Whether a parish is large or small, the pastor ought to belong to everyone and not be “owned” by a certain few — school parents, generous givers, the old-timers, the young and married. No parishioner should feel that she or he lacks “access” to the pastor.

That’s a standard hard enough to achieve in a homogeneous congregation. When the distinctions are also cultural, the challenge is intensified. At least I felt that way coming to Immaculate Conception Church in Durham five years ago. The parish was roughly 65 percent Anglo and 35 percent Latino. I spoke no Spanish and found some conventional characteristics of Latinos, as a group, exasperating! With little first-hand experience of Latinos, I was pretty content to let Jacek Orzechowski, OFM, stay the course as the Latino padre. To the extent that I could, I had been pouring oil on troubled waters stirred up by problems — such as last-minute scheduling of Spanish-language events. But I was daunted by the prospect of any really “hands on” ministry on behalf of my Latino parishioners.

The embarrassment of not pulling my weight — I’d never preside at the two weekend Spanish Masses, I was not “meeting and greeting” folks before and after Spanish Masses, and I had become content to stay ignorant of the details of our Latino ministry — finally got the better of me. At last, I decided, “Hey, I can at least say ‘hola, ‘bienvenidos,’ and ‘adios,’ and, if I got into trouble, someone would be around to run interference.”

And so, I set about doing what I do today: meeting and greeting, wandering the gathering space between Masses, learning names, presiding at Mass and other sacraments, celebrating Quinceaneras, taking juramentos, blessing babies and every sort of religious article. I meet monthly with the Latino liturgical ministers and the Latino consejo. I still can’t carry on a conversation in Spanish, and I can’t un-puzzle pastoral problems. But I can “show up” — and I do.

As a result, I think the parish — at least for the Latinos — has changed. Since William McIntyre, OFM, bears the burden of much of the pastoral care that requires better language skills than I’ll ever have, he’s proven an able successor to Jacek as the el parocco in the minds of many of our Latinos. But the leaders and the many of the “regulars” who know I’m the pastor have come to feel more included as parishioners simply by my paying attention. That I offer as much as I can to them in the same way that I offer as much as I can to our Anglos has sent a signal that Latinos are as much parishioners as anybody else. As a result, I now get calls (admittedly, not a lot!) from Latinos wanting to take about a problem or share an idea.

I’ve changed, too. I’m not exasperated anymore. I’ve come to accept — and enjoy — the spontaneity of Latino celebrations. I’ve come to appreciate their popular piety. I’ve come to understand the challenges facing our Latino teens. I’ve come to value their joy in the practice of their faith and to have some of that joy myself.

My “border experience” of stepping over the cultural divide has deepened my sense of what it means to be the church’s minister. Woody Allen was right. A lot of life is just showing up.

— Fr. Dan is pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Durham, N.C.

