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

Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry / From Guests to Hostsand other consultative bodies such as school boards,ministry commissions and apostolic movements. Therelevant pastoral priorities to further strengthen thepastoral planning in this step are Catechesis andForming Hispanics into Leadership. See actionsteps under the mentioned priority.Suggested actions:Open up the doors to the decision-making process and providea space at the table where decisions are made on matters affectingthe Hispanic community:Include Hispanics in parish structures as parish staff, parishcouncil members, finance council, liturgical commissionsand other pertinent parish structures.Give Hispanics an active voice in the life and directionof the faith community as a whole.Evaluate and rearticulate the parish’s mission statementto reflect the diversity of the parish to guarantee the participationof the Hispanic community.Bring Hispanic ministry out of isolation into a pastoralteamwork (communion in mission).Ask pastors and pastoral councils to review the parishvision and mission and to include the needs of the Hispaniccommunity.Plan with the Hispanic community, not for the Hispaniccommunity by including Hispanic leadership in theplanning process and decision-making.of the different cultural groups present in the faith community.h Planning is done in a collaborative style and the differentethnic communities contribute their own uniquetalents and resources to a common project.h The leadership view crisis as opportunities for growth.h Move from being the ‘diversity’ in the parish to beingmembers of a culturally diverse parish community onequal footing with all the other members.The relevant pastoral priorities to further strengthen the pastoralplanning in this step is Hispanic Vocations & ContinuingEducation for Clergy and Stewardship. Please see additionalaction steps under the mentioned priority.Suggested actions:Pastors and parish staff find meaningful ways to be involved inthe life of the faith community:Provide tutoring or other educational support servicesfor children of newcomers (especially English as a SecondLanguage for families) in public schools.Provide opportunities to access or contact public healthor social services through the parish (Department of Socialand Health Services, Catholic Community Servicesof Western Washington).Address the immigration needs of Hispanic families andindividuals as an issue of peace and justice.Respond to the needs and aspirations of their familiesand communities.Part iV3 rd Phase of Development: Achieving the Ownershipand Stewardship among Hispanic FaithfulStep 7: Pastors and parish affirm a sense of ownership forthe Hispanic community to strengthen communio in the widerparish community.Signs that a parish has reached this level of ecclesial integrationof Hispanics may include:h The pastor is fully bilingual.h The parish bulletin is bilingual and has at its center themission statement of a parish that defines itself as a culturallydiverse faith community.h The members of the pastoral council are representativeAssist families and children in dealing with the culturalgap encountered by difference of cultural values.Become more involved in addressing:h School dropout rates among Hispanics and offereducational support;h Youth, gangs, violence and drugs.Promote human dignity and just legislation in the areasof immigration, education, right to life and humanrights, border issues, labor and wage issues, and environment.Help recent immigrants to adapt to the receiving cultureby providing survival skills classes dealing with language,laws, and customs.Recognize Hispanics as part of the parish leadership and36