Over 600 pastoral leaders gather for St. Augustine Encuentro

On September 2, 2017 over 600 pastoral leaders from the Diocese of St. Augustine gathered to celebrate their Diocesan Encuentro. Adults, youth, and children from 16 counties in northeast Florida traveled to Bishop John Snyder High School in Jacksonvile, Florida where the diocese hosted the event. Some drove as far as two and a half hours to participate and represent their parishes as delegates. The Encuentro began with prayer and joyful music followed by a welcome message from Bishop Felipe J. Estévez. At this time Bishop Estevez challenged participants to not be afraid to embrace their baptismal calling,

“Sometimes we need something like the V Encuentro to wake up and to say, ‘Enough of being dormant…We are all Missionary Disciples!’”

Fr. Heriberto Vergara presented the theme and history of the Encuentros. Throughout the day, selected leaders shared testimonies of the impact of the Encuentro and the needs of the Hispanic/Latino community in northern Florida, building on the consultation process already carried out in the diocese. Justino Moreno shared his experience of loneliness after immigrating to the United States and now finding a sense of family within his parish and diocesan community in the United States. Deacon Santiago A. Rosado-Rodriguez from St. Sebastian in St. Augustine, noted the changes in his parish after participants visited those who are no longer practicing their faith and those in their neighborhood.

“There is more enthusiasm for being involved in parish activities. The number of bible study participants have increased.  Many have come to ask “how can we help in parish activities? We also noticed an increase in Mass attendance on Sunday.”

He also spoke of how participants are assuming a leadership role,

“The Church is asking for their opinion, which is something new and they feel that the Church is concerned and they are seeing what they can bring to their community. Not just the Hispanic community but the mainstream Church…They have also stepped outside their parish and met people they have never met, and feel the spirit of the universality of the Church, and encountered others outside their parish.”

José Miguel Pérez spoke of his personal transformation through the process of the V Encuentro,

“I was afraid of speaking to others about God. I don’t know why. I would see our brothers from other religions going out but I never saw our family do that. We went to Mass or prayed the rosary, but we never went out to find others. The V Encuentro has changed my way of seeing things and seeing the person. I now see every moment as an opportunity to approach others, a stranger, my neighbor. I don’t feel that fear anymore. I used to feel embarrassed to do the Sign of the Cross in public. Thanks to the V Encuentro, I have let that go.”

Children emerge as Missionary Disciples

Sixty-three children under the age of 13 also participated in their own track during the Diocesan Encuentro, highlighting the importance of family to the Hispanic/Latino community. Children created a beautiful display using their own footprints as a sign of their emergence as Missionary Disciples in their diocese. The children also processed during the offertory presenting flowers they created during the Diocesan Encuentro Rev. Rafael Capo, Director of the Southeast Pastoral Center - the regional anchoring institution, reminded delegates and participants that the diocesan information gathered through the consultation process would help develop a report with the priorities and needs for the region. This report would then be presented at the Regional Encuentro on February 22-24, 2018 in Miami, Florida and would then help shape the work at the national level. Participants left excited and renewed ready to joyful share the Good News to all the ends of the earth!  

Youth and Young Adults Embrace their Leadership

Young adults in a dramatic representation of the Gospel.The diocese formed a team of 27 young adult leaders who took the V Encuentro process to the parishes throughout the dioceses, focusing on parishes located a great distance from the pastoral center. The fifth session consisted of a full day where 139 young people participated in a Youth and Young Adult Diocesan Encuentro. The Youth/Young Adult Encuentro was offered in English and in Spanish on June 10, 2017 tending to the needs of the various generations of Hispanic/Latino young people. The day culminated in a concert led by Catholic singers and songwriters Darwin Lechler and Lizzette Sanchez. The concert included praise and worship and concluded with the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Watch Highlights from the Concert

https://youtu.be/fZaSgmCXl0M Youth Ministry Coordinator, Norma Velez Garcia noted,

“For young people it was beautiful to be touched by the Holy Spirit and to live that joy. Many made a commitment and we have many young people who are now committed as altar servers and proclaimers of the Word...Because of the V Encuentro two young people, who had not received the Sacrament of Reconciliation in a long time, were able to open their hearts and express themselves and to find a priest they felt comfortable with, and received confession in Spanish.”

During the Eucharistic celebration of the Diocesan Encuentro on September 2nd, young adults helped lead the children’s track and performed a powerful dramatic rendition of the Gospel.

Did you know?

The Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche in St. Augustine, Florida is the oldest Catholic shrine in what is now U.S. territory and the first Mass was celebrated in Spanish by Franciscan friars.