El Padrecito and guest Catholic rappers visited OLG Parish

Passers by took a second look and pulled up to hear the unusual music coming from the grounds of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Corpus Christi’s west side on Saturday, April 28. The unique sound of Rap music drew them to park at the gates to listen.

It was all part of a new initiative underway at Our Lady of Guadalupe under the direction of its pastor Father James Farfaglia called the Westside Project. The project is an organized evangelization effort using “new media” communication tools to evangelize through the Internet and community activities such as concerts, neighborhood gatherings on feast days and community service projects.

On this Saturday, the Westside Project invited El Padrecito and special guest Catholic rappers from around the country to provide a free concert. Father Masseo Gonzales, aka "El Padrecito," a native of Richmond, California performs throughout the country in the “hope of creatively reaching out to un-churched youth through technology and entertainment, so that they may know they are children of a loving God.” While in Corpus Christi he also made appearances at St. Joseph Parish and the High School Youth Spectacular on Sunday, April 29.

After the Saturday Vigil Mass more than 300 community residents experienced this new form of evangelization, which started with a Westside Youth Ministry Talent Show featuring neighborhood performers, followed by Catholic rappers Sammy Blaze of St. Mary’s University in San Antonio; Issaac Nolte, a local talent and young adult group leader of the Corpus Christi Cathedral; and the group FoundNation.

While the music was ongoing Father Farfaglia and Father Zachary of the Mother of God Shallow, SOLT heard confessions in an open field. Penitents lined up for two hours for confession.

It was “Christian and Hood at the same time” the FoundNation leader said; from former gangster rappers doing drugs and breaking laws to now Catholic rappers giving testimonials and spreading the Word by “keeping it real.”