Top photo caption: Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Gdansk, Poland, and Archbishop Józef Górzynski of Warmia-Mazury unveil a new mosaic of Our Lady of Gietrzwald in the Vatican Gardens during a June 30, 2026, ceremony attended by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state. Archbishop Wojda, president of the Polish bishops’ conference, said the installation could deepen ties between Poland and the Holy See. OSV News photo/courtesy Polish bishops’ conference
By Silvio Cuéllar, OSV News
It was a summer afternoon along the Narragansett shoreline in New England. A young Ecuadorian immigrant had gone fishing with a friend. The sea was unusually rough, and powerful waves crashed against the rocks where they stood casting their lines.
Without warning, a massive wave swept Sixto into the ocean. In an instant, what had begun as a relaxing afternoon became a desperate fight for survival. The relentless waves threatened to slam him against the rocks or pull him farther out to sea.
As if the situation were not already terrifying enough, the headlamp he was wearing came loose and disappeared into the dark water. Before being carried away by the current, he managed to shout one thing to his friend: “Call 911! Get help!”
For nearly two hours, Sixto struggled to stay afloat without a life jacket, swallowing seawater as he fought to survive.
“Several times I felt myself sinking. My lungs filled with water, and I fought with every ounce of strength just to reach the surface again,” he recalls.
In the midst of that terrifying ordeal, he prayed constantly to God and to the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title of Our Lady of the Clouds, a Marian devotion deeply cherished by many Ecuadorians.
Yet his greatest concern was not for himself.
He thought about his wife and children. As the family’s sole provider, he wondered what would become of them if he did not survive that night.
Just as his strength was nearly gone, something happened that he still considers a miracle. The headlamp he had lost when he fell into the water suddenly floated back within reach. He grabbed it and began waving it toward the rescue boat. Moments after rescuers spotted the light, it went out for good.
It had been enough.
The rescue crew was able to locate him and pull him from the water alive after nearly two hours in the ocean.
Statistics show that most people who fall into the ocean at night without a flotation device are never found alive. That is why Sixto is convinced that God answered his prayers.
Grateful for the gift of a second chance, he resolved to fulfill the promise he had made while battling the waves: to dedicate more of his life to serving God.
Today, he serves as a parish volunteer at Blessed Sacrament Church in Providence, helping organize the logistics for processions, festivals and other parish events.
Together with a group of fellow Ecuadorian immigrants, he also led what once seemed like an impossible project: bringing a nine-foot statue of Our Lady of the Clouds from Ecuador to their parish. After two years of fundraising, sacrifice, and perseverance, the statue was finally installed in 2026. Today, it has become a place of prayer not only for Ecuadorian Catholics but for the entire parish community.
During June, when we were celebrating fathers, I could not help but think of so many immigrant fathers like Sixto. Men who leave behind everything they know, learn a new language, often master a new trade and work long hours to provide a better future for their families. Despite those sacrifices, many still find time to serve generously in their parishes, offering God their time, talent and treasure.
In his apostolic letter Patris Corde (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis wrote, “Saint Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation.” How many fathers live precisely this way – far from the spotlight, quietly supporting their families while strengthening the life of the Church.
Sixto’s story also brings to mind God’s words to Joshua: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
Today, Sixto continues to give thanks for the miracle that spared his life. He works as a barber, is raising a beautiful Catholic family with his wife and their five children and continues serving his parish with joy.
Last month we celebrated Father’s Day, yet let us continue to pray for all fathers, especially immigrant fathers who have left their homeland in search of a better future for their children. Following the example of St. Joseph, may they remain men of faith, hard work, courage, and service, never forgetting that God walks beside them – even through life’s fiercest storms.
Silvio Cuéllar is a writer, liturgical music composer and journalist. He was coordinator of the Hispanic ministry office and editor of the newspaper El Católico de Rhode Island, the newspaper of the Diocese of Providence.
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