National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry

Fall, 2008

Board of DirectorsMs. Enid Román De JesúsPresident Region VIIDiocese of Ft. Wayne-South Bend, IN

Rev. Pat Murpy, CSVice-PresidentRegion IXArchdiocese of Kansas City, KS

Rev. John GordonSecretaryRegion IIIDiocese of Metuchen, NJ

Mrs. María Cruz Gray TreasurerRegion XIIIDiocese of Salt Lake City, UT

Ms. Aida M. HidalgoRegion 1Diocese of Providence, RI

Mr. Juan Lulio Blanchard Region II Archdiocese of New York, NY

Mrs. Maria Johnson Region IV Archdiocese of Baltimore, MD

Region V Vacant

Ms. Fanny Tabares Region VIDiocese of Kalamazoo, MI

Sr. Ana Marie Reha Region VIIIDiocese of New Ulm, MN

Rev. Hector Madrigal Region XDiocese of Amarillo, TX

Mr. Humberto Ramos Region XI Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Isaac GoveaRegion XII Archdiocese of Seattle

Mrs. María Cruz Gray Region XIIIDiocese of Salt Lake City, UT

Region XIVVacant

Most Rev. Gustavo García-Siller, MSpSAuxiliary Bishop of ChicagoEpiscopal Moderator

Alejandro Aguilera TitusEx-Offi cio USCCB

Mr. Rudy VargasEx-Offi cio, Liaison Regional Offi ces

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Fall season is here again, winter will soon follow. The color change in the trees foliage, especially in the northern states, remind us that life is about to change, that there is a cycle in life that needs to slow down and even sometimes die to later reemerge, greener, fuller and hopefully stronger than ever.

Every season bring its own beauty and its own troubles. So do we. To me, the imperfection of mankind is the wisdom of God in us. The awareness of our human defi ciencies is sometimes our GPS to fi nd God. Without our thirst for real truth we could never fi nd real love, both revealed to us by Christ, in a simple gesture; he made himself available as real food and drink so we could fi nd each other in the same manner, as nourishment to one another.

In the breaking of the bread, Christ reveals himself to the disciples in Emmaus. After that encounter when they realized that Jesus was indeed among them, they ran back to bring the good news to the others. As Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry we are appointed by our bishops to go and spread the Good News of Christ to our Hispanic brothers and sisters in our parishes, in our regions, in our communities, no matter the season, or the changes, the challenges or our own willingness, the work needs to be done and we better be ready.

This coming summer, I invite you to come to our biennial conference and have some time for re-fl ection, share your thoughts and experiences, and together map out our hope and vision for Hispanic Ministry in the US, always keeping in mind that our heritage, our culture and our language are sown in the very fabric of who we are and what we do, because that is what God intended for us. To know who we are is a gift, and we need to bring that gift to the Church in thanksgiving through service. Very soon I will be sending each one of you a follow up letter about the details of our conference and how you can come to our conference and participate in the Notre Dame conference for free.

Save the date: From Emmaus to Jerusalem: Hispanic Ministry in Permanent Mission August 1 – 4, 2009 at the University of Notre Dame Campus.

I’m looking forward to say hello to all of you there! May Christ be our strength and Our Lady of Guadalupe our model!

Yours truly, Con cariño, in Christ and Mother Mary,

Enid Román De Jesús President

THE NCADDHM NEWSLETTERPAGE 2

Region I Region 1 will have the annual retreat of Advent on March 10, 2009 at Saint Ann Massachusetts. On October 7-16 – 2009 The Diocese of Norwich and Providence will join to do a pilgrimage to Fatima Portugal and Santiago de Compostela Spain. The cost will be $2599 plus taxes. If any body is interesting, please contact to: Sr. Jude 860-456-3349 or Aida Hi-dalgo 401-421-7833 ex. 133

Regions I, II, III and IV will have the regional meeting on Novem-ber 18-20 – 2008.

The Diocese of Fall River with the Diocese of Providence will have Las Posadas together at La Salette Massachusetts on Decem-ber 13, 2008

The Diocese of Providence will have the annual Conference of Liturgy on November 22 with the participation of Santiago Fer-nandez. Also this diocese will start the Infancy Missionary with children of 4 to 12 ages and we already have a group of children of 12 to 17 age to pray for chastity, purity, for a holy life and pro-life. We have a group of 50 young people from 5 parishes.

