NEW YORK._ New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, highlighted the community leadership of the Dominican parish priest Reverend Ricardo Fajardo for having saved the Holy Spirit Church in the Bronx from the closure and his fight on behalf of thousands of parishioners in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fajardo, who immigrated to the United States in 1990, has led the temple located on University and Burnside avenues since 2010. Since then, he has become the main religious and community leader in one of the poorest areas of the Bronx, where most of the Parishioners of the parish are Dominican.
The priest maintains a fundraising campaign to keep the church operating, exceeding the goal of $ 42,000, achieving contributions of $ 48,000 until March 3, 2021 as part of the campaign The 2021 Cardinal’s Annual Stewardship Appeal. Cardenal), who seeks to raise $ 21 million.
The church that Fajardo leads received 407 pledges, the newspaper said.
The temple conducts five weekend Masses, three in Spanish and two in English, attended by 2,200 people. Tuesday through Friday, the parish also has an English Mass in the morning and a Spanish Mass in the evening.
Father Fajardo shared a recent example where a parishioner was giving a donation to the church and the pastor offered to apply the donation to CASA, to which the parishioner agreed.
“It is my challenge, the Cardinal’s Campaign, every year,” said the pastor. It’s incredible how the community responds, ”Fajardo told him, thanking the cardinal for his praise.
“People are very happy in the church. People see that everything is in excellent condition in the church. I say that if you can give money to the Cardinal’s Campaign, we can do something in the church, “he added.
Fajardo said that he has always looked for a way for the community to feel represented.
The priest explained that he has always had a social concern for the other, he has known how to accompany the community in difficulties.
“And now, during this time of pandemic, our church became a collection and aid center for those most in need, giving more than 450 rations of meals cooked from Monday to Saturday for more than four months. And then we gave raw food and we have more than a year doing COVID tests in the church, “he added.
He pointed out that in the face of any difficult situation, the church always stands up and faces any situation seeking solutions to the community, especially the poorest.
“This church of the Holy Spirit was going to close and we began to develop pastoral proposals, prayers, work, with groups and we saved the church that was going to close it,” he explained.
“We included it in the RENACER campaign and we exceeded the economic goal that they set for us. The community, despite the pandemic and poverty, has responded to keep its church open, it is a blessed community and believes in what it loves, celebrates and is seeing the work that I am doing with the participation of all groups ”, said the cure.
He said that since the 90s when he arrived in New York he has been involved with the community including the masses that he has officiated in memory of all the dead Dominican political leaders, including Juan Bosch, Joaquín Balaguer, José Francisco Peña Gómez, Jacobo Majluta and has open the doors of the church to all institutions and groups to hold cultural meetings.
“It is important that we continue working and building this true community that is one of the most supportive and fraternal to contribute to the good of all, that is the greatness of the vision that I have with which I have been a titan,” he added.
He recalled that his church is the first parish that exceeds the goal in an incalculable time in which many have not yet begun to make that campaign.
“This shows the leadership and the capacity of a person when involved in a community and the community believes in that person,” said the parish priest.
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