ADOM :: San Isidro showcases new art to encourage new devotions

Photographer: LINDA REEVES

A statue of Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Father Michael McGivney are now unveiled and positioned in a special location inside San Isidro Church in Pompano Beach after ceremonies May 28, 2023.

POMPANO BEACH | San Isidro Parish unveiled their new churchart during Mass on Pentecost Sunday, displaying not only two new statues buttwo new devotions to encourage religious fervor and build up the faith of youngand old alike.

“We hope that the statues will increase devotions in ourcommunity to Blessed Father Michael McGivney and Blessed Carlo Acutis,” saidEdwar Aguilera, grand knight of San Isidro’s Knights of Columbus Council 16980,who arrived early for the May 28, 2023, celebration. “We hope people will prayfor their canonization.”

Photographer: LINDA REEVES

A plate on a new statue at San Isidro Church in Pompano Beach shows the feast day of Blessed Father Michael J. McGivney.

Photographer: LINDA REEVES

A name plate on a new statue at San Isidro Church in Pompano Beach shows the feast day of Blessed Carlo Acutis.

The two nearly 100-pound statues, made of resin, fiberglassand marble powder, depict Knights of Columbus founder Father McGivney andBlessed Carlo, a teenager.

They were covered with red cloth when the Mass began, as SanIsidro’s pastor, Father Wilfredo Contreras, processed to the altar with Knightsof Columbus color corps, Edward A. O’Neil Assembly 1534.

Photographer: LINDA REEVES

Knight of Columbus Edgar Gomez climbs a ladder to unveil two statues of newly beatified Father Michael McGivney and Carlo Acutis, May 28, 2023, at San Isidro Church in Pompano Beach.

After the coverings were removed, Father Contreras gave a presentationon the two role models deemed worthy by Pope Francis in 2020 of starting thejourney toward sainthood in the Catholic Church.

The parish commissioned Jairo Arizandieta, a sculptor inGuatemala City, Guatemala, to create the statues. He depicted Father McGivneywearing black clerical clothes and white collar.

The priest served as pastor of St. Thomas Parish in theArchdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut, until his death at age 38, on the eve ofthe Assumption in 1890. The son of Irish immigrants, Father McGivney was knownas a role model priest and outstanding witness of Christian solidarity andbrotherly assistance.

“The image of Blessed Father Michael McGivney is importantto our parish because we have a strong Spanish Knights of Columbus council thatI helped found in 2018,” said Father Contreras, a member of the Knights ofColumbus and a chaplain and faithful friar for the fourth degree.

“Father McGivney is my personal patron saint for mypriesthood,” said Father Contreras, a native of the Dominican Republic ordainedMay 15, 2003. “I relate to him the most because of his work with immigrants.”

Father Contreras pointed out that Father McGivney was knownfor his social justice work, assisting immigrant families arriving in Americato begin a better life.

Photographer: LINDA REEVES

Pastor of San Isidro, Father Wilfredo Contreras, talks about living holy lives during a Mass, May 28, 2023, where he dedicatded and blessed two new statues of newly beatified Father Michael McGivney and Carlo Acutis placed inside the church.

“San Isidro is a mostly immigrant community hailing frommany countries, often with no work and little resources,” Father Contrerassaid.

“Blessed Father Michael McGivney is my personalinspiration,” he added, and “the person I pray to” when tending to thespiritual and temporal needs of needy immigrant families.

The statue of Blessed Carlo shows a teen dressed in jeansand sneakers and carrying a backpack. After the pieces were delivered, Father Contreras added afew special touches to the statue of the teenager, putting an old cellphone inone of his hands and rosary beads in the other.

Blessed Carlo is the first millennial to be beatified. Fromhis home in Italy, he used technology to educate people everywhere about themiracles of the Eucharist recorded around the world. His work went viral andhas helped spread devotion to the Eucharist even after he died of leukemia atthe age of 15 in 2006. His stated motto is also inspiring people of all ages:“To always be close to Jesus, that’s my life plan.”

Blessed Carlo is the perfect patron of youth and wasdeclared patron of the first year of the National Eucharistic Revival, athree-year campaign launched in 2022 by the U.S. bishops, who were presentedwith a fist-class relic of Blessed Carlo by Church leaders in Italy.

“Our LifeTeen program has 45 active teens attendingregularly, and our CCD (religious education) program has about 250 kids,” saidFather Contreras. “We could easily have close to 400 kids, but we have limitedmeeting space in our parish since we don’t have a school.

“It is my hope that our children and teens, living in thisconfused world, can look up to this modern, teen saint and be inspired to usethe Internet for the work of evangelization and show the youth that they toocan become saints by emulating Carlo,” Father Contreras added.

Photographer: LINDA REEVES

Don Barnett of the Edward A. O'Neil Assembly 1534 holds an image of Blessed Father Michael McGivney that he carries with him.

Generous parishioners donated $3,000 for the statue ofBlessed Carlo. The Knights of Columbus raised $3,000 for the statue of FatherMcGivney.

“Our Knights are lectors, ushers and handymen. We are veryactive in the parish, and have a lot of fundraisers and programs,” said DonBarnett, senior commander and captain of the color corps. He and his wife,Mary, paid for the statues’ transportation to the U.S.

In May, the Knights of Columbus helped with the annualparish festival that raised more than $50,000 to assist with churchimprovements. The parish hopes to get approvals to beautify its sanctuary. San Isidro was founded in 1970 as a mission to serveSpanish-speaking migrants working in the local farming industry. Today, theparish is a beehive of activity with over 50 ministries and serves people ofmany cultures and nationalities.

“We are very excited about having these two new images inour temple, mainly for what they represent for the men and the youth of ourcommunity,” said parishioner and financial coordinator Gilda Kawano.

“Carlo’s image will encourage our youth to stay in theirfaith and to use technology and electronic knowledge to worship God. Carlo diduntil his last days, and now he is in process to become a saint. Most likelyCarlo would have become a priest if he wouldn’t have gotten sick and died,” shesaid. “We pray to Carlo that he will intercede for our youth tohave the vocation for the religious life and one day be like Father McGivney,who founded the Knights of Columbus. We all see how active the Knights ofColumbus are and how much they serve our community.”

Photographer: LINDA REEVES

Parishioners admire new statues of recently beatified Father Michael McGivney and Carlo Acutis, unveiled at San Isidro Church in Pompano Beach May 28, 2023.

Father McGivney’s beatification took place Oct. 31, 2020, atthe Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut. The ceremony wasrestricted to very few attendees because of the COVID pandemic raging at thetime.

“I prayed to Father Michael to allow me to attend,” saidFather Contreras. “I lost heart when the week of his beatification was upon us.I gave up my petition to be invited and frankly, was upset with my heavenlyfriend.”

But three days before the big event, Father Contrerasreceived a call from the organizers.

“A priest could not attend the beatification, and I was nextin line on the waiting list,” he recalled. “I was the only priest from Florida.Thank you, Blessed Father Michael McGivney, my brother and friend.”

Share this article

The share buttons above are provided by third-party "ShareThis". Click here to read their Privacy Terms.

Receive our weekly newsletters and latest updates