Region IIIThe second Hispanic pastoral musicians conference for the east coast was held at St Agnes Parish, Blackwood, N.J. The activity was sponsored by the Diocese of Camden, including 4 days of workshops and presentations by the leaders in Hispanic liturgical song and style. These speakers were invited through their collabo-ration with the National Pastoral Musicians Association. Our directors gathered May 15 – 15 in Hartford, Ct with the di-rectors of Northeast region to receive 3 days of presentation and conferences led by Dr. Hoffsman Ospino theologian from Boston College on the topic “El Horizonte Teológico del Acompañamiento Cristiano.” Our region continues to look to the Northeast Hispanic Catholic Center for the worthwhile events provided each 6 months for fellowship and formation among diocesan directors. New Episcopal appointments impacting Hispanic ministry were made in Newark Archdiocese, Rev. Manuel Cruz, auxiliary bishop for Union County vicariate was consecrated on September 8, 2008 in Sacred Heart Cathedral to an overfl owing gathering of the faith-ful, predominantly Hispanic.

Camino a EmaúsThe Word of God and Latino Catholics

American Bible SocietyCushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism

July 30 – August 1, 2009University of Notre Dame

Latina and Latino Catholics’ deep hunger for the Bible resonates with

the theme of the October 2008

Synod of Bishops, “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church.” This conference will explore

and promote God’s Word at the heart of the Church, with particular focus on

Scripture in Latinos’ lives and call to mission.

The aim of the conference is to enable leaders to develop initiatives that

advance the objectives of the Synod among

U.S. Hispanic Catholics.

Register for the Conference - Coming Soon NCADHM CONFERENCE 2009

(Registration form available soon at www.ncaddhm.org)

After Jesus’ death, two of his disciples left Jerusalem and traveled to the village of Emmaus. On their journey they met a man who uncovered the meaning of all that had happened in Jerusalem. During the meal, Jesus revealed himself in the breading of the bread. The two quickly returned to Jerusalem to tell the rest of the disciples that Jesus was alive (Luke 24: 13-35).

The aim of the conference is to deepen an understanding of the spirituality of the Christian Mestizaje and the practical ap-plication of communion and solidarity to the permanent mission in the United States. Through the process of Ver, Juzgar y Actuar we will share from our experience as Dioce-san Directors of Hispanic Min-istry the disconcerting reality as well as the signs of resurrec-tion that we fi nd in the world around us. The documents of the Church today will help to il-luminate today’s reality so that together we can continue dis-cerning and developing action plans for Hispanic Ministry.

NCADDHM Members – $350.00 (fee includes

Notre Dame Conference July 30-August1)

Non-Members – $425.00 (for NCADDHM Conference

only; must sign-up for the Camino a Emaús

conference separately)http://www.nd.edu/~cushwa/conference/Camino_a_Emaus.shtml

THE NCADDHM NEWSLETTER PAGE 3

During our regional meeting the fi ve dioceses that comprise region IV met on September 11, 2009 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM after more than a year in which there were only three members. Region IV welcomed two new direc-tors of Hispanic Ministry: Erick Gib-lin for the Diocese of Richmond, and Manuel Aliaga for the Archdiocese of Washington. We had the attendance of Alejandro Aguilera from the Department of Cul-tural Diversity in the Church of the

USCCB. He gave a presentation on the nine stages of development of Hispanic Ministry

Archdiocese of BaltimoreThe Archdioceses of Baltimore and Washington sponsored a con-ference for diocesan and parish personnel on the theme: “One Bor-der, One Body: Immigration and the Eucharist” based on the fi lm of the same title on October 14, 2008. Rev. Daniel Groody, CSC of Notre Dame, IN., producer of the fi lm, was the main speaker. The Conference looked at immigration from a global perspective, a perspective of catholic social teaching and fi nally the conceptual theological territory. Participants come mostly from both archdio-ceses, although recently parishes from Richmond and Wilmington have also attended. One of the expected fruits of the conference is to begin an Immigration Coalition to advocate for immigrants and educate Catholics on the issues of Hispanic immigrants. There are plans to update the 2003 Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry since most of the goals and action steps have been ful-fi ll. Ms Georgina Vaca continues as coordinator of Hispanic Young Adult Ministry, developing a strong outreach to young Hispanics and Armando Garcia is the new coordinator of the Hispanic Insti-tute of Leadership Formation who comes with strong educational credentials and experience in ministry.

