Family returns to its Catholic roots despite difficulties

Intermountain Catholic

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The Zavala family finds happiness in their faith. IC photo/Laura Vallejo

SALT LAKE CITY – Immigrant Catholic families that arrive in the United States face many obvious problems – cultural adaptation, language barriers and legal documents – but sometimes they also have to debate about their religion.

The Zavala family is an example of that faith debate. They arrived in Utah more than 10 years ago from Queretaro, Mexico, where Catholicism is widespread.

In Utah they found a totally new environment.

"One day and due to all the [materialistic] needs that we were facing we started paying attention to the [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] missionaries that were knocking on our door every weekend," said Lorena Zavala. "They offered us so much help that me and Joel [her husband] started thinking, ‘so what if…?’"

The Zavalas treasured their Catholicism but putting food in their children’s mouths was a priority. After a time, they couldn’t handle the pressure anymore.

"We decided to talk to the bishop of the ward that we lived in, and he gave us a weekly basket filled with food, so we started going to the LDS Church," Lorena said.

Some time passed and their situation – except that they had food on the table – was the same. Joel couldn’t find a job and Lorena suffered deeply due to the fact that she missed being a Catholic.

"I thought that’s what we needed to do, but something inside of me felt like I was betraying myself," said Lorena. "I missed dearly the peace that I used to feel when I prayed to Our Lady of Guadalupe. I grew up with her."

The couple talked a lot about their decision and discovered each had the same feelings… they missed their Catholicism.

"We made another huge decision and with that one we found our way back," returning to their Catholic roots, said Joel.

"The moment we started going to the Spanish Mass at the Cathedral, I really felt that Our Lady was telling us… ‘Don’t worry, you are my kids and I am always taking care of you,’" said Lorena.

Soon afterward, Joel found a gardening job and Lorena started selling cosmetics.

"Our situation now is not the best, but God and Our Guadalupana is with us, guiding us, and we feel good. We are happy and we are able to provide our kids with not luxuries, but the necessities, and they see that we are happy, so they are happy," said Lorena.

Every Sunday, the Zavalas enjoy Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine; their children attend the catechism classes before it.

"I am so proud of who we are now. I know if we keep on being faithful to our beliefs and our roots, no matter all the difficulties we will be able to defeat them," said Joel with a smile.