Every pew at in Hartford is packed on a weeknight. You鈥檇 think it was Christmas or Easter, but the crowd of mostly Latinos has come out to celebrate their space honoring Mary, mother of Jesus, being elevated to the status of Archdiocesan shrine.
As a shrine, the parish will host more holy events, including confessions on a more regular basis. That鈥檚 an important practice for Catholics, who consider it a sacrament in their faith.
Maria Reina de la Paz Parish, which meets at Saint Lawrence O'Toole Church in Hartford, translates to 鈥淢ary, Queen of Peace鈥� in English.
Archbishop Christopher Coyne of Hartford says that鈥檚 fitting in these times.
鈥淭he designation of Our Lady, Mary, Queen of Peace, will allow for this place to become a place in which we pray for peace constantly: peace in war-torn countries; peace in our family; peace in our culture; peace in the communities, the Latino communities that are facing round-ups and arrests and worries and all those things,鈥� Coyne said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have not entered church buildings, according to Coyne.
鈥淣ow, you know, they could be outside later on. Who knows?鈥� Coyne said. 鈥淏ut you know, for the most part, there's a lot of respect for what we do, and they kind of stay clear of it.鈥�
Even as ICE detainments ramp up across the state, this majority-Latino parish is thriving. Coyne says that鈥檚 not unlike the response after 9/11.
鈥淧eople turn to the divine when they face uncertainty in their lives,鈥� Coyne said, 鈥渨hen they face fears in their lives.鈥�
Overall, the Archdiocese of Hartford is growing. As many dioceses and other denominations of Christianity are , the archdiocese, which includes Hartford, New Haven and Litchfield, has seen an 8% increase in attendance over the last year.
鈥淚 think people are recognizing that the culture and the digital media is isolating and it's not affirming,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd oftentimes, it causes breakdown in your soul because you're not with people, you're hearing the wrong things and you're looking for something transcendent.鈥�
Why the parish became a shrine
There are two factors at play for how Maria Reina de la Paz was elevated at this time.
The first is that it鈥檚 a jubilee year. Pope Francis declared as one of his last initiatives before his death. It鈥檚 a practice that dates back to the biblical book Leviticus and the early days of Judaism, where the faithful would be released from all bondage and debts every 49 years.
In the Catholic Church, this year of special grace takes place, typically every 25 years, and with this one, the late pope called for Catholics to be 鈥減ilgrims of hope.鈥� If they can鈥檛 make a pilgrimage to Rome, local dioceses have been naming holy places to visit within their region this year.
The second factor is Father H. Alexander Avenda帽o, pastor of the Maria Reina de la Paz Parish. Avenda帽o is now the rector of the shrine as well.
When he approached the archdiocese with the request to dedicate the space as a shrine, he realized he could make a secondary ask as well: for a Jubilee cross in the church and the designation as a pilgrimage site.
That cross is carried down the center aisle during the opening procession of mass and placed near the altar, blessed with incense and prayers from the archbishop and the nearly 20 additional priests at the celebration.
On the opposite side of the altar, the 17-year-old lector is getting ready to deliver the second reading. Her Latino family, like many others, found this parish a couple years ago in their search for a place that revered Mary.
"The shrine will be open to all, with a special emphasis on being a welcoming pilgrimage site for the Archdiocese鈥檚 growing Hispanic population, many of whom have a special devotion to Mary," the Archdiocese of Hartford said in its press release announcing the shrine.
As partitioners pass the teen after mass, they squeeze her shoulder and tell her what a great job she did.
Everyone is beaming. Everyone seems, well, at peace.
