Catechesis among Young Hispanic and Latino Catholics

The most significant question for most Hispanic families concerns whether these ministries are offered only in English or in both English and Spanish. My experience of 30 years in ministry at various levels of the Church shows that parishes that offer catechesis in both English and Spanish reach a larger segment of the Hispanic/Latino population. As a result of this approach, the faith reaches more children and their families. When a parish offers catechesis in Spanish, it also becomes possible for Hispanic/Latino parents to be catechists to their own children, regardless of their language preference.

All Saints Parish in Fort Worth, Texas, offers a good example of this practice. This parish reaches over 1,300 children with catechesis in both English and Spanish. The number of catechists, young and old, involved in this ministry is quite inspiring. Also impressive is the number of teenagers and young adults involved in various youth groups that come together under one vision for youth ministry and serve both Texan and Mexican parish families alike. The sense of unity that exists among all catechists and the families they serve is quite extraordinary and they all feel a strong sense of belonging to the parish. The most important source of this unity in diversity comes from the pastor, first, and from the catechists themselves. The respectful and inclusive way in which they talk about everyone in the parish sends a clear message to the students and their families that they are all one parish community. Even though they have faith formation classes in two different languages, they come together at different times and for different reasons over the year, including bilingual liturgical celebrations, cultural functions, fundraising activities, and community services.

Despite the success of All Saints and hundreds of parishes that follow this bilingual catechetical model, approximately one-third of the U.S. parishes where Mass is celebrated in Spanish offer catechetical ministries only in English. Recently, while visiting a diocese in the Midwest, I met a couple from Costa Rica who told me that their newly assigned pastor had disbanded the catechetical ministries conducted in Spanish. Such a decision caused sadness and even anger among a Hispanic/Latino community that could not understand why the pastor was abolishing an established successful ministry. The couple conveyed to me that one of the most bewildering aspects of this event was that the Hispanic/Latino catechetical leaders were not even consulted about a decision that affected their own children in a very direct way. They told me that this change has demoralized the Hispanic/Latino community, has resulted in fewer Hispanic/Latino children and their families participating in the catechetical program, and has caused the loss of Hispanic/Latino catechists who were no longer needed in the parish.

The ministry of catechesis, particularly in the context of the New Evangelization, needs to reflect the complexity of the cultural reality it inhabits, and to communicate how the transforming power of the Holy Spirit generates unity among peoples from diverse cultures. Cultural diversity will continue to grow in decades to come in the United States, thus changing the landscape in our parishes and communities. Such diversity is a great gift to the Church, but it also requires creativity and a sense of mission in order to foster unity in diversity through a strong Catholic identity.

Looking to the future, how can the Catholic Church in the United States increase its effectiveness in transmitting, through words and deeds, the faith to the ever-growing population of Hispanic/Latino youth? Some good answers to this question can be found in a resource recently developed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The resource, Building Intercultural Competence for Ministers (BICM), identifies five principles that have proven to be helpful in strengthening the Catholic identity of Hispanics/Latinos. Here is a brief overview of these five principles and how they may apply to catechesis among Hispanic/Latino young people and other ethnic groups:

A. Articulate a vision of ministry based on ecclesial integration/inclusion.

This principle calls for the promotion of culturally specific ministries, groups, and ecclesial movements in order to foster conversion and to build community. It also warns against the temptation to expect everyone to assimilate into a one-size-fits-all group or catechetical program.

B. Foster the inculturation of the Gospel in all cultures.

This point calls us to commit to the New Evangelization’s spirit of mission and its ongoing transformation of all cultures. Here the bishops stress that the Church exists to evangelize, not to Americanize.

C. Plan with people, not for people.

With this point, the bishops urge us to include parishioners in the planning processes and the decision-making processes for catechetical programs and projects that affect them. The document cautions us to avoid the temptation of thinking that we know the needs of others better than they do.

D. Cast a bigger net.

The fourth point promotes the formation of different catechetical programs, groups, and initiatives in order to reach a greater number of people from all cultural communities in our parishes. It also refutes the idea that allowing the formation of culturally specific ministries creates division.

E. Empower indigenous leadership.

In the final point, the bishops charge us to identify and mentor catechetical leaders and ministers who come from each cultural group in order that they can minister both to their own cultural community and to the entire parish. This point warns against using us-them language and counsels against the tendency to see one’s own culture as better or more valuable than the culture of others.

These principles can usefully guide pastors and their teams as they discern the best ways to reach, engage, teach, and mentor millions of Hispanic/Latino young people and their families into discipleship within the Catholic Church and in society, for decades to come.

ALEJANDRO AGUILERA-TITUS is associate director of the Secretariat for Hispanic Affairs for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C. He has 30 years of experience in ministry with a strong emphasis on leadership development and formation, catechesis, pastoral planning, and ministry with young people.

The entire article may be read in its entirety for free at Catechetics.com. Reprinted with permission in the Spring 2016 edition of C21 Resources, "The Treasure of Hispanic Catholicism".