Pastoral Plan for HisPanic Ministry / From Guests to Hosts Hispanic ...

PaRt III — Archdiocesan Priorities, Goal, Objectives and Action Steps / From Guests to HostsPart IIIArchdiocesan Priorities,Goals, Objectives and Action StepsBasic Questions on the Implementation of thePastoral PlanQ: Is welcoming and outreach to Hispanics, particularlyto Hispanic Catholics, a requirement in the Archdioceseof Seattle?A: Yes. While civil citizenship often determines the rightto reside legally in a particular place, no such distinctionexists in the Church. One becomes Catholic by virtueof baptism and therefore has rights to pastoral andsacramental care under the Church’s code ofCanon Law regardless of the legal status orcountry of origin.Q: Does this mean that every parishmust offer a Mass in Spanish?A: No. The decision to offer a regularlyscheduledMass in Spanish or to assignSpanish-speaking priests to a particular parishwill be based on the Archdiocesan Plan forHispanic Ministry and the needs of the individualdeaneries. In consultation with the Archbishop, theVicar for Hispanic Ministry will determine the numberof Masses and their location.Q: How does a parish determine its ministry to and amongHispanics?A: First, the pastor consults with his local parish leadershipusually the pastoral council. Then the pastor shouldspeak with the dean to coordinate his parish’s effortswith other parishes in the deanery. In all of the efforts,the parish and deanery should steadily work with allmembers of the parish and the deanery to help HispanicCatholics move from being guests to hosts in the parish,fully owning the parish’s mission.Q: Does this mean that every parish must support Hispanicministry?A: Yes. Every deanery is expected to provide the Archbishopwith a deanery-wide Hispanic ministry plan. This planmay involve a deanery assessment for financial supportof the deanery’s Hispanic ministry, a rotation system ofcelebrating Masses in Spanish or other regional supportsdeemed necessary by the dean in collaboration with theVicar for Hispanic Ministry.Q: How will the pastoral plan beimplemented?A: A number of steps need to be taken at thearchdiocesan, deanery and parish levelsto implement the Archdiocesan Plan forHispanic Ministry.1. The Vicar for Hispanic Ministry iscommitted to the following steps to promotethe implementation of the pastoral plan, in collaborationwith the Assistant Director for Hispanic/LatinoMinistry Services:a. Present the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan for HispanicMinistry to all priests of the Archdiocese;b. Present the Plan to all ten deaneries;c. Present the Pastoral Plan to all Pastoral Life Directors,Pastoral Coordinators, Pastoral Associates andother key parish staff leadership;d. Provide demographic information annually on thenumbers, location and general needs of the Hispanicpopulation in deaneries and parishes;e. Survey chancery departments, parishes and deaneriesto determine the effectiveness of current ministryefforts and the level of integration of the Hispaniccommunity.Part Iii13