Sister Guadalupe Flores, OLVM, attended the National Congress of Hispanic Ministry in Chicago from Sept. 23-26. She writes of her experience at the event.
First I want to thank the office of Hispanic Affairs and through them give my profoundest thanks to the Bishop of our Diocese, Most Rev. Gerald R. Barnes, for allowing me to participate in this most marvelous event.
Present at the Congress were Catholic Hispanic leaders from different Catholic organizations in the United States. Some bishops from different dioceses accompanied us during the event as well as priests and leaders of different organizations.
For those who do not know, the Congress was organized by the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry (NCCHM) in collaboration with the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB). The theme of the Congress was “Rooted in Discipleship: Enviados A Mision”. We had opportunity to reflect on the reality of Hispanic Catholic communities under priorities identified by the Catholic Bishops of the United States in six different areas. These are:
- Ministerial Formation
- Academic Formation
- Priestly and Religious Formation
- Youth Ministry
- The Dignity of Life and of the Human Person
- Matrimony and the Christian Family
- Unity in Cultural Diversity
Personally, I had the opportunity to participate in the area of “Young Ministry”. Rev. Angel Perez accompanied us in this reflection. With his wide experience in the area of young adult and youth ministry, he helped us in theological reflection utilizing the method of SEE, the reality of the youth in light of the eyes of God and to know how to discern with wisdom this actual reality; Judge the reality of the youth intuitively and Act with prudence and charity in the face of this reality so overwhelming and disturbing. Father proposed some approaches for action which are the following:
Hunger for authenticity: youth hunger for authentic authenticity of their coordinators, that they live what they proclaim. That there be conversion and an authentic repentance that can radiate in them that sanctity, this in light of the light of Christ.
Present Vocation from Authenticity: one decides one’s vocation, that is to say, one has the freedom to decide and discover what God wants.
Promote In difference over the Different Vocations: This seems illogical and incoherent. What he proposed was to promote a sane indifference so as to enable reaching an interior serenity and in this way one can be free to make a good decision about one’s vocation.
Know how to Dialogue: In this society so chaotic and turbulent one has to have the power of dialogue; but this dialogue can only be done from the study and understanding of the Word of God. That youth learn from God the grammatical language, say the language of God with close attention and open dialogue and sincere word of God.
Promote Spiritual Direction: So as to enable an encounter with oneself and subsequently discover God in their lives.
Having completed the reflection and having listened to such sad experiences of how our youth, with their apathy and indifference, are shouting to us that we give them time and be open to their needs in this new technology age, that we may know how to respond authentically to their needs, we moved to action. To confront this reality is a great challenge, for this reason, we as the team for the area of Youth Ministry, we drew up some actions to promote a vocational culture for youth ministry. The following are some actions:
- Youth Hunger for Authenticity. To be sent in mission one has to be united to Christ (cf. Mk 3:14). The youth Minister, sent on mission by Christ and for the Church must witness this by observing all the points that follow with his/her life not just by word. In this way he/she participate in the authority of Christ who, different from the Pharisee, lived all that Jesus taught (cf. Mt.7:28-29.
- Promote a vision of vocation as a plan designed by God (cf. Eph 1:13-14). This requires the collaboration between pastoral agents and youth so as to discern such vocation; a collaboration that busies itself with youth in their concrete reality; like the individual and unique sheep, encouraging a missionary spirit that is not satisfied with those in the fold but rather goes out in search of the lost.
- Present to youth vocation as a call to love shaped by God with whom we collaborate; a call to love that is expressed by the different states of life and where true happiness can be reached by the sincere gift of oneself (cf. Rm 8:29-30).
- Promote a first contact between the experience of youth and the Word of God so that thereafter youth may attain the use of lectio divina, a lectio that proposes a believable reading of the real life of youth to serve as instrument—like a grammar—by which to understand the “language” of God in their daily lives; a lectio divina not just intellectual or sentimental but one capable of integrating all the dimensions of the person and at the same time present the youth as protagonist of his/her life in collaboration with God.
- Promote the collaboration of priests in youth ministry, but especially in instances where here is no father figure in the lives of our youth and at the same time provide spiritual direction.
- That the diocesan vocation director visit the youth groups as this is where we find the prime material for Christian vocations to each state of life.
- Starting from attentive listening to the anxieties and interests of youth, without imposing or condemning, and valuing what positively youth can contribute, promote integral processes of formation on sexuality, processes that need the collaboration of parents and priests.
Personally, I can say that this Congress should implore and question us to take immediate action in responding to the needs that oppress our youth in our care, that none may be lost.
