Links | Resources

Weaving Together
A nine-step model to attain parish integration with the Hispanic Community

Pope John Paul II: ECCLESIA IN AMERICA
ON THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE LIVING JESUS CHRIST: THE WAY TO CONVERSION, COMMUNION AND SOLIDARITY IN AMERICA -- The evangelization of America is not only a gift from the Lord; it is also a source of new responsibilities. Thanks to the work of those who preached the Gospel through the length and breadth of the continent, countless sons and daughters have been generated by the Church and the Holy Spirit.

Language and Diversity: A Pastoral View
By Fr. Allan Deck, Executive Director, Cultural and Diversity in the Catholic Church (USCCB); “A source of some tension in dioceses and parishes throughout the country today is the question of language…Occasionally I have met good Catholics who are distressed that the parish offers services in Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean or many other languages….”

National Hispanic Catholic Organizations
Comprehensive listing of important Catholic organizations that work with Latino concerns

Encuentro y mission: A Renewed Pastoral Framework for Hispanic Ministry
“We, the bishops of the United States, have heard the voices of Hispanic leaders -- both laity and clergy. We especially affirm those pastoral efforts of Hispanic ministry that promote the general objective and the specific dimensions of the 1987 National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry”

Best practices for Diocesan Ministry Among Latinos (USCCB):
This document serves “to provide the bishops with models of best practices in diocesan Hispanic Ministry that would serve to assist in (1) assessing the level of development of Hispanic Ministry in their own dioceses and identifying next steps, (2) applying pastoral criteria to ensure a more systematic, collaborative, and structurally sound approach to diocesan Hispanic Ministry, and (3) developing or updating a pastoral plan for Hispanic Ministry in the context of a culturally diverse Church.”

Principles to Further Develop Hispanic Ministry
“These pastoral principles are offered to further develop Hispanic ministry in parish life and in other Catholic institutions and organizations. The principles follow a developmental sequence that brings Hispanic Catholics and other groups, from new comers to stewards of the faith community. It also transforms parishes into missionary and evangelizing faith communities that embrace all the baptized in their God given human diversity.”

Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope
“On January 23, 1999, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pope John Paul II presented his apostolic exhortation Ecclesia in America, which resulted from the Synod of Bishops of America.  In the spirit of ecclesial solidarity begun in that synod and promoted in Ecclesia in America, and aware of the migration reality our two nations live, we the bishops of Mexico and the United States seek to awaken our peoples to the mysterious presence of the crucified and risen Lord in the person of the migrant and to renew in them the values of the Kingdom of God that he proclaimed.”

Update Your Faith-Newsletter on Stranger No Longer
“As immigration policies take a front seat in our national political scene, Catholic Update offers this condensation of a groundbreaking joint letter of U.S. and Mexican bishops.”

Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity
“The Church supports the human rights of all people and offers them pastoral care, education, and social services, no matter what the circumstances of entry into this country, and it works for the respect of the human dignity of all—especially those who find themselves in desperate circumstances.”

Vocations in the Hispanic Communities of the United States
By the National Association of Hispanic Priests (ANSH), Colorado Springs, Colorado, October 13, 2008 Translated from Spanish by Fr. Allan Deck, S.J

Pathways of Hope and Faith Among Hispanic Teens.
A valuable resource for all youth leaders, a National Study of Youth and Religion by the Instituto Fe y Vida.

World Youth Day - USCCB
"Do not be afraid to say 'yes' to Jesus, to find your joy in doing his will, giving yourself completely to the pursuit of holiness"

National Youth Encuentro Manual
In the course of the First National Encounter for Hispanic Youth and Young Adult Ministry, more than 40,000 Hispanic young people raised their prophetic voices to analyze their experiences, identify their needs and aspirations, and articulate their contributions to Pastoral Juvenil and to the mission of the Church.

The National Catholic Network de Pastoral Juvenil Hispana (La Red)
An inclusive network of Roman Catholic Church based organizations and pastoral ministers committed to the evangelization, holistic development, and ongoing support and formation of Hispanic jóvenes (adolescents and single young adults 18 to 26+) in the United States. La Red promotes the articulation of its members at the national and regional levels, and fosters the creation of diocesan networks. 

Instituto Fe y Vida
“As the fastest growing sector of the Church today, Hispanic youth and young adults deserve particular attention. The National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry has long had a collaborative relationship with Instituto Fe y Vida… They clearly understand the current pastoral reality of Hispanic youth and jóvenes, and they are a most effective advocate for the young Hispanic Church.”

SOL Vocational Institute
The Sol Vocational Institute (SVI) is a ministry of the Diocesan Laborer Priests whose main target is to accompany the processes of vocational discernment of teenagers and young adults through workshops, encounters, retreats and celebrations at its location in the Sol Center or at any diocesan or parish place.

National Association of Hispanic Priests (ANSH)
Wide array of resources (primarily in Spanish), serving as bridge between clergy and all the faithful in the US and Latin America.  For example: in his letter “ST. PAUL: A MAN OF MANY CULTURES” Oscar Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga, Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras writes, “We are in the Year of Jubilee of St. Paul: A gift from His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI to all the Church; and a gift that is giving optimum results. He has reminded us that, to remember this Apostle is not just “to reflect on the past and overcome history”; instead “St. Paul wants to talk to us today.”

National Association of Hispanic Deacons
“National Association of Hispanic Deacons recognizes the specific needs that confront the Hispanic Deacons and for this reason it will strive or provide the means to respond to those needs at all levels of ministry by con­tinually assessing the experiences of the His­panic Deacon, his family and his community. The Hispanic Deacon should have a just voice in matters that affect his life, his family and his ministry.”

