On July 13, a life size bronze statue of the late Fr. Vladimiro Manente, OMI, was unveiled at the Laredo, TX, Cursillo Center. Laredo’s Bishop James A. Tamayo, National Episcopal Advisor of the Cursillo Movement, and Fr. Patricio Dominguez, OMI, Diocesan Cursillo Spiritual Director, led the opening prayers.
Margarita Garcia Elizondo, President of the Diocesan Secretariat of the Cursillo movement and long time secretary to Fr. Manente welcomed approximately 500 persons from all w
alks of life who gathered for the occasion.
Born on July 4, 1920, in Spinea, Venezia, Italy, Fr. Manente joined the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and was ordained priest in 1946. After serving at the Roman Scholasticate for several years, he was sent to the former Oblate Southern U.S. Province in 1951.
Perhaps Fr. Manente’s greatest contribution to the Church in the United States was the establishment of the Cursillo de Cristiandad at San Francisco Javier Church in Laredo. He had met the Cursillo founders while ministering at Mother Cabrini Church. From his modest San Francisco Javier center, the movement spread throughout the country.
Fr. Manente died at the Cursillo center on April 18, 2002 and was buried on May 1, the 44th anniversary of his first Cursillo in 1958.
Friends and leaders of the Cursillo gathered to discuss what would be a fitting tribute to one who gave so much of himself. Many suggestions were advanced: -A collection for the poor, whom he had served so well? –A scholarship in memory of one who had helped others to attend college? –Something to assist the “undocumented” so many of whom he had assisted with food, money and moral support after they had crossed the river two blocks from is church?
Their final decision was to commission the casting of a statue. Why a statue? In the words of Ms. Elizondo, a statue would be “a challenge to all of us to follow in his footsteps, so that those who come after us hopefully will take the time to find out why people of this generation took time to pay homage to this ‘Father Manente,’ and in doing so, they will also follow the way to Jesus through the Cursillo movement and Father Manente’s example.”
In a letter to the gathering, Jorge Barcelo, coordinator of the National Hispanic Cursillo Movement, wrote: “I know that this humble memorial is only a small token of appreciation of the gratefulness for his superb work in the Movement. This statue will come to signify to all of us that Fr. Manente’s spirit is, in truth, still here with us, guiding and accompanying us in our short journey of our fourth day, so that we may continue to give to the world the best of news: ‘God loves us in Jesus Christ.’”
Tom Sarge, National Executive Director of the Cursillo Movement also wrote: “When I think of Father Manente, I think of words such as compassionate, loving, caring, humble, sincere, generous and devoted, just to name a few. He was completely true to his call to ordination and he was relentless in serving our Lord. Of all the work that he did through the Church, his greatest love was the Cursillo Movement. He was very passionate about Cursillo and was instrumental in helping many people find a closer relationship with Christ.”
Lawrence Noble from Noble Studio of Crestline, CA, sculpted the statue. On seeing a picture of it, Fr. Charles Banks, OMI, who knew Fr. Manente well, commented that it was a remarkable likeness, capturing him as he really was.
Thanks to Margarita Garcia Elizondo for providing information for this story.