Diocese of RichmondErick Giblin was born in Los Angeles of a Salvadorian mother and Irish father. He has moved with his family to Richmond to serve the Hispanic community. The Diocese comprises thirty three thou-sand square miles. He found a good organization in the twenty fi ve parishes with Hispanic Ministry. There is a Hispanic commission formed by twelve people who represent the different regions of the diocese. Together they are looking into leadership formation

for young adults, ministry to teenagers working toward a youth encounter, and re-connect the dialogue between the diocese and the parishes, creating bridges between diocesan offi ces and the com-munity in order to see what the offi ces need to do for and with the Hispanic community. They will research the possibility to start a diaconate program in Spanish

Diocese of Wilmington Fr. Chris Posch, OFM reported that the Diocese of Wilmington has approved the pastoral plan for Hispanic Ministry. The plan is di-vided in four mayor parts: Liturgy, Community, Social Action, and Formation. The parishes are assuming more responsibility for the pastoral care of the Hispanic community. The Offi ce of Hispanic Ministry has three persons working full time. They are working the leadership formation with the Northeast Institute of Pastoral Formation. There is a strong young adult ministry and the Offi ce is beginning to work with adolescents.

Diocese of ArlingtonFr. José Eugenio Hoyos is the Director of Hispanic Ministry in Ar-lington. There are thirty fi ve parishes with active ministry to His-panics. There are more than 600 catechists and the religious educa-tion is given in Spanish. The Offi ce of Hispanic Ministry is under a Multicultural Offi ce; however there has not been a reduction in personnel or in other resources and Hispanic Ministry continues growing strong. Priorities are the immigration services, leadership formation, support of ecclesial movements such as charismatic renewal, (with near 30,000). They continue building communication with pastors with Hispanic ministry, and councils. The diocese has decided that all seminarians before ordination need to have an experience in Mexico or Central America to learn their culture and religiosity. There are fourteen to fi fteen Hispanic priests be-tween Colombia and El Salvador. There are also several Ameri-can priests learning Spanish. The Offi ce of Hispanic Ministry will be working in a new pasto-ral plan with a multicultural view.

Archdiocese of WashingtonIn the few months in offi ce, Manuel has visited and began relation-ship with the diocesan offi ces of Youth Ministry, Parish Life, Fam-ily Life, Catechesis and Evangelization and Social Concerns. He is also reaching and visiting parishes with Hispanic Ministry. There are fourty parishes with Hispanic Ministry. There is an Institute for lay Formation in Spanish.

Region IIThe Dioceses that constitutes the Region #2 continues to promote the Hispanic Ministry.

In Albany, they continue working on the formation of pastoral agents, in collaboration with the Northeast Hispanic Catholic Cen-ter. Brooklyn Diocese will have a Formation Day for Lay Ministers in October. The main speaker of the activity will be Canon Eduardo Chavez, of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Douglaston.

In the Diocese of Buffalo they are in the phase of the second year of Pastoral Formation offered by the NEHCC. They are develop-ing a Prison Ministry and, in August, they had a Family Day at the Fatima Shrine in, Lewiston, New York. Brother Juan Lozada, in Rochester, has started a Basic Hispanic Pastoral Formation for adults, also in collaboration with the NEHCC. They helped to or-ganize the Yearly Region 2 Charismatic Congreso, the weekend of September 19-21, 2008, with the presence of Bishop Clark, who welcomed the crowd very joyfully and celebrated the Mass with concelebrants: Msgr. Malagreca, Director of the Charismatic Re-

newal, in the Diocese of Brooklyn-Queens, Fr. Walter Lawson of Radio Maria, and Fr. Benjamín Palacios of the Charismatic Catho-lic Center, Bronx, New York.

The Hispanic Pastoral Institute is still active in the Diocese of Rockville Centre. They recently received the visit of Archbishop Roberto Gonzalez of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Institute actually is offering workshops on Holy Scriptures, Christology, Family De-velopment and Spirituality.

The Archdiocese of New York completed a documentary on the devel-opment of the Hispanic Ministry in the Archdiocese. Those interested in acquiring it can contact the Offi ce of Hispanic Affairs at (212) 371-1011, ext. 2982. On October 24, 2008, this Offi ce, in collaboration with NEHCC will offer a workshop on Faithful Citizenship.

The Northeast Regional Conference of Directors will take place November 11-13, 2008, at Mount Manresa Jesuit Retreat House, in Staten Island, New York.

