Provincial Encuentro for Province of Mobile- Region V

Hispanic families of the Province of Mobile—composed by the Dioceses of Biloxi, Birmingham, Jackson and the Archdiocese of Mobile gathered this past June 13 at the Saint Catherine of Siena Parish in Mobile, AL, as part of the Regional Process of Family Ministry convoked by the Regional Office of Catholic Bishops for HIspanic MInistry and the Pastoral Institute (SEPI) as preparation for the V National Encuentro of Hispanic Ministry.

Rev. Rafael Capó, Sch.P., director of SEPI initiated the gathering invoking the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the Hispanic ministry leaders and their families, the main agents of this journey. Prayers were lifted particularly for youth and children present, who were then sent to initiate their own journey towards Encuentro. Children were led by a team of mothers of the Archdiocese of Mobile and the Encuentro with youth was led by young missionaries of the SEPI Team of the Archdioceses of Miami and Jackson, in a work of pastoral de conjunto. Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi, of Mobile and Bishop Joseph Kopacz, of Jackson, accompanied the Hispanic people in this important Encuentro. "Our diversity is a sign of richness; the diversity of charisms comes from the Holy Spirit; divisions come from Satan. Thanks, many thanks for your work in building unity in diversity. That is what God desires," said Bishop Thomas J. Rodi during the Eucharistic celebration. Participants had the opportunity to share their concerns and the process of encuentro with their pastors In the afternoon, the married couple made by Laura and Fernando Gomez shared their witness of life and the guidelines to follow in order to work with families and in the family. They encouraged all present to work in their homes as the first center of evangelization. In the plenary at the conclusion of the working day, participants expressed their pastoral proposals to form leaders and to support the families in the the challenges they face daily. The voice of young people, 12-18 years of age was heard in a special way, since the youth expressed what they ask from their parents and from the church. They ask their parents not to yell at them and listen to them more attentively, to explain to them why they shouldn´t do certain things, to dedicate more time to them and be patient. They ask them not to hurt them when they are in pain, to understand them and to trust them. They ask their parents to love them as they love their parents in turn, and to express things to them in a more positive way; that they don´t tell them so much what they cannot do, but what they can do, and to give them only one thing at a time. Respect the church, the youth expressed their yearning to have masses particularly directed to children and youth: "we want the homilies to be more at our level and according to our reality." They shared their wish to have youth groups in their parishes, parish activities for the family, and to be entrusted with greater responsibilities in the church. The youth also underlined their wish to have a "better organized church and more united in faith." In response to the desires expressed by the youth, the commitment of Hispanic ministry with Catholic Hispanic youth was reaffirmed, and proposals were discussed to improve such commitment in concrete ways, including that youth groups be essential in each parish rather than an option. The encuentro concluded with a send off presided by Bishop Kopacz, from which Hispanic leadership came out renewed and with a journey to travel in the midst of these challenges toward the V National Encuentro of Hispanic Ministry. 2015 © Javier Franco.  All rights Reserved.