“Riverhead for Christ,” that’s the message proclaimed Sunday afternoon by hundreds of members of the Familia de Dios church and other congregations who marched down Main Street praying, dancing and preaching at the church’s ninth annual Caminata de Oración or prayer walk.
“We are very proud to march in Riverhead, our home that we feel is special and we want to declare it a town for God. That is what we are called to do,” said Franklin Castillo, a member of the church and three-time marcher.
About 200 people, many of them carrying signs with biblical passages and other Christian messages, participated in the march that started on McDermott Avenue at about 12:30 p.m. and ended at 400 Main Street, where Iglesia Familia de Dios is located. A lunch was served there to all participants at the end of the march.
Main Street was closed to traffic during the two-hour procession, which consisted of several stops where participants listened to different church elders passionately preach and pray in both Spanish and English for Riverhead and all of its residents.
“The only way we can live in a society that is filled with love, unity and where the violence and other bad things end, is through Jesus Christ,” said Pastor Daniel Orellana.
People from all ages closed their eyes and embraced their bibles or raised their hands at each stop, while the church’s message, which sounded loud and clear from large speakers, attracted the interest of passerby’s and store patrons.
A group of young dancers headed the march, dressed in coordinated red and purple dresses and twirling colorful ribbons, followed by the church’s chaplains who were dressed in their uniforms.
Several shofars — a long, curvy instrument made from a ram’s horn and brought from Israel — periodically sounded as well, as a way to proclaim “victory for Riverhead and call the people,” explained Orellana.
“We have only one purpose today, and that is to preach the gospel,” said Orellana. “Riverhead is a town that needs God, there is a lot of things happening and we are here to pray so there’s no more alcoholism, drug addiction, prostitution or any other problem.”
“We are here to break the chains that destroy communities,” he said.
Orellana, a resident of Riverhead for the last 27 years, founded the Evangelical church Familia de Dios—which celebrated its 19-year anniversary last week — with his wife and co-pastor, Maria Luisa Orellana.
The church grew significantly over the years and today, around 350 people regularly attend services at Familia de Dios every week, said Orellana.
Maria Luisa said the prayer march was born out of a dream she had 10 years ago.
“ I dreamt the whole church was walking in Riverhead, and the police was there too and I realized it was a purpose God had given me and we had to do it,” she said.
A purpose that took a lot of preparation then, and still does every year, said church member and organizer Daniela Perez, but that helps to bring the church out to the streets and bring people together as well, she said.
“We want people to see the truth, to tell them that Christ is the way,” she said.
Orellana said they were very grateful to the Town of Riverhead for recognizing their purpose and to the Riverhead Police Department for taking care of them.
He also added that the march had no political purposes, and that their one and only message was to tell people that the only way to salvation was through Jesus Christ.
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Maria Piedrabuena
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