Sagrada Familia upholds faith in secular world

Located on a quiet street in downtown Ottawa, the Church of Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) and the 400-500 families that worship there form a microcosm of the Spanish-speaking world in the heart of the nation’s capital.

Sagrada Familia, however, is not just the only Catholic church that serves the Spanish-speaking community in the National Capital Region, but is the spiritual heart of a multicultural community with parishioners from Latin America, Spain and Equatorial Guinea, the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa. Its pastor, Fr. Ricardo Quinones, is determined to nurture the community’s strong faith in the secular world where life has brought them. 

Besides Mass in Spanish several times a week, the parish offers — under the leadership of Quinones — a unique approach to catechism and to teaching Christian values in a secular society where religious values are being undermined by consumerism and secularism. 

Many members of the congregation come from countries such as Nicaragua, Venezuela, Chile and Bolivia that are currently in political and economic turmoil, or have been in the past. Quinones is deeply committed to strengthening and reinforcing the values of their Catholic faith, even though they now live in Canada, which he says has moved away from its Christian heritage.  

“We need to swim against the current in this society because our identity as Christians is under attack,” said Quinones.

One of the solutions offered to his parish is “Missionary Childhood,” an innovative program for children from three to 15 years of age. 

“We need to start evangelization with ourselves,” Quinones explained. “People must renew and strengthen their faith.” 

The first level of the program called “Catechesis of the Good Shepherd” uses the Montessori method and is for three- to six-year-olds. It is a kind of special retreat for the child, which provides time, materials and space to get closer to God. It is a model of how faith is practised in the Church and how to make it part of our day-to-day lives. The program is held in the atrium of the church, which becomes a special place that offers a spiritual retreat for the child, providing time, space and the opportunity to get closer to God.  

The missionary childhood program continues until they reach 15 years of age, and follows the school year from September to May. Before they break for the summer each year, the children, their teachers and families gather for a barbecue. 

“The children love this program,” said Quinones. “Even during the pandemic when face-to-face meetings had to be cancelled, we had 90 kids participating in the online version.” 

While most Canadian children revel in the excitement of trick-or-treating on Hallowe’en, the Sagrada Familia Church has transformed this annual secular ritual involving ghosts and witches into “Holy Wings,” a dramatic presentation on the lives of saints, which helps the children learn while enjoying themselves as much as their friends from outside their church community. Quinones and other adults dress up as saints and the children learn about each saint and how they practised their Catholic faith. 

Another important day in the parish is Dec. 12 and the celebration of the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the beloved patron saint of all Latin America and the Philippines. This is when all of Latin America joyfully remembers the blessed Virgin Mary as she appeared to poor Mexican boy Juan Diego in the 16th century in present day Mexico City. 

“Our Lady of Guadalupe unites us in our faith,” said Quinones. “We gather together at this church and have a special Mass on this day.” 

Originally a bilingual French and English parish, Sagrada Familia was founded by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1901. In 1956 it became part of the Archdiocese of Ottawa and today it is a multicultural, but predominantly Spanish-speaking community. 

Quinones was born in Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay. From a traditional Catholic family, he arrived in Toronto in 1999 to be trained at the Redemptorist Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary. He was ordained a priest in 2009. Ten years later, he was assigned as pastor to the Sagrada Familia by then Ottawa Archbishop Terence Predergast.  

“Our parish is privileged to have this multicultural environment and the experiences derived from it,” said Quinones. “Hispanics, Africans, Anglophones work together, sharing the most important thing: our faith. Throughout its history, the parish has welcomed various initiatives and lay associations. It has suffered the same attacks as the rest of the Church in Canada, but with the contribution of its parishioners, and the Grace of God, it continues to be alive, active and strong.”