Group from diocese attends regional Hispanic ministry gathering
Participants reflect with colleagues on ministering to, energizing youth, young adults in the Church
On July 25-27, a delegation of the Jefferson City diocese attended a Region IX Encuentro at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kansas.
An encuentro is a spiritual retreat.
Over the years, people engaged in Catholic Hispanic Ministry in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska have cultivated a strong Pastoral de Conjunto (“communion in Mission”).
“Our collaborative spirit across the 15 dioceses in our region has been a blessing, allowing our respective ministry offices to share best practices, network, pray and celebrate our common mission,” stated Deacon Enrique Castro, executive director of evangelization and faith formation for the Jefferson City diocese.
He said one of the group’s best practices is to gather every two years for an “encuentro.”
“These encuentros provide time to reflect on relevant ministry issues and topics close to the Hispanic community in our region,” said Deacon Castro.
This year’s encuentro brought together over 80 key Hispanic young adult leaders, bishops, priests and lay Hispanic ministry personnel from across the region to pray, network and reflect on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) document, “Listen, Teach, Send: A National Pastoral Framework with Youth and Young Adults.”
Among the clergy present were Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines, Iowa, Bishop Carl Kemme of Wichita, Kansas; Archbishop Shawn McKnight of Kansas City in Kansas, Father Ramiro Sanchez of the archdiocesan Hispanic Ministry office in Kansas City, Kansas, and Father John Stang, parochial vicar in Dodge City, Kansas.
Archbishop McKnight was originally scheduled to attend with the group from Jefferson City but was appointed archbishop of Kansas City in the interim.
“However, we had the opportunity to see him there,” Deacon Castro noted.
In their pastoral letter, the USCCB offers a blueprint for energizing youth and young adults in the Church:
“This threefold path (listen-teach-send) is the framework that we are sharing with the leaders of the Catholic Church, so that, together, we might imitate Jesus Christ in accompanying you and your peers.
“We invite you to be receptive to the Church’s engagement and ministries with young people, so that you, like those two disciples on the road (to Emmaus in Luke 24), can also recognize Christ in your lives, interpret them in light of the Gospel, and choose to set forth on a lifelong path of missionary zeal and commitment.”
At the regional encuentro, nationally-recognized leaders in Hispanic ministry facilitated group reflections on each of the sections of the USCCB’s pastoral framework for ministry with young people.
“The insights and guidance provided by the facilitators allowed for deeper understanding and appreciation of the bishops’ document, as well as deeper ownership of our mission and responsibility to be missionary disciples who listen, teach and send in imitation of Christ Jesus,” said Deacon Castro.
In conversations among people at each table, participants practiced listening more intentionally.
“We taught with humility and encouraged each other to go out as brothers and sisters sent by the Lord to share the Gospel generously,” said Deacon Castro. He said the networking and “convivencia” were lively, creative and fun.
“Our encuentro was truly a moment of grace, inspiration and enthusiasm in our shared ministry with and for young adults,” Deacon Castro stated.
The text of the bishops’ pastoral letter can be found at: usccb.org/resources/listen-teach-send.
