“Hispanic ministry must be seen as an integral part of the life and mission of the Church in this country.” — USCCB, Encuentro and Mission n. 60
The fifth goal of Faith in Our Future is to provide for pastoral ministry among Hispanic Catholics. One of every six Catholics in our diocese is Hispanic, and that number will continue to grow. Latino Catholics tend to be younger and have larger families than the Catholic population as a whole. In fact, national studies tell us that more than 60% of Catholics under the age of 18 are Latino. The presence of these young Hispanic Catholics is changing the “face” of Catholicism in America. Yet, we cannot take the retention of these Hispanic youth for granted.
Limited resources demand that we select the parishes in each region where a fully-established Hispanic ministry among Spanish-speaking Catholics can be developed. More than Mass in Spanish is required. We will need to put in place the necessary clergy and lay personnel to lead efforts in evangelization, pastoral care, and faith formation. Without these efforts, Spanish-speaking Catholics will remain hidden in our communities, they will drift away, or be lured away by Evangelical Protestants.
The reality is that there are English-speaking Hispanics in most or all of our parishes. This demands a commitment to developing skills for working across cultures. Faith and culture are intertwined. Culture is more than language and food; it includes attitudes, behaviors, and the way people think about the world. All parishes should consider how they can be more welcoming to Hispanic Catholics and how to make a place at the table for Hispanic leaders among the wider community. The goal is not uniformity, but rather the integration of Hispanic Catholics and their gifts into the life and mission of the Church.
Friday May 20 is fast approaching—this is the date by which all cohort core teams should submit their draft cohort evaluations and draft cohort suggestions with rationale to their Reid Group consultant.
You will need to:
Other things to consider:
1. If there is not a consensus (“I can live with it”) on the suggestions within a cohort, it is OK to send in one suggestion with Plan A and Plan B options – as long as there are rationales identified for each option.
2. To better assist you with completing the “Cohort Evaluation and Draft Cohort Suggestion forms to be submitted on May 20th we have attached the forms in editable PDF format. Click on the attachment to download the forms. Cohort Evaluation Form
3. Please do not put signatures on the draft cohort suggestion you send to your Reid Group consultant. They are only required on the final version to be sent by June 1 to Sherrie Sporek,[email protected].
4. Profiles of the Diocesan Planning Commission members can be found in the latest edition of the Monitor , Faith in Our Future monthly update and on the diocesan website atwww.dioceseoftrenton.org.
5. Please keep in mind that the cohort suggestions are just that: “suggestions.” These are not decisions; the final decisions are made by Bishop O’Connell after receiving final recommendations from the Planning Commission and consulting with other appropriate bodies.
6. We strongly encourage you to make use of the parish facilitators during this cohort phase and the next “Conversation and Response” phase of Faith in Our Future. These trained facilitators can be used to facilitate cohort core team meetings, town hall meetings and other parish gatherings at no cost to the cohort parishes. To arrange for a facilitator, contact your Reid Group consultant.
7. It is very important that you continue to update your fellow parishioners on a regular basis about the work of your cohort. You will find sample bulletin announcements in your Planning Guide on p. 50.
FAQ—Frequently Asked Questions about Faith in Our Future:
Q. When will the cohorts receive feedback to the cohort suggestions from the Diocesan Planning Commission?
A. The Commission meets on Retreat from June 14-16 to review all 25 cohort evaluations and suggestions along with the parish evaluation and data verification forms. It is expected that the Preliminary Recommendations with rationales will be sent to all cohort core team members the week of June 27th.
Q. Who will be responsible for implementing the Final Recommendations that come out of Faith in the Future?
A. Each cohort will form a core implementation team. In the period January – June 2017, these cohort teams will receive training in the implementation process and develop an action plan. Cohort implementation plans will be reviewed by the Diocesan Implementation Commission who will give feedback on the plans to the cohort teams.
In Year 2 of implementation, each cohort implementation team will make a progress report to the Diocesan Implementation Commission and develop an action plan for Year 2.
Please let us know what questions you have about your work and the whole Faith in Our Futureplanning process and we will answer them in future updates.
Msgr. Leonard Troiano, [email protected], 1-609-403-7159
Sherrie Sporek, [email protected], 1-609-403-7193
FAX: 1-609-406-7413
MAILING ADDRESS:
Faith in Our Future, Diocese of Trenton
701 Lawrenceville Road
Trenton, NJ 08648
Burlington & Ocean Counties Consultant
Tom Reid, [email protected], 1-206-947-2990
Monmouth County Consultant
John Reid, [email protected], 1-206-947-1055
Mercer County & Bi-Lingual Consultant
Cleo Molina, [email protected], 1-206-383-2536