Las Posadas tradition builds unity

Growing up, Ruby Hernandez experienced many cherished family traditions, but one of her fondest memories is participating in Posadas at Christmas. Hernandez, 32, a lifelong parishioner at St. Joseph Church in Corpus Christi, prays her three children will someday carry on the same tradition.

St. Joseph Church came together as a parish community to commemorate St. Joseph’s Posadas from Dec. 16-24. For nine consecutive days, a different family or church ministry (such as Religious Education, Youth Group, St. Joseph’s Prayer Group and Altar Servers) sponsored the evening’s program, which reenacted the search Joseph and Mary endured to find a safe place for the birth of Jesus. The event lasts nine days because it is also a novena dedicated to honoring the flight of the Holy Family.
 

St. Joseph's Posadas commemorates the flight of the Holy Family, as Joseph and Mary try to secure a safe place for the arrival of baby Jesus. Posada #8 was hosted by the Mirabal family, from left, are Father Ogie Rosalinas, Joseph Mirabal, Jacob Mirabal, Gracie Mirabal, Robert Mirabal and David Mirabal.

“It’s a blessing to participate in Posadas and a great way to get the kids out of the house, not connected to electronics. It also gives us something meaningful to do together as a family during Christmas,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed attending St. Joseph’s Posadas and especially loved the sense of community it creates in our neighborhood.”

Father Ogie Rosalinas, the pastor at St. Joseph Church, said holding Posada events like this helps preserve the Hispanic culture for parishioners.

“We’ve been doing St. Joseph’s Posadas for many years now. We want to go back to the Christian roots of the Hispanic culture with the Posadas; when Our Lady received the ‘Yes’ from God, which sent Mary and Joseph looking for a place to seek shelter,” said Father Ogie.

For each evening of the Posadas, parishioners portraying Mary and Joseph, accompanied by other pilgrims, visit different homes where they ask for shelter. Each homeowner tells the group there is no place for them, and the group moves to the next home. The evening ends with the final homeowner welcoming the Holy Family and accompanying guests inside their home.

The second to last day of the Posadas was held on Dec. 23, with longtime St. Joseph parishioners Robert and Gracie Mirabal hosting the event, which included dinner afterward. Robert Mirabal said participating in the Posadas gives his family, as well as the parish community, an opportunity to experience the Christmas story in a more personal setting. 

“The gathering of people to reenact the Posadas reinforces our beliefs and provides an opportunity for evangelization. We enjoy immensely the social interaction with those who attend. Often, we are given the privilege of welcoming fellow parishioners for the first time,” he said.

For Mirabal, it is also a family affair, with three of his four children participating in this year’s event, as musicians leading the procession from home to home throughout the neighborhood. The Mirabal’s sons, Joseph, Jacob, and David, played guitar and sang for the Posadas. Their daughter Rebekah Carter and her family were not able to participate this year. 

“We hope our children will continue the tradition that we have taught them,” Mirabal added. “Our faith is very rich in tradition, and as our children have their own families, we pray they will integrate some of these activities into their own family’s lives.”