While all the region's Christian ethnic groups converged Sunday on Southwest County churches, dialogues about social issues such as diversity and immigration were left for other occasions.

For on Easter Sunday, many Southwest County residents set cultural differences aside to profess their common belief that Jesus Christ —— or Cristo, to Spanish-speaking households —— rose from the dead, as chronicled in the four Gospels.

"Viva Cristo!" exclaimed the Rev. Benito Justiniano of St. Francis of Rome Catholic Church in Wildomar at the end of his homily.

"Viva!" the faithful replied.

"Viva Cristo!"

"Viva!"

"Hallelujah!"

Services conducted in languages other than English attracted the same overflow crowds Sunday as ones spoken in English. For a number of residents, Easter held an international flavor. Catholics, for instance, were mindful during worship of the condition of Pope John Paul II, the most-traveled pontiff in church history.

In the Santa Rosa branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a newer member testified that while her son was in the hospital, she persevered by recalling what God could have felt watching the crucifixion.

An official with the Diocese of San Bernardino —— which oversees the parishes in both San Bernardino and Riverside counties —— said a major portion of the 1.1 million Catholics it serves speak something other than English as the primary household language. The large crowds at non-English services were expected.

The spokesman, the Rev. Howard Lincoln, said he believes Mass is celebrated in eight different languages in the diocese, including services held Sunday at two Korean churches in Southwest County.

St. Francis of Rome

The doors were understandably wide open during Mass to accommodate the overflow of parishioners at St. Francis of Rome. The faithful on the outside looking into the Wildomar church let their children enjoy a comfortable morning, some mesmerized by skydivers off in the distance, others captivated by hymns played with Latin beats.

The adults were attentive, which didn't surprise Lincoln.

"Foreign-born Catholics bring to America their own Catholic culture that American-born ones may not have," Lincoln said. "We have found foreign-born Catholics to be very devout and wonderful examples to those of us in the United States. Their piety is a wonderful example."

For Spanish-speaking immigrants, a Catholic church may be one of the few places outside of their homes where they don't have to fetch an interpreter.

Maribel Varela said she is a 21-year resident of Lake Elsinore. Among the Latinos in the community, she said the church is vital.

"Everybody knows about St. Francis of Wildomar," she said. "It's been growing for years. … I think it's very, very important."

Santa Rosa branch

Members of various branches of the Murrieta Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregated Sunday at the Santa Rosa branch along Washington Avenue in Murrieta. Services at Santa Rosa are offered in Spanish.

The branch —— which has about 150 Latino members —— has been around since 1999, meeting in the early afternoon for about three hours of worship and teaching. There are about 9,000 LDS faithful in Southwest County.

It could be argued that LDS has a special pull to those of Latin descent. Believers assert that following his resurrection, Christ came to the Americas to visit the Nephites, elucidated in the third Nephi in the Book of Mormon.

Branch president Dave Miller said that although it's not yet standing-room-only in the sanctuary, growth is evident.

"This branch exceeded all other units as far as converts or baptisms," he said. "Some of the other wards grew, as well, from people moving in. We have missionaries available all the time."

Much as a Catholic Mass retains its structure and ritual despite language differences, the same could be said of an LDS sacrament meeting. What made Sunday's service different was that believers were called on to give testimony.

Two women —— a mother and adult daughter —— sang a hymn prior to describing their faith.

"How Christ was crucified, we need to crucify our bad actions," the mother said after the hymn through an interpreter. "We need to think about how much Christ loves us. If he could, he would sacrifice himself for us again."

The daughter's testimony became more personal.

"When I think about how my savior gave his life for me and when I saw my boy in the hospital, I remembered how God watched his son being sacrificed," she said. "For moms, we are all very special. I'm very grateful for our heavenly father."

Looking overseas

Pope John Paul II has had multiple surgeries this year, including during Lent. The pontiff's struggles with Parkinson's disease have made international headlines.

Lincoln —— who is also the pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Palm Desert —— said he hopes that all people take strength from the pope's perseverance.

"The pope has shown great courage and commitment to Jesus during the struggles that he's endured with his health for the past seven or eight years," Lincoln said. "His suffering is in union with the suffering of Christ and therefore, inspires all Catholics to follow his example."

In health, John Paul traveled to so many locales that Lincoln thinks Catholics tend to keep an emotional connection with the pope. John Paul is the only pope to visit Southern California.

"It does mean a great deal to foreign-born Catholics, too, that the pope has been in their country," Lincoln said. "Not every Catholic has the pope in his country, but believe me, the ones that do, they remember. They even remember the date."

Lincoln added that Easter should also carry an added message in the way Americans understand immigrants and other cultures.

"The core message of the Gospel is love and that Jesus Christ died for everyone, not just Christians," Lincoln said. "God created all of us in a unique and loving way and there is a sanctity to everyone's human life. … Remember that in the Gospels, Jesus Christ not only reaches out to the Jews, but to those the Jews would have nothing to do with, such as the Samaritans."

Toward the end of the Spanish-language Mass at St. Francis, a gathering swelled outside of the sanctuary as early arrivals to the next English-language Mass arrived and mixed with Latinos. Elderly English-speakers interacted playfully with the Latino children.

And for a time, the diverse groups became one on Sunday, united by a common belief celebrated as Easter.

Contact staff writer James Curran at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2627 or jcurran@californian.com.