Franciscan brings global experience as new Hispanic ministry coordinator

By Mary Ann Wyand

Franciscan Brother Moises Gutierrez, a native of Mexico, brings a global perspective to his new position as the Hispanic ministry coordinator for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

Brother Moises began his duties in the archdiocesan Office of Multicultural Ministry on Oct. 18.

Last summer, he completed a Harvard University Institute for Latin American Studies internship based in Santiago, Chile.

Before that, he served the international Order of Friars Minor as the development director at their General Curia in Rome from 2005 until 2009.

“As a Franciscan, my passion is to build bridges and bring people together to appreciate each other regardless of their differences,” Brother Moises said. “That’s my call.”

The Franciscan friar has more than a decade of experience in Hispanic and multicultural ministry.

Brother Moises succeeds Margarita Solis-Deal as the archdiocesan liaison with the Hispanic communities at parishes and schools in central and southern Indiana.

In his new ministry, he will work with parish and school staff members as well as parishioners on efforts to help integrate Hispanic Catholics into the life of the Church in the archdiocese.

The youngest of 24 children, Brother Moises also served his order as the director of vocations at the Franciscan Vocation Center in Chicago from 2002 to 2005.

Also in Chicago, he taught at two grade schools, and served at St. Joseph and Corpus Christi parishes.

“Even though [Latinos] speak the same language, we come from different histories, different traditions and different realities,” Brother Moises said. “There are challenges sometimes when you bring different Hispanic communities together to worship or work or recreate. I want to give the people the tools to be able to appreciate each other.”

He speaks Spanish, Italian and English, and also wants to learn Portuguese and German.

“I have become very comfortable attending Masses [celebrated] in languages I do not understand,” Brother Moises said, “because I understand the whole sense of the liturgy and the sacrament.”

Recently, he attended a Mass celebrated by Vietnamese Catholics in Indianapolis.

As a child, he never thought about becoming a priest or religious brother.

“I grew up in Mexico, and became a computer and information systems engineer,” he said. “When I was studying at the university [in Queretaro, Mexico], I went to a Franciscan experience. I read a book about St. Francis of Assisi and saw a movie about his life. I really loved it.”

He finished his engineering degree in 1990 and worked for a few years then again felt drawn to religious life as a Franciscan.

“In the back of my mind, I was always thinking about this wonderful man, St. Francis, who was following in the footsteps of Christ in his own style,” Brother Moises said. “So when I was 28, I decided to give it a try. I was going to join the friars in Mexico, but then I came to San Antonio, Texas, for a vacation and went to Mass. It just happened that it was a Franciscan parish, and I was excited so I went to meet the priest after Mass. I said, ‘I’m going to join the friars in Mexico.’ And he said, ‘Why don’t you join the friars here in the states?’

“The beautiful thing is that God led me to where I needed to go,” he said. “I have grown in ways that I never imagined by coming to this country and being formed as a Franciscan here.”

He completed his religious studies at the Franciscan Formation Program in Chicago from 1994 to 1999.

“I was attracted by St. Francis of Assisi’s vision of a global community,” Brother Moises said. “He felt the love of God so deeply in his heart and in his life, and he saw that we are all brothers and sisters.” †