Delegates from the V Encuentro Process that took place in 2017 and 2018 held a gathering on July 15 with Bishop Alberto Rojas, where he committed that in due time Hispanic leaders from the various communities will convene to review the new 10-year United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry.
During their meeting, the V Encuentro delegates presented to Bishop Rojas and shared how they kept their commitments to the Encuentro process and how they remain present in the peripheries: creating support groups for women, aiding families that suffer the consequences of addictions, and preparations to visit the incarcerated. Bishop Rojas was pleased with the process and encouraged everyone present to unite their efforts to the Synod on Synodality in addition to promising that Hispanic leaders will meet to review the new pastoral plan.
The new USCCB National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry will include national objectives and activities for implementation over the next ten years. The Pastoral Plan was developed in direct response to the priorities, recommendations, and pastoral insights generated during the V National Encuentro for Hispanic/Latino Ministry and other synodal processes over the years, including the 2018 Synod on Young People and current Synod on Synodality.
“We are deeply grateful for the evangelizing presence and many gifts of the Hispanic/Latino Community,” the new Pastoral Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry states. “We are also grateful for the process of the Encuentros, with their emphasis on listening, dialogue, discernment, and accompaniment.”
This National Pastoral Plan addresses the entire Church in the United States and seeks to strengthen the Church’s response to the Hispanic/Latino presence, while embracing and fostering the contributions of Hispanic/Latino Catholics as missionary disciples serving the entire People of God, according to the document.
V Encuentro began in 2017 and was a listening process at the national, diocesan and parish levels with its main goal being to discern ways in which the Church in the United States can better respond to the Hispanic/Latino presence, and to strengthen the ways in which Hispanics/Latinos respond to the call to the New Evangelization as missionary disciples serving the entire Church.
Elena Macias is the Managing Editor of the Inland Catholic BYTE.