‘A Way of Being Church’ Hispanic Ministry leaders discuss pastoral needs of Latino Catholics

On June 16, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted overwhelmingly in favor of a 10-year plan to address the pastoral needs of Hispanic/Latino Catholics.

The following day, on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, some 250 delegates gathered with Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archdiocese of Newark, and Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, Diocese of Paterson, for the Region III Encuentro of Hispanic Leaders held June 17 in the Diocese of Metuchen’s Pastoral Center.

During the day-long conference delegates from New Jersey and Pennsylvania discussed outreach to Latino Catholics, the National Eucharistic Revival and Pope Francis’ worldwide call to be a synodal Church.

Cardinal Tobin served as principal celebrant for the Mass, which was concelebrated by Bishop Sweeney and some 15 priests from different diocesan delegations. In his homily, the Cardinal reflected on the relationship between the events and the feast days in the Church.

“The Sacred Heart of Jesus took flesh in the heart of Mary,” Cardinal Tobin said in his homily, which he preached in Spanish. “We say in the Angelus, ‘And the Word was made flesh.’ In Mary’s heart, the flesh became Word. … Jesus teaches us the wisdom of love, and Mary teaches us how to accept that wisdom.”

The Bishop continued, “We are celebrating this feast [Immaculate Heart of Mary] together at a precise moment in history, as our gathering takes place the day after the assembly of the bishops of this country approved a new National Pastoral Plan. And we are journeying with all the Catholics of this world along the synodal path, listening like the disciples on the Road to Emmaus to discern how we must change to live a more abundant life. We are looking for more than new documents, because synodality is not a program, but a way of being Church.”

Speaking on the National Eucharistic Revival, he said, “It is more than a catechesis on the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar, but an awareness that the celebration of the Eucharist commits us to a mission. But the fruits will only multiply if the faithful learn that the Eucharist they receive is destined to make them missionaries who bring the presence of Christ, who is now in them, to people who do not yet know the Lord.”

Those sentiments resonated with Deacon Asterio Velasco, director of Hispanic Ministry for the Archdiocese of Newark. “Our call to be synodal means walking and working together, clergy and laypeople, so that we all participate. Sometimes we are tempted to stay in our circles. We pray and feel holy, but what about the rest? Where is Christ outside the Church, especially those who are more in need?” he questioned.

Referring to the U.S. Bishops’ National Pastoral Plan, Andrés Arango said, “I think it’s a blessing.” Arango, who serves as the Bishop’s Delegate for Hispanic Ministry and director of Evangelization for the Diocese of Camden, stated that one of the top priorities of the plan “is the youth and how we can serve them.”

Luz Escobar, administrative assistant in the Office of Hispanic Evangelization and Pastoral Ministry for the Diocese of Metuchen, agreed. “We have more relations with the parents and grandparents because they come from Latino and Spanish countries [and] don’t speak English well,” she said. “We need to involve the youth in activities in the dioceses because they are the bridge between the first and second generations.”

During his talk on “Becoming Eucharistic People” Arango pointed out, “I think before we can be Eucharistic people, we need to have a personal encounter with Jesus,” he continued. “My spiritual father was a bishop in [my native] Colombia, and he used to ask us, ‘How much are you in love with Jesus?’ He said the measurement is how much time you spend alone with Jesus every day, not just going to Mass, not just praying the Rosary, but intimately speaking with Jesus.”

Father Ronal Vega Pastrana, parochial vicar in Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bernardsville, suggested ways to strengthen that relationship such as placing a ciborium on the altar after Holy Communion to create a greater awareness of Christ as the faithful pray.

“The secular [world] is pushing us to be active all the time,” the priest explained. “God pulls you toward him to think about what you’re doing, not just go through the motions, and to refocus.”

Kathia Arango, director of the Office for Hispanic Catholics for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, added that the National Eucharistic Revival is a great opportunity to be together as a family. “Especially us as immigrants, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a place where we can encounter our family.”

Reflecting on the day, Angelina Rodriquez, Hispanic leader from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, observed, “This meeting had all the best, the organization and the themes impacted me in some way. It has enriched us on how to live the Eucharistic Revival, it has been a meeting where they have guided us on how to improve our community of faith, see and guide others, and how to find that light source … I can personally say that my heart has been filled with strength to continue giving the best of myself within my parish and outside of it. Following the mission of the Church, I thank God for being part of this unforgettable encounter.”