Eighteen friars gathered at Holy Name College on June 16-17 to celebrate the blessings of the Hispanic presence and reflect on the ministry and its future. An initial “Lite” Gathering with 3 friars took place at 96 Street on May 21. We are most grateful to our hosts Fran DiSpigno, Dan Kenna, and the welcoming fraternities at Holy Name College and 96th Street.
Friar participants included John Caughlin, Todd Carpenter, Tom Conway, Mike Johnson, Erick Lopez, Jacek Orzechowski, Juan Turcios, Mike Tyson, Jud Weiksnar, and Edgardo Zea.
In one session, friars reported their experiences at local sites. Chris VanHaight explored his recent Spanish acquisition to develop a new Hispanic Ministry in Patterson. In fact, there are more children at Spanish mass than at all Sunday English masses combined. Even though pastor Dan Grigassy is not fluent, he has been very supportive in planning and the ministry of presence: welcoming and embracing his Hispanic flock, and chit-chatting in English with the young ones and greeting the others with a warm “Buenos Dias!” Dan is scheduled to celebrate mass in Spanish for the first time in July. Mucha suerte, Danielito!
Tom Conway cited Beach Haven as the only place in the deanery where baptisms are celebrated in Spanish.
Dan McLellan describes Immaculate Conception in Durham as one parish consistently discovering where bridges can be built. He has learned to preside in Spanish and enjoys the ministry of presence, stating “this is what I can give and I give it.” Bill McIntyre and Steve Patti offer formation, counseling, and crisis response ministries in Spanish.
Brian Belanger and the Siena College administration are interested in getting more Hispanic students on campus. Recently, when a visiting priest from Columbia offered the traditional Siena “Blessing of the Brains” before final exams, several Hispanic students spontaneously gathered afterwards with the Columbian priest and spoke at length. Brian acknowledged that he has not seen these students at mass and recognizes the power of a the presence of Latino minister to convoke something. Similarly, Mario Gomez as summer intern last year served as magnet at Patterson to establish a new ministry. Brian is interested in further exploring this technique. Gonzalo Torres offered a Siena visitation saying, “Aqui estoy.”
Brian also reported that Dennis Tamburello regularly celebrates Spanish mass at a local prison.
After a summer immersion program in Cochabamba, Bolivia last year, Steve Dewitt requested a year-long internship in Bolivia and Peru starting this month.
In a guided conversation facilitated by Allan Deck, SJ, Executive Director of the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity of the United States Catholic Bishops Conference, we recognized that 60% of Catholics in the US under age 35 are Hispanic. As Hispanic immigrants and their children get accustomed to life here, they move in the direction of secular American culture. Larry Hayes illustrated this reality reflecting on Langley Park jóvenes: the 18-35 year old young adult laborers know, express, and live their faith in concrete forms. The teenagers are not very motivated by faith and seem to have embraced individualism, materialism and secularism. Most friars have experienced the same phenomenon.
These realities underscored the reality that, in order to effectively minister to and with Hispanics, one has to discover ways to evangelize the American cultures. Also, Hispanic ministry can no longer be considered only ministry with the poor–it is also ministry with the young. The Hispanic presence is not a threat–it’s a gift!
We also reflected on cultural discernment, consisting of being sensitive to the values, images, and memories of where God is at work. Allan also underscored the vitality of affectivity in Latino cultures. Often popular movements such as Cursillo and the charismatic renewal respond to the needs for faith expression in emotional ways.
In a concluding conversation, we discussed possible input into the upcoming Chapter and regional days. We also considered some best practices such as:
 the Kerygma retreats offered at St. Camillus
 the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd offered at Durham, a Montessori approach which utilizes parables, story-telling, ritual, symbols, and props in transmitting the faith, captivating children, parents, and catechists
 The pastor’s welcoming presence at Spanish mass and events, even if he is not fluent in Spanish, like at Patterson and Durham
 Storytelling within the Hispanic communities as well as between Hispanic and mainstream communities (“border crossings“) which facilitate the discovery and preservation of historical and spiritual memory and build bridges between diverse parishioners
 Offering scholarships to Hispanic children to attend Catholic School
In addition, we challenged one another to look at secularity with sympathy and find where God is in it.
We encouraged one another to effectively utilize the lives of the saints, holy water, blessed sacrament, and other symbols and sacramentals. One evangelical minister who chaplains NASCAR drivers and was unable to bless a racecar with holy water said, ““You Catholic priests don’t know what you have in those sacraments!”

1. ¿Qué necesidades de la Comunidad Latina están siendo bien atendidas por los Franciscanos en su área?

2. What needs of the Latino Community are NOT being served well at present by the Franciscans in your area? What more still needs to be done? What are your concerns, worries, fears, hopes in light of the current political situation (e.g., Arizona anti-immigration law, redadas, etc.)

2. ¿Qué necesidades de la Comunidad Latina no están siendo bien atendidas en la actualidad por los Franciscanos en su área? ¿Qué más se necesita hacer? ¿Cuáles son sus inquietudes, preocupaciones, temores, esperanzas a la luz de la situación política actual? (Ej. La ley contra la inmigración en Arizona, las redadas, etc.)

Check out the current Spanish edition of Pueblo de Dios en Marcha from the Wilmington Diocese at www.cdow.org.   Scroll down the right and click.

If you would like the bi-lingual conclusion book of the First National Joven Encuentro (Primer Encuentro Nacional del Pastoral Juvenil Hispana) visit www.usccbpublishing.org or call 1-800-235-8722 or contact our keynote speaker Alejandro Aguilera at aaguilera@usccb.org.

San Antonio, Camden, NJ: http://www.stanthonycamden.org/node/19

San Pablo, Wilmington, DE: 

Inmaculada Concepción, Durham, NC:

Santa Maria de  Los Angeles, Anderson, SC:

Santa Maria, Pompton Lakes, NJ:

citas_ecological_de_los_Santos_Papas

CRS_en_Espanol_Climate_Change_Guatemala

Sugerencias_para_ahorrar_energía_y_dinero_en_el_hogar