Pastor hopes to revive tradition of the posada in Bakersfield
A new Bakersfield priest hopes to bring back an old Christmas tradition this season.
Father Luis Rodriguez, of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in downtown Bakersfield, will be hosting on Monday a posada, a tradition commonly practiced in Mexico and Latin American communities in which participants stage their own version of the Biblical Mary and Joseph’s trek through Bethlehem before they find a place to stay.
In the Bible, Jesus’ parents are turned away from inn after inn because crowds of people have flocked to Bethlehem to participate in the census. Eventually, Mary and Joseph are forced to stay in a manger, where Jesus is born.
A posada, which means lodging or shelter in Spanish, recreates that journey, with participants walking from place to place, being
ceremonially turned away, before reaching their final destination.
In Bakersfield, the two-and-a-half mile journey will take a group from St. Paul’s to various local businesses before ultimately coming to a stop at Mill Creek Christian Church.
A mariachi band will accompany the group, and at every stop, a song will be performed to symbolize the dynamic between the travelers and the place they hope to stay. The Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center and the Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity have even been designated as two of the stops, in a nod to portions of city’s population that may feel lost or without a home.
“What we’re really saying here is that God’s story is the story of those who are trying to find a place that’s safe,”
Rodriguez said. “That is God’s story for Christians, and that perhaps by just walking, that connection can be more palpable.”
He added that the reaction to the event had surprised him.
“When I imagined it, I thought it would be a small thing, but I think it will be quite a big deal,” he said, noting the attention the event had received on social media.
While Rodriguez has only been the priest in charge at St. Paul’s for a year, he said he wanted to bring back a tradition that he had participated in more than 20 years ago in Los Angeles.
“Hopefully it’s something we can do every year,” he said.
Local business owners not normally associated with the church were also brought into the mix in an effort to include the entire community in the church’s activity.
“It’s pretty awesome because it draws us all into something that we didn’t know about or have experienced,” said Trisha Reed-Fike, owner of Guthrie’s Alley Cat, one of the stops.
She said that being a part of the posada allowed the church and local businesses to connect in ways they hadn’t before.
“( The church) has been a wonderful part of our neighborhood for years and this priest has really gone out of his way to make himself known to all of the local businesses and residents,” she added. “He’s been very kind.”
It is unknown how many people will show up for Bakersfield’s posada, but Rodriguez said he was expecting upwards of 50.
“All you can do is try it and see what happens,” he said. “I certainly think there’s a lot of excitement around the event right now.”