Region IV

THE NCADDHM NEWSLETTERPAGE 4

Region VIOhio Ohio Diocesan Hispanic Ministry Offi ces and parish leaders working with Latino communities were encouraged to participate in one of the following conferences: -The Cleveland Hispanic Ministry Offi ce and Msgr. Romero Committee with other Diocesan Offi ces sponsored the Social Jus-tice Conference with Msgr. Alvaro Ramazzini, Bishop of San Mar-cos, Guatemala as the main presenter. Bishop Ramazzini’s three presentations centered the subject of Immigrants and their strug-gles in refl ections on Scripture, Papal Documents and Catholic Social Teaching. Small group discussions considered the causes of immigration, integral solutions as a faith community and sug-gestions for organizing for advocacy. -The Cincinnati Archdiocesan Offi ces of Hispanic Ministry, Mission and Social Action sponsored, The Church’s Voice on Im-migration Reform via a Latin American Church Leader’s Perspec-tive during the US Election Year. Oscar Cardinal Rodriquez, Car-dinal from Honduras, was the main presenter for refl ections on: Developing a Spirituality to be in Solidarity with Immigrants for the Long Term; and with Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk of Cincin-nati and a panel with Archdiocesan Hispanic Ministry representa-tives on: Church’s Teaching on Migrants and Immigration Reform: Enabling Parishioners Understand and Respond to a Vital Issue in an Election Year. -A Midwest Interfaith Immigration Summit: Mobilizing for Hu-mane Reform was offered in Columbus, Ohio. Catholic Hispanic Ministry and Outreach groups from the Ohio Archdiocese/Diocese of Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus were represented at the Sum-mit as were colleagues from Kentucky, Indiana and Pennsylvania.

Michigan - Michigan has the fi fth-largest migrant farmworker popula-tion in the United States. In the State of Michigan there are 810 camps (with a licensed from the State of Michigan). Only camps with 5 or more workers (working or available to work) need to be licensed. A worker is someone who is 12 or older. 20-30% of camps do not fall under licensing requirements. Each season from May through November, approximately 23,103 migrants come to work in the area. 90-95% of these migrants are Spanish-speaking. In the different Dioceses of Michigan, special programs for the migrants are offered such as pastoral services, emergency help with food, clothing, and housing. Many volunteers and youth get involve in these programs. The volunteers gain a pastoral experi-ence that is very rich.

Migrant Confi rmations, Diocese of Kalamazoo, by Bishop James Murray. August 23, 2008.

- The Hispanic Ministries of the Dioceses of Michigan meet two times a year. The last meeting was held on August 20, 2008 at Sa-cred Heart Major Seminary of the Archdiocese of Detroit. At the meeting, each diocese gave a report, the pastoral with Hispanic youth at the state level was discussed and there was a recogni-tion and celebration of the achievements of the ICLM (Instituto Cultural de Liderazgo en el Medio Oeste) Leadership Formation Program. ICLM celebrated its 10th anniversary and for this reason they were given a recognition plaque on behalf of the State. - The Diocese of Kalamazoo had a conference regarding migra-tion and immigration issues. More than 100 clergy, religious, dea-cons and diocesan directors gathered July 31st for The Sojourner Among Us: A Refl ection on Catholic Social Teaching on Migration and Immigration Issues. The guest speakers were, Fr. Giovanni Bi-zzoto who spoke about Global Migration: World-Wide Causes and Effects; Fr. Wayne Dziekan gave the topic of Bringing it Home: The Reality of the Border; and Sr. Bernadine Karge spoke about a Comprehensive Reform for the 21st Century. The conference sought to review and discuss the current issues of immigration and migration, both locally and globally, and how they relate to Catho-lic social teaching.

The Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church (SCDC) of the United States Conference

of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is launching a new website. The Secretariat wants to build a strong online presence through the use of innovative and effec-tive communication resources to support the overall evangeli-zation efforts of the Church.

The new website features links to the fi ve ethnic offi ces in which the secretariat is organized. In the site information can be found about the Bishops’ Committee on Cultural Diversity and its subcommittees. Features include resources such as ar-ticles, PowerPoint presentations, demographics, videos and more, which will be periodically updated.

“It is our hope that the site will be a place where anyone can go to learn about the various Catholic ethnic communities, the wonderful diversity present in our Church and the many resources the Secretariat has to offer,” said Jesuit Father Allan Figueroa Deck, Executive Director of the Secretariat.

The Secretariat of Cultural Diversity was created in January of this year. It works in a collaborative spirit to promote the pastoral efforts and priorities of the Committee on Cultural Di-versity and its subcommittees. Its focus is to minister to cultur-ally diverse Catholic communities including Hispanic, African American, Asian and Pacifi c Islanders, and Native American. The Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees and Travelers also serves numerous other communities of Catholics.

The Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church new web-site address is http://www.usccb.org/scdc/index.shtml.

THE NCADDHM NEWSLETTER PAGE 5

Region VIIIRegion VIII says farewell to Anita Attea, the director of Hispanic Ministry for the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Min-neapolis. She has worked enthusiastically over the years advancing the ministry in the Archdiocese through the im-plementation of the National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry and the principles found in Encuentro and Mission as well as Welcoming the Stranger Among Us. We thank her for her dedication to NCADDHM as well as to the Re-gion. Anita will continue Hispanic Ministry at a local par-ish in Minneapolis. She looks forward to being in one parish and to having a bit more fami-ly time. At this time Estela Vil-lagrán Manacero, Coordinador de Comunidades de Base, will represent the Archdiocese at the Region.

