By Carly York | Correspondent
Instructors Anna Collett and Jesus Rios are proud that their dance troupe of 14 girls was invited to represent Monmouth County in La Antorcha Guadalupana, the diocesan-wide pilgrimage to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
That pride could be seen Nov. 20 as the group of girls – ages 7 to 14 – practiced traditional Mexican dances in long, flowing, bright yellow skirts in the gym of Holy Trinity Church, part of Christ the King Parish, Long Branch.
Collett said dancing in the group is important in the youngsters’ faith formation because “it lets them do something special for the Virgin. It keeps the girls close to the Church as they grow up.”
The dance troupe from Christ the King Parish is one of many youth groups from around the Diocese that have been preparing over the past weeks for the pilgrimage, which was to be held Dec. 3 in Trenton, along with a Mass and day of traditional food and dance.
Nidia Jimenez, a 13-year-old dancer from Christ the King Parish, said she is excited to be a leader with the group because she “wants to show other little kids how to dance to keep the group going.” The dance troupe has been participating in diocesan festivals for more than seven years.
She said dancing in La Antorcha Guadalupana is important to her faith because she is “showing dedication and hard work in the belief of Guadalupe.” She said she was looking forward to seeing “all the proud faces of everyone who has worked hard in the dance and their accomplishment.”
Fellow dancer Kimberly Ramirez also feels that dancing in the event is important because “we are doing something for God. I want God to be proud of me.”
Barbara Galiz, 9, who is new to the group, thought it would be fun to join the dance troupe after she saw the girls dancing in other Church festivals, such as the “Cristo Rey” festival at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, a worship site of the parish, this past summer. She says dancing for Jesus makes her happy.
Dancers from youth in Jesus, the Good Shepherd Parish, Riverside, have been practicing, too. “Los Caminantes del Cisne,” a group that includes the parish’s teens, performs traditional Ecuadorian dances.
Eneida Perez, secretary of religious education, said the group is a great way to bring more youth into the parish, which also has “Reina del Cisne USA,” a dance troupe of 10 children, ages 7-10. Both groups were organized by parents of the parish to celebrate their cultural traditions and devotion to Our Lady of Cisne.
“The songs are happy, and they help bring in young families,” she said.
She said she was proud these groups were invited to represent Burlington County in La Antorcha Guadalupana, because the parish is celebrating its sixth year of having an active Spanish-speaking community, which includes those from Peru, Guatemala, Chile, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and more.
Because of this successful history, the Spanish community at the parish has an outreach to the Brazilian and Portuguese Catholics in the area to help them celebrate special festivals like those for the feast of Our Lady of Fatima.
Perez said she believed that many in those communities would be joining the parish in the Trenton pilgrimage.