San Juan Bautista was a place that was well known by many in the Hispanic community. Outside of the Cleveland area, when one identified oneself as coming from Cleveland, the first question posed was "Are you a member of San Juan Bautista?" This church had a solid and respectable reputation within the Hispanic community. It was a church that was alive with the sense of "family." It was difficult to be a part of San Juan Bautista and not be known by those who attended the church on a regular basis. People here cared for each other deeply. No one was left to fend for himself if they belonged to this congregation. At San Juan Bautista, people where greeted w

The spirit of "family" abounded within this church deeply, that even if you where not a member, you could not help but see the love, caring and unity of this "family" known as San Juan Bautista.

San Juan Bautista had a youth group that was alive and active, a group that was making a difference in the community. When retreats where conducted by the youth group, there would be crowds of 500+ youth in attendance. Young people came from all over to participate at these church sponsored events.

The members of this congregation were a tight knit "family" which knew each other well. Everyone, if not related by blood, was considered a "compadre" or "comadre", thus making every person at Cristo Rey, "family" in one way or another. Though the church did not have the resources to conduct it's own activities (i.e. retreats, seminars, festivals, etc.), it was always well-represented in activities within the Hispanic community. When new people arrived, they were made to feel as if they were long lost relatives that had returned for a visit. Church members would argue amongst themselves as to who would have the privilege of inviting these new people to their home for dinner. Those that lost the argument made sure to get commitments from the new visitor as to when they would be coming by their homes to have dinner with them. The people, who comprised the congregation of Cristo Rey, were very committed to their church. Though many on the outside would have looked at them and not thought much about this group of people, but they were proud members of this "family' known as Cristo Rey.

Cristo Rey, though much smaller in number than San Juan Bautista, likewise had a strong sense of "family" in its midst. The main church service (Sunday

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1177
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)