Friars embrace Spanish in Puerto Rico immersion program

For Franciscan friars, learning a language is not just about acquiring vocabulary or grammar. It is a practice of presence, humility and relationship.   

That vision shaped the creation of an immersion program in Puerto Rico that has just concluded for Brothers James La Grutta, OFM, and Ciduoane Joseph, OFM. They have been preparing for future Spanish‑language ministry through real‑world experience.  

The ongoing formation program, offered by the province’s Office of Renewal, was designed for friars who want to improve their Spanish while experiencing the cultural context in which the language lives.  

The immersion was conceived not just as language study, but as a holistic experience of fraternity, culture and mission. In many ways, it functioned as shared discernment – a period for solemnly professed friars to walk together, deepen their cultural awareness and renew their call to live the Gospel through missionary presence. 

“Language isolated from its cultural context is limited at best,” said Br. Keith Warner, OFM, who helped develop the program. “This immersive experience makes sense in the context of missionaries of the Gospel.”  

Br. James’ decision to participate came from pastoral awareness and personal discernment.  

“It started with wanting to improve my Spanish,” he said. “I think it’s important for the future of our world and for our Order that Spanish be a priority, while also living in fraternity with other brothers.”  

During phase one of the program, Brothers James and Ciduoane lived at St. Joseph the Worker Friary and Parish in Sabana Seca, in the town of Toa Baja. Their weeks blended Spanish classes with pastoral service and engagement at Niños de Nueva Esperanza, a social project started by the friars to support local children and families.  

Br. James characterized the experience as formative, not just educational.  

“It’s more than just learning Spanish,” he said. “It’s learning about the culture.”  

That, he realized, requires patience. “A lot of it was not what I expected,” he said. “A lot of it was being patient with myself and with the process.”  

Br. James had studied Spanish before in a classroom setting, but he said the immersion learning offered a broader perspective.  

“The classroom experience was a little less intensive,” he said. “The immersion is more real-world. That’s how I would describe it.”  

Ordering food, participating in Spanish liturgies and handling everyday conversations became opportunities for growth. Br. James was careful not to overstate results, describing steady improvement rather than sudden fluency.  

“My Spanish is a little bit better than when I left,” he said, “but I’ve still got a way to go.”  

That candid assessment reflects the program’s intent: formation for ministry is gradual, relational and rooted in lived encounter. 

Creation, community and Franciscan values

The program’s final phase took the friars to the mountainous town of Adjuntas, where they spent time at Casa Pueblo, a secular foundation dedicated to environmental preservation, community development and solar energy initiatives.  

Casa Pueblo’s mission closely aligns with Franciscan spirituality, particularly to care for creation while in solidarity with local communities. The friars also collaborated with the community parish on weekends, continuing pastoral engagement in a new place.  

Br. Fandry Sosa Ayala, OFM, a program supervisor, underscored that the experience is deliberately holistic – cultural, pastoral and fraternal.  

“The purpose is to help the friars know the culture, work with the people, and learn the language,” he said.  

Preparing friars for a multilingual future

Near the completion of the immersion, both brothers attended a regional meeting in Puerto Rico presented entirely in Spanish. This event gathered 23 friars from the U.S., Cuba and Puerto Rico. The meeting represented both a challenge and an affirmation of what they had learned.  

The immersion program demonstrates how the province is preparing friars for Spanish‑language ministry: not through a speed course, but through presence, humility and a yearning to live the Gospel alongside the people they serve.  

For Br. James, the most enduring lesson was not linguistic but spiritual.  

“The big thing is being patient with the experience,” he said, “and realizing it’s not going to be exactly as we expect. There will be high points, low points, frustrations – but it’s worth pursuing.” 

If you are a friar interested in participating in a future missionary and language immersion in Puerto Rico, please contact Br. Keith Warner, OFM.