Christmas gathering grows at San Isidro Mission

Courtesy photo/Juan Pablo Rodriguez

+ Enlarge

Pinatas, such as this one Dec. 18 at San Isidro Mission, are a favorite event during the posada celebration.

ELBERTA – For the second year in a row, the Catholic community at San Isidro Mission Center has gathered before Christmas for the traditional posada – the enactment of Mary and Joseph’s search for an inn.

The number of Spanish-speaking parishioners who gathered outside the mission last weekend for the posada shows how much the Hispanic population in Elberta is growing.

"There were a lot of people and a lot of cooperation among the families," said Constanta Bautista, a catechism teacher at the mission.

In previous years, posadas were small gatherings and basically for the kids, but this year families participated.

The mission also has grown in the religious classes that are offered. Among the groups that are established are a charismatic group, and a marriage group.

"It’s a growing community down there," said Father David Bittmenn, the pastor for the past three years.

About 250 parishioners attend Mass on Sundays, some from San Isidro and some from Payson, he said. "What we do is that sometimes we drive parishioners from Payson (to Elberta) because the Masses in Payson are in English and the one in San Isidro is in Spanish," he added.

Before Fr. Bittmenn became pastor, Mass was infrequent and deacons occasionally offered a communion service, but now every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. the Spanish Mass takes place at the mission.

The mission was expanded two years ago, but the community keeps on growing, so space is at a premium, Bautista said. "This year we have around 20 parents and 19 kids that come to the classes. We put the smaller kids in one room, the bigger in other and we have to locate the parents inside the church."

Bautista works with her husband, Raúl, and another couple, Rogelia and Raúl Castillo, who are the directors of the San Isidro Mission.

"We all work together as a team," Bautista said. "That’s why the mission has grown a lot because we do really work together."

The Bautistas arrived in San Isidro three years ago from California, and since then they have been continuing their evangelization efforts.

"We need to do more teaching and evangelization," Constanta Bautista said. "It is hard but we are there and we are happy with the programs. When you teach people right, they usually become servants."

San Isidro Mission, which was formed in 1985, was originally part of the Payson parish. Nowadays it is served by Saint Francis of Assisi Parish in Orem.