About 150 pastors and pastoral leaders serving Hispanic Catholics in the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey gathered on Oct. 18 for diocesan Hispanic Ministry Convocation at St. Mary’s Abbey on the Delbarton School’s campus in Morristown, N.J. They united to help chart the future of Hispanic ministry in the diocese.
Hosffman Ospino, professor of Hispanic ministry and religious education and chair of the Department of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry at the Clough School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College, led the synodal gathering. He has served as a consultant to help develop a process leading to a Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry in the Paterson Diocese, working alongside Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, diocesan officials, and an advisory team.
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Presided by Bishop Sweeney, the convocation brought together representatives from parishes, diocesan offices, Catholic schools, apostolic movements, and other ministerial entities serving Hispanic Catholics. The goal of the gathering was to confirm the scope of the diocese’s ministry priorities for Hispanics identified to date and generate energy, commitment, and investment for the next three to five years. Nearly half of Catholics in the diocese self-identify as Hispanic.
The process of developing those priorities was built on the insights learned through the Fifth National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry (2018), also known as V Encuentro, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2023 National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry. This process resulted in a practical and engaging pastoral plan that is attentive to the most pressing needs associated with the pastoral accompaniment of Hispanic Catholics. The pastoral plan was developed through various levels of consultation and analysis — a synodal process.
At 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 18, participants in the Hispanic Ministry Convocation joined those in the diocese for the Jubilee of Catechists, held on the same day at Delbarton, for a shared Mass in the church.
