Cultural Diversity Celebration weaves Tapestry of Unity

Those gathered for the fourth annual Cultural Diversity Celebration heard an impromptu speech from one of the award recipients. Father Frederick Hinton, the first episcopal vicar to the Catholic Central City ministries of Buffalo, spoke on the root of the Catholic faith – the Eucharist. 

A priest for 54 years with ministries that served Blacks, Native Americans, the needy, elderly, imprisoned and disabled, Father Hinton told of a conversation he had with his neighbor. It began by a casual mention that he was happy to be Catholic.

“She’s a Protestant and she said, ‘I’m happy that I’m saved.’ As a Catholic, no one knows whether he or she is saved. But what we celebrate – and this will advance the Church and the diocese – is faith. The Catholic religion – fellowship, singing, all of that’s important – but the Catholic Church advances, and she will advance, when we emphasize the fact that we have Christ continuing in His incarnation among us body, blood, soul and divinity. That is what separates us and distinguishes us. This is a great message we have: body, blood, soul and divinity. In other words, as you know, the continuation of the incarnation of Christ in this world. That is our message and that is what has been lost, not believed in, but it is foundational to the advance and life of the Church of the diocese,” he said.

Sponsored by the diocesan Office of Cultural Diversity, the celebration took place Oct. 18 at Classics V in Amherst under the theme of “A Tapestry of Unity.”

Awards were handed out to members of the African, African American, Hispanic/Latino and Asian Commissions.

“This evening we celebrate ourselves as weavers of a tapestry of unity emphasizing our interconnectedness, creating a visual and intricate design representing the interweaving of our various experiences, cultures and perspectives to create a stronger unified community of faith,” said Deacon Alejandro Manunta, who, along with Danessia Scott-Warren, emceed the evening.

Awardees included Father Hinton, Althea Porter, Gertrude Jones, Benoit Kabayiza, Paul Shuise, Peter Le, Esmerelda Sierra and Deacon Miguel Santos. 

Sister Roberta Fulton, SSMN, director of the Office of Cultural Diversity, which sponsored the celebration, noted these guests were recognized for having “gone way beyond the call of duty” in serving their cultural and larger communities.

Bishop Michael W. Fisher offered his gratitude for the work they do serving on their individual commissions.

“I know this is a very difficult time in our diocese with merging and forming new families of parishes, but your participation is so important, as well as your patience, your prayers,” he said. “Tapestry of Unity, what a wonderful theme that we have. I think in unity we find hope, because in unity we see what God is all about.”