Whether celebrating mass or delivering food, Fabián Arias, the Argentine angel as many call him, an ordained priest in the Lutheran church and pastor of the Hispanic congregation of Saint Peter’s Church in Manhattan, lives every day serving and sharing with those most in need in any corner of New York.
“I say sharing, sharing is a word that I love, because it is a compound word, it is sharing, it is parting with, so one can permanently part with the other, not just the little or much that one may have, right?” said the priest.
What began as a study trip at the age of 24, was a watershed in knowing that the Latino community needed him.
“And it’s good that they lived, as they say, ‘under the table’, under the table, as if they were invisible,” added Arias.
That thorn of giving a voice to those who are not heard brought him back to Harlem and thus he spent almost two decades advocating for the rights of immigrants.
“Difficult moments, moments in which President George Bush was present and there was a very strong anti-immigrant policy, strong raids to be able to deport immigrants from different parts of the country,” said the priest.
Not even the pandemic could stop his dedication to service and help others, especially the undocumented community.
“That vulnerability that our immigrant brothers have was brought to light and this generated despair on the part of me and my community, to say well we have to go out and take care of our brothers and we started immediately>
Together with a group of volunteers they quickly mobilized.
“A single word, an angel, an angel who has helped many people since the pandemic. From the first day of the pandemic, he spoke to me and said, ‘What do we do?’ And I tell him… ‘something has to be done, father, something has to be done, you say and we’ll start,'” said Miguel Hernández, a volunteer.
Without missing the thermos with mate.
The father says that the recent crisis of asylum seekers has taught him several lessons.
“They cross with unshakable faith and trust in God, knowing that God is accompanying them. Knowing what they don’t have to fear because he goes with them, I think I would not dare to do even 1% of what they do said Father Arias.
And what he is most proud of is being the tutor of more than 150 young people and adolescents who have been able to access a special visa for minors in this country.
“That it is a process of much love, of being able to accompany these young people so that they have a context of friendship, a context of love, a context of family.”
Also youth tutor.
And as a good Argentine, he faithfully sticks to his roots, professing soccer as a religion by being a fan of the River Plate Club and consuming mate at all times.