Anita Attea and Estela Villagrán

The Minnesota Conference of Bishops are asking all par-ishes of Minnesota to reorganize January 4, 2009, the Feast of the Epiphany, as Immigration Sunday. It will serve as an occasion to further engage and inform the laity throughout Minnesota on immigration issues. The bishops are fervently inviting the parishes take concerted efforts to observe the USCCB National Migration Week. Minnesota has a history of being very welcoming to refugees and im-migrants and the Bishops hope that this will continue to be the stance of the People of God in spite of a changing climate in the United States.

Region IX1. Region 9 Meeting – As we go to print our Region is just about

to have its annual meeting at a retreat house in the beautifully scenic Griswold, Iowa from October 7th -9th. At our meeting we will be welcoming some new faces to the region as well as focusing our time on three principal topics:

• A Sharing of Diocesan Reports – this is always the high point of the meeting as people share the ups and downs of the jour-ney of Hispanic Ministry

• An Update on Raid Preparedness – our region has been hard hit by Immigration Raids and so there is a real urgency to this topic that calls all us to be prepared. We will be sharing on some of the best practices so as to be as ready as possible for the inevitable.

• A Discussion on Hispanic Youth Ministry - our region is pre-paring to host the NCYC – National Youth Conference in November 2009 and so we want to make sure that there is ample space at the table of NCYC for the Hispanic Youth of our country

Movimiento Laico Escalabriniano

2. Regional News: A number of very interesting things have been happening in our region that we wish to share with the NCAD-DHM community.

• Pottsville, Iowa – has been in the news with immigration raids on primarily Guatemalan Immigrants most of whom do not even speak Spanish. Some great outreach has been conducted by local Churches in the area and perhaps they can even offer us a model of how to proceed when faced with such a unique challenge.

• Kansas City, Missouri – is busy preparing for their Youth Conference called KCYC which serves as a forerunner to the national NCYC. A big outreach is being made to get Hispanic Youth of the metro area to be involved in this local initiative.

• St. Louis. Missouri – The Archdiocese of St. Louis, as well as Region 9 is happy to welcome Pedro Moreno as the new Director of the Offi ce of Hispanic Ministry.

• Kansas City, Kansas – The Archdiocese is delighted to wel-come Fr. Jesus Olivares, c.s. (Scalabrinian Missionary) as the new Associate to the Animator of Hispanic Ministry.

• Omaha, Nebraska – under the direction of Sr. Angela Erevia, MCDP the Juan Diego Institute is offering a series of courses on the Letters of St. Paul as a way to celebrate the Year of St. Paul.

• Kansas City Metro Area – is proud to announce the founding of a new ecumenical venture called IJAM (Immigrant Justice Advocacy Movement). This group is an interfaith community organization of clergy and laity whose main focus is justice for all immigrants in metro area. They had their fi rst ever banquet – awards dinner on September 25th and were happy to present the Voice of Faith for Immigrant Justice Award to Archbishop Joseph Naumann.

Region VIIRegional News: The Midwest Catholic Association for Hispanic Ministry (Re-gions VI and VII) will have their Annual Conference on October 21- 23, 2009 at the Hilton Garden Inn, in South Bend, Indiana. This year conference: “Aparecida: ConexiónTeológica Pastoral de Latino América con la Pastoral Hispana de los Estados Uni-dos”. Our main speaker will be Rev. Mateo Garr, S.J

IndianaSr. Karen Durliat, OSB, was named Director of the Diocesan Of-fi ce of Hispanic Ministry of the Evansville Diocese as of Septem-ber 1, 2008. Congratulations Sr. Karen!

The Diocese of Ft Wayne-South Bend is fi nalizing their plans to offer to our Hispanic Catholics a diocesan program of Education for Ministry, centered in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and general principles of leadership formation and pastoral prac-tices. This new format will be in Spanish and will be sensible to the cultural and language needs of the Hispanic parishioners in our diocese. The course is a collaborative effort of the Offi ce of Cat-echesis and the Offi ce for Hispanic Ministry.

