Little Village neighbors take back streets with 'block masses'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- One Chicago neighborhood is fighting back against crime this summer by literally taking back the streets.
As CBS 2's Marybel González reported, a church in the city's Little Village neighborhood is holding street masses every Tuesday and Thursday night to pray for peace.
It looks like the setup for a block party, but it is a service just like one you would see inside a Catholic Church – with the streets of the Little Village neighborhood serve as the pews and altar.
"The purpose of the masses – the block mass, as they call it – is to pray together as a community for peace and justice," said the Rev. Marco Franco of St. Agnes of Bohemia Parish.
Residents say the community is riddled with violence. During the mass Thursday, police placed someone in handcuffs on the same corner where parishioners knelt in prayer for peace.
Police lights flashed in the background as Father Franco's sermon echoed around the neighborhood.
"Esta violencia es algo que nos tiene consternados," said parishioner Carmen Lopez.
Her comment translates to, "The violence is something that has us dismayed."
Lopez hopes masses like these offer a glimmer of hope in the search for peace and tranquility.
"It's causing so much impact – especially for those neighbors are probably not Catholics or don't even have any kind of faith, but they are saying, like, 'What are these people doing outside?'" said Father Franco.
The masses are a popular tradition in Mexico and Latin America. Father Franco says these masses also offer a chance for people to meet their neighbors.
"They want to celebrate together their faith in public," he said. "It's something very special about Latinos – doing something outside the church to manifest their faith."
They hope that by doing so, they can create a tighter sense of community.
"We need peace in our neighborhood," said Father Franco. "First, we need peace in our hearts."
There will be more block masses every Tuesday and Thursday through August – each one in a different part of the neighborhood.
They are inviting everyone to attend – regardless of their faith.