Yaqui church keeps faith

Thirty years ago, Placida Molina was surrounded by women elders cooking over open pit fires on the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation.

As the mesquite wood burned southwest of the city, the women made tortillas, cocido, enchiladas, carne con chile verde y tomate. Cool drinks included atole and horchata.

The healthy meals nourished about 80 volunteers who laid brick, pounded nails and poured concrete during the construction of Cristo Rey Church, which celebrated 30 years in May.

"I am very proud of our church and the people who helped us realize our dream," said Molina, 63, who attended Mass on Sunday, which was co-celebrated by Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson; the Rev. Daniel McLaughlin, pastor of Cristo Rey, and the Rev. Abram Dono.

The growth in the number of parishioners also led to the completion and blessing Sunday of the San Juan Diego Center, a $230,000 modular building that will be used for training, including religious classes, seminars, pastoral council and youth group meetings.

The Yaqui tribe has 14,567 enrolled members in Arizona, and nearly 4,000 live on the reservation.

"My grandchildren will be attending religious classes at the new center in preparation for the sacraments," Molina said. "It all began with our church, and I cannot thank enough Ben Coronado, the Knights of Columbus (Council 1200) and all the volunteers for helping us build our church."

Ben Coronado, 76, and his wife, Mary Lou, 74, led fellow Knights in 1974 to raise funds and get businesses to donate supplies and materials to help members of the Pascua Yaqui tribe of Arizona build Cristo Rey. Volunteers worked mostly on weekends for two years until the church was completed.

The couple's involvement began after Mary Lou met the Rev. Maurice McCarthy of the Society of Missionaries to Africa in the1970s. McCarthy came to Tucson in the mid-1950s and first worked in Old Pascua Yaqui Village, south of West Grant Road and east of Interstate 10, while assigned to Holy Family Church.

McCarthy was then transferred to Compton, Calif., in the 1960s, and returned in the 1970s, moving to the reservation where he served Yaqui Catholics until his death in January 1983, said Declan McCarthy, Maurice's brother.

When the Coronados met McCarthy, Yaqui parishioners were attending Mass in a chapel made out of crude, discarded lumber, recalled Molina. The temporary chapel was built in the mid-1960s.

"Father McCarthy's wish was for the people to have a church because the small chapel wasn't sufficient," remembered Mary Lou Coronado, who decided then to get involved.

Mary Lou went to her husband, a mining supervisor, and begged for his help. She persisted and Ben agreed after driving from his home near Salpointe Catholic High School to the reservation to see the chapel.

Ben became the general chairman for the project, gathering the support of Carlos Martinez and other fellow Knights. Architect William Owens volunteered his services, and Declan McCarthy supervised the construction.

Declan McCarthy, 72, who lives on the reservation, said Yaqui spiritual leader Anselmo Valencia had begun working to have a church built. He said the tribe founded a job-training program, which included construction trades, and eventually started its own company, Yaqui Construction. The company started working to help build the church.

The Yaqui community received a $30,000 donation from a nonprofit organization, and the Knights of Columbus helped with more volunteers, donated materials, supplies and cash donations.

Ben and Mary Lou Coronado occasionally visit Cristo Rey Church for Sunday Mass or a religious celebration. They, like the Yaqui community, are proud of the church that is integral to families on the reservation.

Today, Cristo Rey serves about 4,500 people — blending Catholicism and Yaqui spirituality in religious ceremonies.

"The ceremonies are a true spirit of Yaqui culture and faith in Jesus Christ. Years ago people were predicting the ceremonies would die out, but the ceremonies are stronger than ever. It keeps the people closer to their faith and draws the community together," said the Rev. McLaughlin of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity.

l What: Cristo Rey Church (Christ the King) Church, 30th anniversary.

l Mass: Sundays 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

l Where: 7500 S. Camino Benem on the Pascua Yaqui Reservation.

l Contact: The Rev. Daniel McLaughlin, 622-5363.