@@facebook=
@@
HUBER HEIGHTS — Veronica Grajeda has had trouble singing the hymns in church.
In a Spanish accent, the 32-year-old Bellbrook resident stumbled over many of the words because of their tough pronunciations.
But starting today, Veronica Grajeda will not only be able to sing hymns in Spanish, she will be able to discuss and absorb the teachings of the Book of Mormon in her native language.
At 1 p.m. today and every Sunday hereafter, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will offer church services entirely in Spanish at 5750 Shull Road.
The Spanish-language branch will be the first of its kind in this region for the church, said John Ward, Stake president of the Dayton Ohio Stake.
The branch will serve Spanish-speaking members from both the Dayton Ohio Stake and the Dayton Ohio East Stake.
The Latter-day Saints are the latest among other Miami Valley denominations to offer Spanish-speaking services. Others include Charity Baptist Church in Kettering and St. Mary Catholic Church in Dayton.
About 3 percent of Ohioans, or 296,000 people, are Hispanic and more than half of them speak Spanish at home, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
In Montgomery County, there are about 10,315 Hispanics, which is a 45 percent population increase from 2000, according to the center.
Although the majority of Hispanics are Catholic, a growing number are converting to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, leading the church to form 748 Spanish-speaking congregations in the United States, according to church figures.
The church has about 28,400 congregations worldwide, 16 of which are in the greater Dayton area. The new branch will be the 17th.
Mormonism appeals to many Hispanic people because it connects with many of their cultural values, Ward said.
“We have a strong emphasis on the family,” he said. “The family units can go on beyond this life, and with their strong cultural emphasis on the family, I’m sure it means a lot to many of them.”
The Mormon Church has also recruited many new followers in Latin American countries and elsewhere across the globe because of its missionary work, church leaders said.
Veronica Grajeda’s husband, Yinko Grajeda, said he is thrilled about the new branch because it will serve people who are curious about the Mormon faith or who already have converted but who face a language barrier.
“I have some coworkers and friends who are not members, but we’re trying to invite them to come over,” Yinko Grajeda said. “There’s several cases of people who investigate the church and come here, and we have to sit by them and try to translate as much as we can. But if they have the service in Spanish, it’s going to be a totally different opportunity for them.”
Yinko and Veronica Grajeda said they like the idea of their daughters, Tania and Ileana, practicing their Spanish in the church setting and reading from El Libro de Mormón.
“When you hear the word of God in your own language, it speaks to the soul of a person,” said Anna Molgard, director of public affairs for the Dayton Ohio Stake.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-0749 or cfrolik@DaytonDailyNews.com.
About the Author
