Appendix C

Working Document for Parish Leadership (where there are Hispanic communities)

How to Use this Document

 “Each Christian and every community must discern the path that the Lord points out, but all of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the ‘peripheries’ in need of the light of the Gospel.”

~ Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 20

Recognizing and respecting that each parish has its own particular pastoral context, the pastoral leadership in each parish is invited to consider their context and the particular context of the Hispanic community that resides within its geographic boundaries. The Hispanic community in different parts of the diocese is in different stages of ecclesial integration (Welcoming, Belonging, Ownership) and this will affect local pastoral planning as well.

It should be used in conjunction with the following Church documents.

  • Evangelii Gaudium (EG)[1] The Joy of the Gospel: On the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World, Pope Francis, 2013.
  • The USCCB document Living as Missionary Disciples (LMD)[2] which offers principles that parishes can apply to their missionary discipleship and evangelization efforts within their particular pastoral context and as part of their existing planning process.
  • Creating a Culture of Encounter: A Guide for Joyful Missionary Disciples[3] which offers five sessions for small groups dive deeper into the evangelizing mission of the Church.
  • The Proceedings and Conclusions of the V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry (P&C)[4] is a summary of the four-year process of the V National Encuentro and the main conclusions. The V Encuentro process will continue to develop a renewed vision and a new national pastoral plan for Hispanic ministry scheduled for 2022.
  • Building Intercultural Competencies for Ministers[5] (BICM) – a program to learn more about different cultures and how to work more effectively in multicultural situations.
  • Best Practices for Shared Parishes: So That They May All Be One[6] – Explains the process of ecclesial integration of a newcomer group and the obstacles to integration in shared parishes.

Below are citations from these documents to delve further into the topics of the four strategic priorities. It is recommended to use the Pastoral Circle of See-Judge-Act. See includes reviewing the diocesan reality (see the pastoral plan) and considering the local reality. Judge includes considering the concepts from the vision of the Universal Church, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and our Local Church. Act invites parish leadership to discern local actions and responses, and consider how diocesan offices could support them. It is recommended to start with one or two things in each strategic priority to focus on for one or two years at the parish level. If parish leadership would like help or accompaniment in this process of study and local discernment, the diocesan directors are available to support them.

For more information about this plan or for assistance with pastoral planning at the parish level, please contact the diocesan offices at:

McRaith Catholic Center
600 Locust Street, Owensboro, KY 42301
(270) 683-1545
https://owensborodiocese.org/hispanic-pastoral-plan

Strategic Priorities from 2021 to 2026

Strategic Priority 1 – The Missionary Disciples’ Journey

Strategic Priority 2 – Leadership Development and Ministry Training

Strategic Priority 3 – Accompany Families: Couples, Children and Young People

Strategic Priority 4 – Works of Charity and Justice

[1] Evangelii Gaudium (EG) – The Joy of the Gospel: On the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World, Pope Francis, 2013. http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html

[2] Living as Missionary Disciples (LMD), United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), 2017. Available here in English and Spanish online or to purchase in print: https://www.usccb.org/committees/evangelization-catechesis/living-missionary-disciples

[3] USCCB, 2020. Available online here:https://vencuentro.org/creating-a-culture-of-encounter/

[4]The Proceedings and Conclusions of the V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry (P&C), USCCB, 2019. Available online here https://vencuentro.org/e-resources-for-proceedings-and-conclusions/

[5] USCCB, 2014. https://www.usccb.org/committees/cultural-diversity-church/intercultural-competencies. Available online or in a bilingual book.

[6] USCCB, 2014. Available in a bilingual book here:https://store.usccb.org/best-practices-for-shared-parishes-p/7-389.htm