The U.S. bishops have approved a 10-year national pastoral plan for Hispanic ministry that aims to increase Hispanic participation and influence in the U.S. Catholic Church.
Newsroom(17/06/2023 09:45, Gaudium Press) The plan envisions a Church in 2033 where Hispanic/Latino Catholic leaders have a strong presence in all aspects of the Church, including more bishops, priests, religious men and women, deacons, and teachers. Currently, Hispanics/Latinos are underrepresented in most areas of the Church, and the plan seeks to significantly increase their representation in both lay and ordained leadership positions.
The pastoral plan, the first since 1987, was overwhelmingly approved by the bishops at their 2023 spring general assembly on June 16. The development of the plan involved a consultative process with 12 USCCB committees, and it reflects the U.S. bishops‘ support for the V Encuentro process, which aimed to better respond to the U.S. Hispanic/Latino presence. The V Encuentro process ran from 2017-2020 and provided feedback that was incorporated into the new plan over the past three years.
The pastoral plan includes 10 priorities, including evangelization and mission, faith formation, pastoral accompaniment of Hispanic/Latino families, youth and young adult ministries, immigration and advocacy, formation for ministry in a culturally diverse church, pastoral care for those on the periphery, liturgy and spirituality, promotion of vocations, and Catholic education. The plan is unique in the way it integrates the objectives and activities of various USCCB committees across multiple planning cycles.
To implement the plan, a national workshop for U.S. Hispanic Catholic leaders will be held in Houston in the fall of 2023. The leaders will then bring their experience back to their dioceses for regional and diocesan workshops in 2024, before moving to the parish level. The goal is to make the plan accessible and usable at all levels of the Church, with a particular focus on the parish level where the action happens.
The approval of the pastoral plan is seen as a significant step forward for Hispanic leaders in the Church, providing them with a sense of ownership and unity with the bishops. The plan is expected to guide the Church’s efforts in Hispanic ministry and foster increased Hispanic participation and leadership over the next decade.
Bishop Oscar Cantú of San Jose, who leads the USCCB Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs, said the plan’s passage is a “shot in the arm” for Hispanic leaders who have anticipated its passage for years.
“They already know what the priorities are, and in fact many of them are already doing a lot of things that are in the plan, but I think it’s a shot in the arm for them to officially get the bishops stamp of approval and the bishops voice,” Cantú said. “A sense of ownership that we’re on the same page.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
