Bishop John Noonan | Diocese of Orland website

It was dusk outside St. Theresa Parish in Belleview as three men stood near the church doors, dressed as the Magi—Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They each carried gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh for the Christ child. These men, Henry Ayala, Paul Soto, and Gabriel Jaime Moreno, are members of the Knights of Columbus.

Ayala and Soto were part of a roundtable aimed at increasing the presence of the Knights in the Hispanic community. Ministry director Maurice Vandenbroeck suggested incorporating the tradition of bringing the Magi into Mass celebrations on Epiphany, inspired by customs from Puerto Rico where he lived for 50 years.

Ayala supported this idea to preserve cultural customs in the United States. "We wanted to have something more for Three Kings to bring our cultural customs to the United States," he said. "Many remember doing this growing up. It’s a tradition we don’t want to go away."

The initiative has boosted participation in Spanish Masses from less than 50 attendees to around 150 weekly. With support from Father Tom Connery, Soto and his wife Luz Medina designed costumes for this event using their sewing business skills.

Soto recalled similar traditions from Puerto Rico: “We used to begin a procession at 5 a.m., with a vehicle and music inviting people to come to Mass,” he said. At St. Theresa’s, each king presented gifts during Mass on January 4th before staying for photos with children.

“It is gratifying to share this tradition because even within Hispanics there are different cultural customs," Soto stated. "Sharing helps unite us as one body of Christ." Father Connery echoed these sentiments: “I know it’s part of their culture... I enjoy watching them dressed up as kings."

The Solemnity of Epiphany highlights Christ's divinity through events like His Baptism in Jordan or Wedding at Cana while celebrating His revelation via Magi visitations centuries ago which continues today by evangelizing beyond parish limits such as Dunnellon’s St John Baptist Church alongside Ocala's St Jude Parish community involvement too.