THE NCADDHM NEWSLETTERPAGE 6

Alejandro Aguilera-Titus The recent U.S. Religious Landscape Sur-vey conducted by the Pew Research Center re-affi rms fi ndings that have been known in His-panic/Latino ministry circles for a long time. Namely, Hispanics/Latinos are responsible for most of the growth of the Catholic Church in the United States (71% since 1960). This pat-tern will continue for decades to come as His-panics/Latinos account for nearly half of all Catholics ages 18-29 (45%), and far more than 50% of new immigrants achieving permanent residency status. The Survey also confi rms that

the United States is on the verge of becoming a minority Protes-tant country, now standing barely at 51%. What is news about the Religious Landscape Survey is that Catholicism has experienced the greatest net losses among all re-ligious denominations, as a result of affi liation changes. While nearly one-in-three US-born Citizens (31%) were raised Catholic, today fewer than one-in-four describe themselves as Catholic. The impact of this loss has been offset to some degree by immigration, as foreign-born adult Catholics outnumber Protestants by a nearly one-to-two margin (46% Catholic vs. 21% Protestant). But would new immigrant Catholics stay Catholic? New immigrants from Latin America to the United States experience a dramatic shift as they go from living in a mostly Catholic culture, to function-ing in a historically Protestant, and yet, increasingly secular U.S. culture. This process of acculturation into a more fl uid and plu-ralistic society can have a signifi cant impact on Hispanic/Latino new immigrants’ religious identity. Previous studies by the Pew Research Center show that as Hispanics/Latinos move away from their language and culture, they tend to move away from their Catholic identity and practices as well. Fear of immigrants and a push for cultural assimilation may accelerate this process. There has been a considerable amount of discussion about Hispanic/Latino Catholics changing their religious affi liation. However, we know that when Hispanics/Latinos are welcomed by the local Catholic parish, and served in their own cultural and linguistic context, they are much more likely to develop an iden-tity as Hispanic/Latino Catholics, and a sense of belonging to the Catholic Church in the United States. According to a 2007 survey gathered by the Secretariat for Hispanic Affairs, USCCB, more than fi ve million Hispanic/Latino Catholics attend Mass in Span-ish every week in more than 4,000 parishes across the country. A parish model focused on mission and community building has been the key to this success story. In general, factors that contribute to the change from Catholi-cism to other religious affi liations may range from interfaith mar-riages to disagreements about certain teachings of the Church. However, there may be factors that have less to do with specifi c practices or teachings, and more to do with tendencies that per-meate U.S. culture today. A move from community focused liv-ing to individual focused living, the erosion of the institution of marriage and of family life, and a ‘way of life’ and self-worth that is measured by ones ability to produce and purchase material goods, fi nd today’s men and women with less time and energy to be in relationship with one another. These tendencies seem to be more prevalent in urban settings, where the pace of life inhibits human interaction, including religious gatherings. Pope Benedict XVI touched upon some of these tendencies during his recent visit to the United States. He remarked that we were created as social beings who fi nd fulfi llment only in love for God and for our neighbor. He added “If this seems counter-cultural, that is simply further evidence of the urgent need for a renewed evangelization of culture”. As the U.S. religious and ethnic landscape continues to change, the relationship between faith and culture will become more relevant. New immigrants, particularly Hispanic/Latinos have a great deal to contribute to this dialogue.

Region X – Arkansas, Oklahoma, TexasHurracane Ike caused so much devastation that our annual Re-gional Conference on the Family that was scheduled for September 20th and 21st in San Antonio, Texas had to be cancelled. We ask all our brothers and sisters to unite with us in prayer for the many families that were directly affected by this disaster.

On December 31st, Jorge A. Delgado will be retiring from his posi-tion as Director for the Offi ce of Hispanic Ministry for the Arch-diocese of Galveston-Houston. Sergio A. Castillo has been named Appointee Director and will assume the director position begin-ning January 1st, 2009.

Bishop Joe Vasquez will be celebrating a Mass of Thanksgiving for Jorge’s 20 years of pastoral service on November 22 at 4:00pm at Warren Chapel of the St. Dominic Center 2403 E. Holcombe Blvd. Houston, TX 77021 . All are invited to participate.

Austin Interfaith, the Justice for Immigrants Campaign, and the Diocesan Offi ce of Hispanic Ministry had a workshop on Satur-day, September 27th. Fr. John Korcsmar did a presentation on immigrant rights and how to prepare for legalization. Mr. Gil Leija, Director of the Offi ce of Hispanic Ministry in Austin, did a presentation on leadership. Lilia Martinez did a presentation on individual meetings.

The group decided on being a core team and working on sharing information with immigrants.

“This is an effort to collaborate in the work our offi ces are doing to prepare for the legislative year. My offi ce is reinforcing the efforts by supporting the advocacy for immigrants and the issues involved with just immigration policy and enforcement issues,” said Mr Gil Leija.

This is the second training workshop held in Austin , which leads to solidifying the community organizing efforts that have already begun and merges the grass roots efforts that promote and advocate for just immigration policy and enforcement. Representatives of various groups and organizations will then plan for the Texas Leg-islative Day of Advocacy scheduled for early 2009.”

