One Church, unida y hermosa
Faithful attend Eucharistic Adoration at a Eucharistic procession stop. (NTC/Kevin Bartram)
In difficult moments, have you asked yourself: What would Jesus do? An equally important question to consider is: What would His disciples do?
Because our diocese and Church at large need us to step forward and become leaders — and followers. Some will need to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and some in Peter’s.
In January, I attended a conference presented by the USCCB’s Assistant Director of Hispanic Affairs Alejandro Aguilera-Titus regarding the 2023 Pastoral Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry. Born from what Pope Francis described as the most synodal process to be seen in the Church’s history, the plan addresses areas of growth identified during the 2018 V Encuentro. With the plan’s distribution in motion, the entire Encuentro process, which began back in 1972, will come to an end, Aguilera-Titus said.
Now, it’s time for the Church to put the plan into action.
"The Word of God is not just a noun. It is a verb, not a noun.” — Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller
During the opening Mass, Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of the Archdiocese of San Antonio urged us to remember that neither Jesus nor His teachings are meant to remain static over time; they are not simply lessons to accept or ignore. Rather, Jesus is a living presence within us, calling us to action and challenging us to live out the Gospel.
Everyone has an equal opportunity to heed this call, he stressed. And while the pastoral plan details how Church leaders must work together with the flock to evangelize, its success hinges on the faithful’s ability to embrace leadership and discipleship.
We are all shepherds, men and women. — Archbishop Garcia-Siller
At the conference, Aguilera-Titus said the USCCB recognized Hispanic faithful are blessed with a culture heavily ingrained with Catholic values and traditions.
The pastoral plan encourages the Church to embrace this Hispanic Catholic culture, to review its strengths and build on them.
And our diocese has much to celebrate, with an ever-active Pastoral Juvenil; dedicated and funded Hispanic Ministry department; presence from four Hispanic religious clergy serving our parishes (CORC, OFM Cap, HCG, MCHS); five homegrown Hispanic seminarians; a growing number of Hispanic deacons and catechists; and a bishop who speaks in our tongue and endeavors to know us.
Yet there is so much room to grow. We need more of our sons to join the seminary and more daughters to discern religious life; we need strong adult formation; and we need a greater reverence for the Eucharist above all else.
We have issued an urgent call for a renewed appreciation of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. — From the 2023 Pastoral Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry
Like many native speakers, I consider my native tongue to be at the root of my Catholic identity. Growing up, I prayed, attended Mass, and celebrated Catholic traditions in Spanish. As an adult, English is now my dominant language, but it still feels like I’m coming home when I attend a Spanish Mass. The nuance and beauty of my parents' prayers are there, and the warmth of the Holy Spirit is so vibrant and present.
As a bilingual Catholic, I’ve reaped the benefits of participating in our Spanish and English faith communities; and as a diocesan reporter, I’ve had the privilege to step into beautiful celebrations of the Eucharist in a variety of the different languages: ASL, Ghanian, Latin, Korean, Igbo, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
There’s so much to learn and enjoy about Christ in these varied faith communities — and this need is reflected in the pastoral plan. It reminds us that our multicultural celebration of the Eucharist unites us, and it is our shared responsibility to evangelize this gift, no matter the language.
Because the time to look for Jesus in the perspectives of our brothers and sisters, to welcome Him and adore Him in all His colors and tongues is here and now.
"We need a Church that speaks in more than one language, but with one heart in faith." — Alejandro Aguilera-Titus