Bridging the gap

Galvan is still trying to make the Good Friday services succeed. She has presented movies including "Encanto" and "Black Panther," with discussions afterward about how they relate to Holy Week. This year, she said, the church will air the Oscar-winning film "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

The diverse cultures that intersect at Galvan's church — 15% percent of the Beechmont community are Hispanic and 18% are Black according to the June 2022 report from Metro United Way and the University of Louisville — have helped her expand Holy Week services, she said. Beechmont Presbyterian now hosts services on Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday as well as Maundy Thursday, with elements from Good Friday integrated into that service.

Her church has opened its doors to more cultures, she said. She speaks to attendees in English and Spanish at services, switching languages throughout her sermon, and the teleprompter offers translations.

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But while traditions and locations may be different, Criollo said the faith is the same — sometimes, it's even stronger.

"It's not the same because we are not in our countries ... but it's beautiful because we still keep feeling the faith, Criollo said. "... Today I have more faith than six years ago."

"A tradition is not above the faith," Carroz added. "... The main thing is that you are good with God."

Reach Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez at abrinez@gannett.com; follow her on Twitter at @SoyAnaAlvarez.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: How Louisville's Hispanic residents recognize Lent and Holy Week