THE NCADDHM NEWSLETTER PAGE 7

The Church’s Beacon Shines Brightly The Catholic Review07/17/2008

An article in last weekend’s New York Times dramatized the victimization of foreigners living in our country with-out proper documentation and the frenzied, all out effort of some to capture and prosecute them as criminals. Pastors across the country – including our own Archdiocese – tell of raids upon young immigrants who are simply seeking work in order to take care of their families’ most basic needs. As elections here approach, unfortunately public opinion and offi ce holders are pushing law enforcement offi cials to take draconian action harmful both to struggling workers and, often, to the local American communities involved.Case in point: Pottsville, Iowa. On May 12 of this year, in a scene that could be mistaken for a military operation, dozens of armed immigration of-fi cers, backed up by helicopters overhead, raided a food processing plant early in the morning and “captured” nearly

400 simple, hardworking and unarmed Mexicans. The majority has been in the community for years, active in their churches and schools and law-abiding, save for an immigration law which virtually all legislators agree is in need of radical overhaul. Most are still in jail facing deportation. Mothers of children were “compassionately” released and placed under virtual house arrest, their ankles bound with electronic bracelets to monitor their movement. The company in question has had to cease operations. In no time, dozens of family members rushed panic-stricken to the local Church of St. Bridget for sanctuary and for days were kept out of touch with their loved ones. They sought protection and aid in the form of food, legal advice and spiritual solace. The New York Times joined in telling their sorry tale: “The beacon of the Roman Catholic Church to immigrants has rarely shone more brightly.” Parishioners of St. Bridget’s (possibly remembering their own ancestors’ straits in the new land) and other local churches have come to the rescue with assistance of every kind, from both private individuals and local businesses. I write this soon after reading this distressing news story, and do so on the Sunday of the parable of the sower scattering seed—a metaphor for the word of God. Some of the seed fell on rocky, hardened ground and bore no fruit. I know that some of our Catholicfaithful who read this have hardened their opinion – I would say their hearts – to a Christian view of this woeful, deplorable situation. Dare we look at these human beings as made in the image and likeness of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ? Dare we look at them, in other words, with and through the eyes of Christ for whom no one is illegal, no one alien, no one a criminal who labors honestly to feed his family? Neither I, nor the Church, endorse illegal immigration. To do so would undermine the integrity of the rule of law and could seriously dam-age migrants themselves because of of the potential for family separation, exploitation and physical risks. The Church does, however, stand with undocumented immigrants. This position is long-held, and has always been associated with the welfare of the family. The Church’s solidarity with immigrants, regardless of their legal status, should come as no surprise to those familiar with the teachings of our Church. The two great pillars of Catholic social teaching are the dignity of the human person and the welfare of the family. Immigration is intimately connected with both, and so necessarily demands our attention. Yes, we Americans are and must be law-abiding – how rightly proud we are of that. But when hard and unjust immigration laws fl y in the face of human life’s basic dignity, shouldn’t our energies be directed toward those we have elected to bring justice to the poor and oppressed, rather than conducting manhunts? This is the justice that Jesus called for, that He still calls for through His Church, a justice that refl ects the dignity of those who live and work in poverty while still maintaining a sense of law and order. Some point to crimes committed by these “aliens,” overlooking the fact that the overwhelming majority of them are law abiding. And it might be eye-opening to look at the inner-city, 19th and 20th century records of our own ancestors, European immigrants, for a good view of wanton violence. During his visit this spring to the United States, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged our nation’s bishops to “continue to welcome the immi-grants who join your ranks today, to share their joys and hopes, to support them in their sorrows and trials, and to help them fl ourish in their new home.” The bishops can and should foster this attitude, but it is the responsibility of us all to embrace it if hearts and minds are to be changed. Not so long ago, I was an opinioned supporter of capital punishment. Somehow, by the grace of God I might presume, my mind, my heart, was changed as I heard Pope John Paul speak in St. Louis in 1999. “….the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil,” he said. “Modern society has the means of protecting itself, without defi nitively denying criminals the chance to reform. I renew the appeal I made most recently at Christmas for a consensus to end the death penalty, which is both cruel and un-necessary.” I am not so sure that anyone’s opinion will be changed as a result of these thoughts on our Church. What I am certain of is that I will receive some very angry letters very quickly. Be it known that it will be a while before I get to read them; I will be at World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia. Comfortable lodgings, ample food, passport and all documentation fi rmly in hand, thankfully. But for the grace of God it could be otherwise.

