A life transformed by Christ
Deacon Enedino Aquino is retiring after 28 years of serving in Hispanic Ministry in the diocese. Sister Joan Pearson recalled trips with the deacon to give Bibles to landscapers and construction workers.CHARLOTTE — Those who have had the opportunity to know Deacon “Nino” Enedino Aquino know of his commitment to the Church and his dedication to serving those most in need in the Hispanic community.
For 28 years, Deacon Aquino has worked in Hispanic Ministry of the Diocese of Charlotte, serving the vicariates of Winston-Salem and Greensboro. Throughout that time, those who have worked with him have come to know firsthand his heart for immigrants and his dedication to the faith.
Sister Joan Pearson, who worked with Deacon Aquino for more than two decades, said he had a gift for reaching out to those most in need.
In the early years, Sister Joan accompanied Deacon Aquino to places where immigrant workers gathered in Forsyth County. There, they shared Bibles and holy water with men who worked in landscaping and construction. For Deacon Aquino, those encounters were opportunities to evangelize.
“He was so good that we really brought the ministry to where the people lived. He explained that God was always walking alongside them,” said Sister Joan. “He showed me what a true missionary disciple looks like.”
But the man who is now recognized for decades of service did not always live this way. Aquino had to go through his own process of transformation.
Born in Tamaulipas, Mexico, on May 21, 1958, he was exposed to the faith from an early age. As a young man, he served as an altar boy and participated in his parish youth group, but over time he drifted from the Church.
After marrying his wife, María Luisa, and starting a family of four children, he immigrated to North Carolina in 1988 with a work visa under the Simpson-Rodino law. He initially worked harvesting tobacco and settled in Siler City, then later in Asheboro.
Immigration and Soccer
After two years, he got a job at a chicken-processing plant, where he was able to better support his family for the next nine years. It was then that he rekindled a passion: soccer.
With a semiprofessional refereeing license obtained in Mexico, he organized games and tournaments for a local league. He had dozens of teams and his own group of referees. His Sundays were completely devoted to soccer.
“My children loved it, because I brought them out and they ate at restaurants and had good food, and it didn’t cost me much as president,” he said.
However, his wife never stopped asking him every Sunday: “And what about the Church?”
That persistence became the beginning of his return to the faith.
“I went to church not because I wanted to, but out of conviction,” Deacon Aquino said. “My wife almost dragged me, because she would say, ‘Hey, what about the Mass?’
“I told her, look, I’m going to do one thing: one Sunday at church and three Sundays playing soccer,” he said. “Then three Sundays went by and I had to leave soccer and dedicate myself to the Church.”
Little by little, he returned to Mass and eventually began serving in his parish as a lector.
“My wife, with that holy elbow, would hit me hard in the ribs,” he explained, referring to how she insisted when volunteers were being sought. “Until one day I raised my hand, and I started reading.”
At St. Joseph in Asheboro, the future deacon took on new responsibilities: baptism preparation, men’s groups and marriage preparation.
Later, Father Finnerty, then director of Hispanic Ministry in the diocese, invited him in September 1998 to become the first coordinator of Hispanic Ministry.
In Winston-Salem, he began organizing training sessions, retreats and other events that significantly expanded the ministry.
“I was the first one he invited to work,” Deacon Aquino said. “He took it upon himself to train me, and I grew along with him.”
A call to be a deacon
At Father Finnerty’s invitation, he began discerning a call to be a deacon. He explains that the call was strong, but that it came with great challenges.
“He gave me a brochure in English, and it said that it was necessary for me to speak both languages, but Father Vicente told me, ‘Apply,’” he explained.
Because his English was very limited, Deacon Aquino faced many difficulties, and his initial application was rejected. But thanks to his daughter’s encouragement, he did not give up.
With the help of his family, and after many long hours of studying, he was ordained on Jan. 29, 2011, after four years of studying in English, a language he did not master.
“God whispers to the heart of man, and when you lend your ears to God, God tells you where He wants you,” Deacon Aquino said. “The Lord always knew where He wanted me.”
— Brian Segovia