The priest who removed a cherished painting from a parish church is forcing at least one parishioner to confront an unthinkable – the choice between her cultural identity and her faith.
Anne Marie Brillante, a member of the Mescalero Apache tribe in New Mexico, says the recent removal of a cherished painting from St Joseph Apache Mission that had been prominently displayed in the Church came as a real shock.
“Hearing we had to choose, that was a shock” Brillante said tearfully, recalling the moment she learned of the incident.
Integration of cultural identity and faith
The painting in question, an 8-foot “Apache Christ” created by Franciscan friar Robert Lentz in 1989, had been hanging behind the church’s altar for 35 years.
For Brillante and many other parishioners, it symbolised the harmonious integration of their indigenous cultural identity and Catholic faith.
On June 26 while the region was grappling with devastating wildfires, the church’s then-priest, Peter Chudy Sixtus Simeon-Aguinam, removed the icon along with other indigenous artifacts.
The action left Brillante and her fellow parishioners stunned and hurt.
“To her, and many others in the Mescalero Apache tribe… who are members of St Joseph Apache Mission, their indigenous culture had always been intertwined with faith. Both are sacred” explained a community spokesperson.
Brillante, who serves on the mission’s parish council, found herself at the forefront of a community struggle to preserve their cultural heritage within their spiritual home.
Pope Francis had apologised
The removal of the artifacts seemed to suggest that their Apache cultural identity was incompatible with their Catholic faith, a notion that deeply wounded Brillante and others.
The incident has reopened old wounds for Brillante, reminding her of historical attempts to erase indigenous culture.
It appeared to contradict recent efforts by the Catholic Church to reconcile with indigenous communities, including Pope Francis’s 2022 apology for the church’s role in residential schools.
“Our former priest opened old wounds with his recent actions, suggesting he sought to cleanse us of our ‘pagan’ ways” Brillante explained, highlighting the emotional toll of the incident.
Path forwards
While the Diocese of Las Cruces has since returned the items and replaced Simeon-Aguinam with another priest, Brillante is looking for more.
For her, the way forward necessitates a deeper understanding and respect for the Apache way of life within the Catholic Church.
As she continues to advocate for her community, Brillante remains hopeful that this incident will lead to meaningful dialogue and lasting change.
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