Most Reverend José H. Gómez, S.T.D.
Archbishop of San Antonio
Dear Friends in Christ,
On January 1, 2008 a reorganization of the USCCB went into effect. One of the results of this was the creation of one of the largest committees of the Bishops’ Conference, the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church. I was honored to be elected first chairman of this committee at the bishops’ November 2007 annual meeting in Baltimore.
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En español
Fr. Allan Figueroa Deck, S.J.
CNS photo/Sang H. Park
A Message from the Executive Director
Effective pastoral ministry depends on the ability to respond to the needs of people in a way that respects their identity and deepest values...
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Father Deck Named Director
President/Executive Director of the Loyola Institute for Spirituality, Orange, CA, has been named the first Executive Director of the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church.
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The Mandate
The Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church assists the bishops in instilling the vision of Encuentro 2000 and Ecclesia in America throughout the Church by working collaboratively with all the committees of the Conference and with bishops and their dioceses to bring Catholics from various culturally diverse communities into a fuller participation in the faith, life, and evangelizing mission of the Church. The committee especially works to promote an awareness of cultural diversity within all the committees and offices of the USCCB.
This mandate includes the following responsibilities: Pastoral care of Hispanic Catholics, African American Catholics, Native American Catholics, Asian Catholics, African Catholics, Pacific Islander Catholics, Catholic migrants and refugees and people on the move.