Hispanic/Latino Affairs

"We, the bishops of the United States, have heard the voices of Hispanic leaders—both laity and clergy. We especially affirm those pastoral efforts of Hispanic ministry that promote the general objective and the specific dimensions of the 1987 National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry ("National Pastoral Plan" or "Pastoral Plan"). This pastoral statement, Encuentro and Mission: A Renewed Pastoral Framework for Hispanic Ministry, is addressed to all Catholics, but particularly to pastoral leaders involved in ministry among Hispanics…"

Welcome from the Subcommittee Chairman

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

We rejoice in knowing that the Hispanic/Latino people are a gift and a blessing to the Church and to the society in the United States. We know that millions of Hispanics/Latinos contribute to the life and the mission of the church in thousands of parishes and small ecclesial communities throughout the nation. Today we have an increasing number of priests, deacons, religious men and women and lay ecclesial ministers who provide leadership and service not only to the Hispanic/Latino but to the entire church. Furthermore, the proliferation of ecclesial movements such as Charismatic Renewal, Cursillo, Marriage Encounter and many other movements provide the church with great vitality and with renewed hope and joy. This rich harvest of ministers and ministries has allowed the formation of national and regional Catholic Hispanic organizations which significantly contribute to the development, formation and accompaniment and support of the increasing network of Catholic leaders of Hispanic/Latino heritage. more

Subcommittee Members

Message from the Assistant Director

The year 2012 is projected to be a very special one for discerning the signs of the times. Let’s ponder on a few of these signs:

• The great anti-immigrant wave of 2010 seems to be losing its strength, at least, at the legislative level
• The 2010 Census again shows that the Hispanic/Latino population has had the highest growth since the year 2000 and that it is the one projected to grow the most by the year 2020
• The number of parishes with Hispanic/Latino ministry is now close to 4,500
• The Church in the United States, for the first time in its history, has two active Hispanic/Latino archbishops. Archbishop Jose Gomez in the largest archdiocese of the country, Los Angeles; and Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller in the historic Archdiocese of San Antonio. More
  

The Subcommittee Mandate

The subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs is under the direction of and assists the Committee on Cultural Diversity within the Church by working collaboratively with the committee and other USCCB committees to affirm the gifts and contributions of Hispanic Catholics and to provide more opportunities for Hispanic Catholics to engage in the life of the Church and help shape its evangelization mission.

This mandate includes the following areas of responsibility:

The subcommittee is directly responsible for outreach to Hispanic communities and to work closely with the subcommittee on Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees.