Latinos on Long Island come out for Good Friday services despite fear of ICE

A throng of nearly 3,000 people walked down Third Avenue in Brentwood for Good Friday services, as many Latinos overcame their fear of immigration enforcement with deep faith as they marked the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, church leaders said.

"Once you have the faith in your heart, you’re not afraid of anything," said Hector Velez, a parishioner at St. Anne’s Roman Catholic Church who helped organize the live Stations of the Cross re-enactment, complete with parishioners dressed as Jesus, Roman soldiers and others.

The crowd was even larger than last year's, by about 500 people, said the Rev. Stanislaw Wadowski, pastor of St. Anne’s.

Despite a spate of recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids on Long Island, Latinos are turning out in large numbers for Holy Week services in the Catholic Church throughout the region, church officials said.

Attendance has been normal and even higher than usual in some cases at Palm Sunday and Good Friday services, they said. They expected the same at Easter Sunday Masses.

Latinos on Long Island have seen relatives, friends, co-workers and other community members detained by ICE over the last several months as part of a mass deportation campaign by the federal government.

"They’re nervous about coming out," said the Rev. William Brisotti, who has ministered for decades to Latinos on Long Island. But "the reality of the people is that they have deep faith. This is an important time for them, so they’re not going to be robbed of it out of fear. It’s a courageous act."

President Donald Trump has said the deportation campaign is aimed at dangerous illegal immigrants with criminal records, though several studies have shown most of those arrested have no criminal record.

Asked to comment, ICE, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement: "Every day, DHS is conducting law enforcement activities across the country to keep Americans safe. DHS does not discuss ongoing or future operations."

Brisotti said he heard confessions on the annual Holy Week "Reconciliation Monday" at St. John the Evangelist parish in Riverhead. The session overran its normally allotted three hours by a half hour.

"I haven’t done that in a long time," said Brisotti, adding that he was physically spent by the end of it but thrilled so many of the faithful turned out.

At St. Anne’s, some 2,000 people packed the church and its basement for two Masses on Palm Sunday, said Jocelyn Guardado, a parish leader.

About 1,500 people filled the pews in the main church for the first Mass, while an overflow crowd of another 500 went to the basement for the Mass starting 15 minutes later, she said. That was at least the same number who came in previous years.

"It seems like people are still coming in droves," she said. "Even with all these ICE fears, they’re not afraid of coming into church because they know inside church is a safe space. They still have their faith."

It’s a similar scene at heavily Hispanic parishes throughout the Diocese of Rockville Centre, where pastors "report that there is certainly heightened anxiety, but that Mass attendance remains strong," said the Rev. Eric Fasano, a spokesman for the diocese.

Latinos are the fastest growing group of Catholics nationwide and on Long Island, where they make up at least one-third of Catholics in the diocese, according to church leaders.

The Shrine of Our Lady of the Island in Manorville, a major destination for the Catholic faithful during Holy Week, typically attracts 8,000 to 12,000 worshippers on Good Friday who walk a trail marking the Stations of the Cross. The turnout this year was similar, said the Rev. Hugh Gillespie, the shrine's director.

"The Latin American population really does feel the need to be present to those celebrations," he said. "There is an impulse to come out that is much stronger than the fear that might prevent them on less important occasions."

The shrine has seen a drop in attendance at services before Holy Week when there were reports of ICE activity in the area, he said.

"A visit to a shrine is a special thing for a lot of people and so they would have to be very, very worried not to come out," Gillespie said. He added that he did not think ICE would show up during the most important week of the year for Christians.

At St. Brigid’s Roman Catholic Church in Westbury, attendance has been normal or even higher at services, said the Rev. John Sureau, pastor of the parish.

That has been the case despite at least one day a couple months ago when reports of ICE activity in the area circulated, he said. "I spoke at the Masses and told them no one was permitted to walk home and we arranged carpools," Sureau said. "People work together to keep each other safe and there is good communication. This parish — and I'm sure the same can be said of others — is a place of security."

He added that the parish has held "multilingual nights of prayer for those who live in fear."

Brisotti said the fact churches are packed with Latino immigrants during Holy Week shows the vast majority are faith-filled people trying to make a better life.

"The obscene reality that these people are branded by the government as criminal is so beyond pathetic," he said.