USCCB appoints National Coordinator for the V Encuentro

February 23, 2017 Dear friends, Greetings of peace in the name of the Lord! We are happy to be the bearers of some exciting news. The USCCB Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church has appointed Mr. Alejandro Aguilera-Titus as the National Coordinator for the Fifth National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry. Alejandro will act in this capacity from now through October 2018, concluding shortly after the celebration of the V Encuentro National Event scheduled for September 20-23, 2018 in Grapevine, TX. Given the importance of the V National Encuentro in the USCCB Strategic Plan 2017-2020, the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church/Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs saw the need to have a full-time dedicated person on staff at USCCB to coordinate all aspects of the V Encuentro. In his capacity as Assistant Director of Hispanic Affairs, Alejandro previously acted as a part-time V Encuentro director. This appointment frees him to dedicate his full attention to the V Encuentro for the next two years, and to focus on bringing the V Encuentro process to a successful conclusion. Over the past two years, Alejandro has helped the bishops to develop the vision, goals and structure for this far-reaching initiative. Under the direction of the Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs, and in consultation with ENAVE (National) and ERAVE (Regional) teams, he has also led the efforts on fundraising and coordinated the development of materials for the process. We owe Alejandro a great debt of gratitude for his service so far, and are very happy that he has accepted the appointment. Please join us in congratulating Alejandro on his new position! In addition to the appointment of a National Coordinator, the Secretariat also is in the process of hiring a group of very talented and dedicated consultants who will reinforce the Encuentro Leadership Team in the areas of Communications, Research and Data Analysis and Fund Development, all of which are key to a successful and impactful experience. The national and specific area coordinators will work under the direct supervision of Mrs. Mar Muñoz-Visoso, Executive Director of the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, who was charged with overseeing this V Encuentro-specific team. Stay tuned. We will bring more updates as those consulting positions are filled. Let us continue to be inspired by the words of Pope Francis in his recent message to the U.S. Bishops on the V Encuentro: “We need to become ever more fully a community of missionary disciples, filled with love of the Lord Jesus and enthusiasm for the spread of the Gospel.” With gratitude for all your efforts on behalf of the V Encuentro, and of all of our brothers and sisters, we remain, Yours in Christ, Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpSArchbishop of San Antonio Chairman, Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church Bishop Nelson PérezAuxiliary Bishop of Rockville Centre Chairman, Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs