The Subcommittee Mandate
The Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Island Affairs is under the direction of and assists the Committee on Cultural Diversity within the Church by working directly with the standing committee and collaboratively with other USCCB committees to affirm the gifts and contributions of Asian and Pacific Island Catholics and to provide more opportunities for Asian and Pacific Island Catholics to engage in the life of the Church and help shape its evangelizing mission. This mandate includes the following areas of responsibility: The subcommittee is directly responsible for outreach to the Asian and Pacific Island Catholic communities and to work closely with the Subcommittee on Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees and Travelers.
We, the Catholic bishops of the United States, offer this pastoral response to assist diocesan and parish leaders and all the faithful in welcoming and integrating our Asian and Pacific Island brothers and sisters as they strive to live a faith-filled life in the Catholic Church . . . Today, the Asian and Pacific Island population in the United States is the fastest-growing minority population. Nevertheless, it tends to go unrecognized in the wider US society, and there remains a need to bring more attention and support to the Asian and Pacific Island communities.
Asian and Pacific Island Catholics in the United States embody a rich and deep history of Catholicism, a synthesis of traditional Catholic practices infused with the unique cultural characteristics particular to each of the various ethnic groups that make up those identified as Asian and Pacific Islander. Asian and Pacific Island Catholics are eager to share their experiences and gifts as well as to receive support from the wider Catholic Church in the United States.
- Encountering Christ in Harmony: A Pastoral Response to Our Asian and Pacific Island Brothers and Sisters