Region XIIIThe Region XIII is working very hard, as always, and things are going as planned.Each of the 10 dioceses has fi nished the summer’s activities and we are planning the new schedule for the next year.

We are exchanging our talents by visiting and giving presentations within our region.Our next meeting will be in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, November 17-18 of this year.

During this summer, the Offi ce of Hispanic Ministry in the Diocese of Salt Lake City conducted Catecheti-cal Programs in several sites. The Young Adults also, were busy with the Program of “La Biblia Desde la Optica del Jóven” presented by the “Instituto Fe y Vida”. Here are pictures of some of the participants in this program.

Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, Archdiocese of Baltimore

Narrative of the NCADDHM Logo

The candle is the primary focus; it represents Jesus the “light of the world” as the center of our faith. The lit candle also represents the Hispanic community and a new vision of Church that has emerged through the National Encuentros. It is a vision rooted in both our histories and our faith journeys in the Americas. The light radiates throughout the Americas, for it is our hope and our challenge to see us as One Church, One Faith, the One Body of Christ. The blue stained glass sky images the diversity and unity. The “templo” re-minds us of the faith passed on by the “abuelitos y abuelitas.” This logo was designed by Lionel T. Díaz.

The NCADDHMNewsletter is published twice a year.

Editor: Maria Johnson

Offi ce of HispanicMinistry

Archdiocese ofBaltimore

Archdiocese of BaltimoreOffi ce of Hispanic Ministry

The NCADDHM NewsletterNational Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry320 Cathedral Street Baltimore, MD 21201

The following are recommendations that will help create a common vi-sion of Hispanic ministry in our diocese. They are suggestions that should of course be adapted to local realities. 1. Take the time to educate Non-Hispanic parishioners and actively en-

courage them to become familiar with the realities of Hispanic cul-ture and ministry.

2. Create opportunities for Hispanic and Non-Hispanic parishioners to get to know each other and share their gifts. Strategies could be: bi-lingual liturgies on special occasions, bilingual parish bulletins, pul-pit announcements of the different parish activities, joint projects, English lessons, Spanish lessons, cultural celebrations like: Posa-das, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Epiphany, National Hispanic Heritage Month and celebrations that refl ect the other main ethnic groups of the parish.

3. Encourage parish registration of Hispanics, especially of those who request sacraments. It is helpful if families are assisted in fi lling out registration forms.

4. Form a parish Hispanic committee to be the liaison between Hispan-ics who do not speak English and the larger parish. This will facilitate better communication and a more organized ministry.

5. Actively seek Hispanic representation in the pastoral council and other parish committees. Personal invitation is the most effective re-cruiting method. Constant mentoring is needed for beginners.

6. Include Hispanic ministry in the overall parish planning and the par-ish profi le.

7. Actively search for a bilingual person when hiring new parish staff, regardless of position.

8. Pay special attention to newcomer Hispanic young adults between the ages of 18 and 35. They are a large segment of our Hispanic popula-tion, often do not speak English, have very little formal education, are undocumented, and are the ones most likely to join another church.

9. Mainstream as much as possible the religious education of English speaking Hispanic children and youth from elementary through high school, in order to start preparing future Hispanic parish leaders. HOWEVER, it is important to be sensitive to their cultural and so-cioeconomic realities, especially the fact that their parents might not speak English, their work schedules or lack of transportation might not allow them to attend regular classes and some older children might need special sacrament preparation. ALSO, it is a good idea to provide faith formation in Spanish for the parents so that they can be motivated to help their children and encourage them to learn too.

10. Provide catechesis in Spanish for those children, youth and adults who do not speak English. Formation programs in Spanish are strongly recommended for adults who speak English but whose fi rst language is Spanish. This will provide them with a safe place to develop their gifts and will ensure a constant pool of new leaders for the parish.

11. Look for Hispanic Catholics who are not coming to church. Strate-gies could be: home visits, announcements at worksites, Laundro-mats and grocery stores frequented by Hispanics, etc.

12. Identify new potential leaders, extend them a personal invitation to participate, and nurture them through their formation process.

13. Be sensitive to the particular national and socioeconomic origins of Hispanic parishioners. Celebrate their traditions, mention main events in their home countries, and try to encourage leadership among their peers, so that others will follow.

14. Use strong signs of hospitality like cultural symbols at the altar, vest-ments, welcoming people who are coming for the fi rst time, asking for their country of origin, and chatting with them after mass.

15. Network with government, private and diocesan offi ces that can provide services to the Hispanic community. For example: hospitals, doctors, lawyers, Catholic Charities, diocesan Refugee and Immigration Ser-vices, Offi ce of Migrant Ministry, Offi ce for the Hispanic Apostolate.

Ministry Guidelines