Building Intercultural Competence for Ministers Workshop

June 6-8, 2017 

Mount St. Joseph Conference & Retreat Center

The Diocese is pleased to host this workshop which will address the challenges of evangelization in a multicultural Church, how to interact and communicate effectively with other cultures, obstacles including racism and stereotypes, and how to maneuver toward ecclesial integration versus assimilation in the Church. 

The USCCB, in their priority plan entitled, “Deepen Faith, Nurture Hope, Celebrate Life,” chose recognition of cultural diversity with emphasis on Hispanic ministry as one of their five priorities for the planning cycle of 2008-2011. Out of this plan came the development of guidelines for intercultural competence. These guidelines are being disseminated across the country via workshops entitled, “Building Intercultural Competence for Ministers.”

This workshop meets the requirements of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan to “provide ongoing education for priests to advance a greater understanding of cultural diversity and integration (Vision Statement 1, Action Statement 1, Strategy 3).”  The Diocese of Owensboro will host a workshop in June at the Mount St. Joseph Conference & Retreat Center to share the competencies set forth by the USCCB.  

Our parishes find themselves with a mixture of nationalities, languages, cultures and races. The competencies outlined in this workshop will familiarize the attendees with an introductory level in intercultural relations for ministry, providing both theological and spiritual foundations.

Attendees will learn how to:

  1. Frame issues of diversity in terms of the Church’s identity and mission to evangelize
  2. Seek an understanding of culture and how it works
  3. Develop intercultural communication skills in pastoral settings
  4. Expand one’s knowledge of the obstacles which impede effective intercultural relations
  5. Foster Ecclesial integration rather than assimilation in Church settings, with a spirituality of reconciliation and mission.

This workshop is perfect for all those involved in any form of ecclesial ministry, including priests, deacons, religious men and women, lay ecclesial ministers, parish staff, and others.

The Congar Institute for Ministry Development, based out of San Antonio, TX, is facilitating the USCCB workshop and Our Sunday Visitor provided grant money to make this possible. Our thanks to them!


Workshop Schedule

Please click here to be taken to a page with the full schedule.


Cost & Lodging

The cost for the workshop is $30. This fee goes toward the cost of materials and meals.

Lodging is available for those who are driving a distance to attend. The Mount is offering rooms at their Retreat Center for $30/night per person. If you’d like to reserve a room at the Mount, please contact Kathy McCarty at 270-229-0206 or kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org.

If you’d rather stay at a hotel in Owensboro, there are several options to choose from:

Comfort Suites (230 Salem Drive): 270-926-7675
Wingfield Inn & Suites (3220 W Parrish Ave): 270-685 2433
Hampton Inn Downtown: 270-685-2005
Holiday Inn Downtown: 270-683-1111
Sleep Inn (51 Bon Harbor Hills Drive): 270-691-6200


The registration deadline has passed for this workshop.

For more information, please contact Chris Gutierrez, Director of Hispanic Ministry, at 270-880-8018 or chris.gutierrez@pastoral.org.