By Marcella Cabrera – Program & Social Services Assistant, Casa San José

Community building is part of our work at Casa San José ministry at Brookdale Village Apartments. Casa San José provides a multitude of services and classes, but also seeks to empower and equip new immigrants to thrive in a new country independently. Sr. Madaleva Manzanares currently is facilitating prayer and spiritual fellowship among the women who live at Brookdale Village Apartments. In December, she assisted in the coordination of a group of ladies to organize a Rosary and community celebration for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. She began with a group of three women, which quickly blossomed to 10, who took on tasks from setting up a beautiful altar in front of the office to bringing chairs and food.

December 12, 2022, Casa San José ministry also participated in leading the glorious mysteries of the Rosary. The celebration included a variety of food ranging from tamales, tacos, chuchitos and cheese pizza, with the apartment community supplying food for free for the residents. Brookdale’s management company was also involved in getting the information circulated on the celebration. The crowd swelled to well over 100 as the evening wore on, despite the rain, drawing out many new faces to the doors of Casa San José. It was heartwarming and inspiring to see community, the Faith, and Our Lady of Guadalupe bring so many people together, even amid a diversity of spiritual beliefs and cultural practices.

The next community event being planned is for the Epiphany, January 6, 2023. ¡Que Viva La Virgen!