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

Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry / From Guests to HostsAffirm the gifts and contributions of the Hispanic community.Invite Hispanics to the parish community as a homeaway from home.Archdiocese with mutual respect and cooperation.The relevant pastoral priorities to further strengthenthe pastoral planning in this step are Catechesis andHispanic Youth. See action steps under the mentionedpriority.Part iVStep 2: Make people feel at home (hospitality and welcome).Establishing a Mass in Spanish, particularly the SundayLiturgy, is the most visible sign that Hispanics arewelcome in a parish. In most cases the establishmentof a Mass in Spanish leads to the formation of a Hispanicpastoral team. The relevant pastoral prioritiesto further strengthen the pastoral planning in thisstep are Sacraments, Worship & Celebration. Seeaction steps under the mentioned priority.Suggested actions:Provide parish space for the Hispanic community where theycan be themselves and develop a sense of identity as HispanicCatholics:Offer weekly Sunday Mass in Spanish.Provide worship aides (e.g., missalettes and song books)in Spanish.Hire bilingual support (e.g., a receptionist and/or bilinguallay ecclesial ministers) to tend to the needs of theHispanic community.Allow the use of parish facilities for meeting and otherrelevant activities for Hispanic Catholics.Identify individuals who can act as a bridge between thepastor/staff and the Hispanic community when requestinguse of facilities.Pastor, parish staff, parish council and financial councilseek the opportunity to officially introduce themselvesand welcome the Hispanic community to the parish.Step 3: Develop and form ministries and ministers (organizing).Suggested actions:Encourage the Hispanic community to provide for their ownministerial needs and aspirations:Promote the active participation of Hispanic parishionersin liturgical ministries such as altar servers, ushers,sacristans, lectors, extraordinary Eucharistic ministers,and pastoral musicians.Offer training programs for Spanish-speaking and bilingualliturgical ministers: readers, Eucharistic ministers,ushers.Promote the active participation in archdiocesan trainingsessions such as the Liturgical Ministry Institute and/other training opportunities in Spanish.Have parish staff and leaders work with the Hispaniccommunity to develop a comprehensive ministry.Identify potential Hispanic leadership in the community.Invite Hispanic parishioners to participate in the pastoralplanning process.Have the pastoral council or finance council considerand assign appropriate resources to support Hispanicministry as essential to the mission and life of the parish.Invite pastors and corresponding parish staff to becomeacquainted with religious traditions such as Quinceañerasand presentaciones and take training or workshopson them.Celebrate Quinceañera celebrations in accord withArchdiocesan guidelines.Once Hispanic Catholics have the ecclesial spaceto pray and to worship in the context of their ownculture they are extremely successful in buildingcommunity among themselves and developing ministries.At the same time, the Hispanic communityrelates to the rest of the parish community and to the2 nd Phase of Development: Fostering a Sense ofBelonging in a New and Diverse CommunityStep 4: Build relationships across cultures and ministries tobuild and nurture the wider community.34