(L-R): Juan Pablo Santa Luna, philanthropy and cultural ambassador for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra; members of El Sistema Orlando; Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost; the Rev. Dr. José Rodríguez; Consul of Documentation Belu Cudiño Reyes, Consulate of Mexico in Orlando; the Rev. Hoower Cajicá, board president, the Renacer Foundation | Photo: Courtesy the Renacer Foundation Facebook page via Calao Corp

When the Renacer Foundation, outreach partner of Christ the King, Orlando, and Jesús de Nazaret, Orlando (two distinct congregations that share staff, buildings and ministry), invited the Rev. Dr. José Rodríguez, rector, Christ the King, and vicar, Jesús de Nazaret, to a December 2023 family workshop event at the Dr. Phillips YMCA, he said yes. That affirmative response has now yielded a multifaceted partnership that is blessing refugee children, their families and the community with the gift of music and more.

‘Do You Have a Home?’

“I was meeting local families, most of them Venezuelan refugees,” Rodríguez said of the Y’s family workshop. “And these different leaders were showcasing their talents and what they have to offer the Orlando community.”

Mrs. Ivette Ferreira, director of El Sistema Orlando | Photo: Calao Corp

When he met Mrs. Ivette Ferreira, director of El Sistema Orlando, a multicultural orchestra consisting largely of Venezuelan refugee children, the priest was touched – and intrigued. “Her kids [the orchestra] played strings at the event, and I was really moved and impressed,” he said. “And then I went up to Ivette, and I said, ‘Do you have a home for your music group?'”

“No, we don’t,” she told Rodríguez. “And that’s what we’re looking for.”

Within a week, Ferreira had called him, and soon, the orchestra was holding weekly practices in Christ the King’s parish hall.

“On Wednesday nights, 50 children and parents fill the parish hall, mostly strings and some other instruments as well,” Rodríguez said. “We let the children of the parish participate; it’s a very low-cost program. It’s mostly Venezuelan refugees and their children, and it’s a way for them to continue with their music lessons.”

The Rev. Maytee de La Torre, assistant rector for the congregations, is present with the children each Wednesday night, he added. “She’s available to them as a priest; she meets with them weekly. The first need we’re meeting for these children is spiritual, and Rev. Maytee is the one who is their day-to-day clergy contact.”

‘Seen and Heard’

Once the Renacer Foundation became aware of the children’s orchestra meeting at the church, the Rev. Hoower Cajicá, board president and Roman Catholic priest, got involved. “Father Hoower was very touched,” Rodríguez said. “He’s a psychologist, and he started providing his services, talking to the kids, talking to the parents, and really bringing in the whole trauma-informed care perspective into it.”

Before long, Cajicá brought a friend with him to the parish hall to visit El Sistema Orlando on a practice night: Mr. Juan Pablo Santa Luna, philanthropy and cultural ambassador for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. “He was also very touched,” Rodríguez said. “He promised the kids orchestra tickets; he brought them swag – it was really a very powerful moment where these kids were being seen and heard, just like Hagar in the Bible: ‘You are the God who sees me.’ So it was this moment of these children and these musicians who are new to our community being seen and heard by leaders in art and culture.”

Being seen and heard led not only to an invitation to hear the Orlando Philharmonic on Sunday, Feb. 25, but to an entire afternoon of art and culture for El Systema Orlando children, families and honored guests. These special guests included Congressman Darren Soto, District 9; Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, District 10; Rep. Johanna López, District 4; and other elected officials. Also present were representatives of major not-for-profits and three vice consuls: Ms. Belu Cudiño Reyes, consul of documentation, Consulate of Mexico in Orlando; Mr. Francisco J. Fernández Rubiera, honorary consul, the kingdom of Spain in Orlando; and Mr. Rafael Ricardo Orozco García, minister plenipotentiary, consul general of Colombia in Orlando.

All came “to support the children and join them for their first-ever orchestra visit,” Rodríguez said. “And then they joined the kids for a private reception hosted by First United Methodist Church, Orlando, an additional partner; Christ the King, Orlando; and the Renacer Foundation.”

“And then as a special treat, a famous sculptor named Juan José Cobos flew in from Latin America,” he added. “He created the largest sculpture in South America, and it’s in Colombia. So he came up and gave the kids a lecture on sculpture and the arts. The kids met with the elected officials; we had dinner with them – a huge celebration after the concert. And that is where another group joined in, Alianza Center, which is where I work when I’m not at church.”

‘Open the Doors’

El Sistema Orlando performing at the Alianza Center’s First Friday. | Photo: Caleo Corp

El Sistema Orlando has now added a choral component, which means younger children can participate too. On Friday, March 1, the youth orchestra held its first public concert, an event enabled by leaders the group met at the Orlando Philharmonic concert.

“It was something called First Friday,” Rodríguez said. “It’s a multicultural event that Alianza Center holds monthly, and they were invited as special guests. They performed with other artists that evening, with folk artists from Puerto Rico, and then they performed their music. Then the kids surprised everyone by performing, with a vocalist, a Puerto Rican folk song that makes everyone cry. … It’s called ‘En Mi Viejo San Juan,’ and it’s a very important song to the Puerto Rican community.

“So the Venezuelan kids and their vocalists put together something for the Puerto Rican community,” he said. “And that’s what community is: for each other.”

“So really, we embraced the children with community,” Rodríguez explained. “The church embraced them with the love of Jesus, but then the greater community and Renacer have embraced them as well. Now not only are we hosting El Sistema Orlando at the parish, but the orchestra is growing, and they’re starting to participate in events, and we’ve helped them to be embraced by the community. … We provided them space that nurtured them and became a launching ground, and we introduced them to people.

“And now, Phase 2 to this – and we are gladly accepting financial gifts – we are hosting a three-week summer camp,” he added. “So the orchestra kids can come to the church, and for three weeks, five days a week, they can just do music with teachers, directors and activities, and the whole community is coming around the children so we can have a summer camp this summer.”

For Rodríguez, the entire experience with El Sistema Orlando stretches far beyond the children, important as they are. “This is an example of Hispanic ministry,” he said. “You don’t have to speak Spanish to do this. You don’t have to speak Spanish to open the doors of your parish hall to a group of children and let them do their thing.

“You have to have the willingness to work with people in a different language who live their lives by a different rhythm,” he added. “They may see things differently. It is not easy to open up your parish hall, but it becomes easier if you do it with an open heart and an open mind.

“And that’s OK,” Rodríguez said. “Let people in; let people do their thing, and accommodate. We do it backward. We build something, and we try to force people into it. We have to just open the doors and let them do their thing and go along for the ride.”