US deacon proposes ways to enhance indigenous ministry

In the latest episode of the Catholic Kiwi Podcast, Deacon Andy Orosco from the Diocese of San Bernadino in southern California told host James Bergin that ministry to many Native American peoples has its own dynamic.

“It is a completely different dynamic on the reservations,” Deacon Orosco said, “because all of the churches are on Indian reservation land, and in America the reservation lands are sovereign, which means that they are a different country within the United States. People don’t realise that.

“The diocese does not own the Church property, they own the church. The people built the church and they have invited the bishops to come and the bishops to send priests to serve the people. So we are there at their invitation.

“Sometimes it causes a little friction and a lot of misunderstanding,” said Deacon Orosco, who is of Ipai-Kumeyaay heritage.

“Priests will come and think, ‘this is my parish . . .and I will do what I want’. The elders say, ‘no, time out, you are here at our invitation’, and things need to be explained and understood.

“That is what we also need from the Church. When they send bishops and priests to those lands where there are natives on them, whether they are reservations or not, to have them have an understanding that we are the first neophytes. We are the people of this land. We don’t own land, we recognise ourselves as being part of the land.”

In the podcast, Deacon Orosco touched on a growing movement which sees Native Americans going back to traditional ways and adopting these as a religion.

“They will argue with you that it is not the same God [as the Christian one], and their reasoning is – your God has led us to where we are at. I say, ‘no, things may have happened, but our God allowed those things to happen’. But God always makes good out of bad instances.

“It is a constant dialogue in our community, especially among our younger ones.”

In his very busy ministry, which includes being a land surveyor, county sheriff chaplain and serving six churches on reservations, Deacon Orosco also ministers to young adults. The keys to the latter ministry are dialogue, walking with young people, inviting them, always being present and always being there for them – consistently, he said.

With his wife, Deacon Orosco has carried out youth ministry and has prepared couples for marriage for more than 40 years.

Deacon Orosco, who visited Aotearoa New Zealand earlier this year and attended the International Conference on Catholic Indigenous in Auckland, praised his wife who serves with him in ministry “hand in hand”. People see her commitment and greatly appreciate it, he said.

In the podcast Deacon Orosco spoke about growing up Catholic and Native American. He also discussed synodality and indigenous culture, and offered a glimpse into the life of the first Native American saint, Kateri Tekakwitha.

FULL STORY

Catholic Kiwi Podcast: Season 2, Episode 4 — Deacon Andy Orosco (YouTube)

Ipai-Kumeyaay tribe member in San Bernardino says Church needs to recognize past sins (California Catholic Daily)