Marriage and Family Ministry Among Hispanic/Latino Catholics: Perspectives, Challenges and Recommendations
 “In 1983 the Bishops of the Unites States (stated) that Hispanics exemplify and cherish values that are central to the service of the church and society: A loving appreciation for God’s gift of life; a marvelous sense of community that celebrates life through fiesta; an authentic and consistent devotion to Mary, the Mother of God; and a deep and reverential love for family life, where the entire extended family discovers its roots, its identity and its strength.”

La Comunidad Cibernética Para la Formación en la Fe (CCFF) de la Universidad de Dayton
The Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation (VLCFF) is a growing initiative to offer adult religious education and faith formation anytime and anywhere via the internet. The goal is to support the church's professional ministry of religious education and faith formation in cyberspace.

Southeast Pastoral Institute (SEPI)
El SEPI es una organización educativa y de servicio que asiste a los Obispos Católicos de nueve estados del sureste a desarrollar y entrenar líderes en su fe y cultura para la integración de la comunidad hispana en la vida de la Iglesia y de la sociedad.

Northeast Hispanic Catholic Center (NHCC)
The NHCC is recognized for promoting the new evangelization and the formation of the Hispanics in the Northeast of the United States in the following areas: Promotes activities and services in favor of the Hispanic Youth; Coordinates regional services for Hispanic’s Apostolate; Facilitates the formation of Hispanic in acquiring communication skills, organization and leadership, a greater sense of responsibility and a desire to participate in the life of the Church and Society; and Supports the efforts of greeting, welcoming and accompaniment of the Hispanic in the Region by each one of the ecclesial jurisdictions.

MACC - Mexican American Catholic College
“To empower and educate leaders for service in a culturally diverse church and society by offering a bi-literate, multicultural formation program that can lead to a BA and an MA in Pastoral Ministry.”

Homilies: Reflections on the Sunday Readings (English and Spanish)
Contains “homilies in Spanish based on the Lectionary readings for each Sunday of the year, each with its own English translation.  The homilies are prepared in Spanish and translated into English - not vice versa as is oftentimes done in other books. We hope that these books will be useful to those who preach in Spanish as well as to those who preach in English.”

Liturgia
Website in Spanish providing resources on all things liturgical, including terminology, vestments, and objects.

Encuentra.com – Portal Católico
Comprehensive Spanish language website containing wide array of resources on Catholic Documents and Teachings, Sacraments, Family Life and Age-sensitive Resources, and Social Commentary.

World AIDS Day Resources

Spanish language Newspaper CENTRO de Richmond

Tidewater Hispanic News (English and Spanish)

Virginia Catholic Conference
The VCC represents the public-policy interests of the Commonwealth's Catholic bishops and their two dioceses by engaging in advocacy on respect-life, social justice, and education issues through contacts with state and federal lawmakers, grassroots advocates, and media outlets.

Bon Secours Health System Care-A-Van
Offers immunizations and free medical services to adults and children without health insurance.   Bon Secours Richmond also provides good help to those in need through its dedicated service to the community and lobbies for healthcare and social justice issues when the General Assembly is in session.

Commonwealth Catholic Charities Contact List  & Refugee & Immigration Services
Provides a spectrum of resettlement services to over 3,000 refugees and immigrants each year, including English instruction, orientation to American schools and U.S. law, and information and referral services.

Retreats Houses - Days of Reflection

U.S. Hispanic Catholics: Video news story by Religion & Ethics Newsweekly (PBS)

Latinos Demographics in the United States (USCCB)

Hispanic-Latino Population in the United States (US Census)
A presentation by the US Census Bureau that highlights past, present and future trends of the US Hispanic population.

Census 2000: Hispanic Population (PDF)

Census Quick facts (General Statistics)

Growth in the Latino/ Hispanic Population of Virginia (1990-2000)

The Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA)
The ARDA strives to democratize access to the best data on religion. Founded as the American Religion Data Archive in 1997 and going online in 1998, the initial archive was targeted at researchers interested in American religion. The targeted audience and the data collection have both greatly expanded since 1998, now including American and international collections and developing features for educators, journalists, religious congregations, and researchers.

Latino Religion in the U.S.: Demographic Shifts and Trends
‘Pentecostalization’ takes hold among Latinos; Catholic Church remains strong, By Bruce Murray; FACSNET Managing Editor

The Changing Demographics of Roman Catholics
by Rogelio Saenz (August 2005), a professor of sociology at Texas A&M University and author of Latinos and the Changing Face of America (New York: The Russell Sage Foundation, 2004).

Latino Religion in the U.S.: Demographic Shifts and Trends
‘Pentecostalization’ takes hold among Latinos; Catholic Church remains strong, By Bruce Murray; FACSNET Managing Editor

Pew Hispanic Center
Founded in 2001, the Pew Hispanic Center is a nonpartisan research organization that seeks to improve understanding of the U.S. Hispanic population and to chronicle Latinos' growing impact on the nation.  The Center does not take positions on policy issues. It is a project of the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan "fact tank" in Washington, DC that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, a public charity based in Philadelphia. Founded in 2001, the Pew Hispanic Center is a nonpartisan research organization that seeks to improve understanding of the U.S. Hispanic population and to chronicle Latinos' growing impact on the nation. The Center does not take positions on policy issues. It is a project of the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan "fact tank" in Washington, DC that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, a public charity based in Philadelphia.

Changing Faiths: Latinos and the Transformation of American Religion; Pew Hispanic Center and Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Latinos: From 200 Million to 300 Million: The Numbers behind Population Growth; Pew Hispanic Center and Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Office of Pastoral Planning, Diocese of Richmond