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

Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry / From Guests to HostsAppendix Dappearance of Mary to the native Juan Diego on thehill of Tepeyac in 1531 had a decisive effect on evangelization.Its influence greatly overflows the boundariesof Mexico, spreading to the whole Continent. Consequently,not only in Central and South America, butin North America as well, the Virgin of Guadalupe is21venerated as Queen of all America.Parallel structures: In a pastoral setting this term is used topoint out those pastoral processes or situations by whicha parish group or community sets up their own structuredistinct from the formal parish structure to meet pastoralconcerns and/or needs. Establishing parish based servicesin another language such as Spanish is not in-of-itselfa parallel structure.Parish: The etymological meaning of this word suggeststhat a parish is a home to immigrants: from Latin parochia“a diocese” and Greek paroikia “a diocese or parish,”from paroikos a “sojourner” or “immigrant.” It also hasthe connotation of “neighbor” in the classical Greek ofChristian writers from para- “near” + oikos “house.” Atleast in the U.S. Church history this seems to be thecase. Please, see National Parishes.Pastoral de conjunto: Also known as “Communion in Mission,”refers to the reality of the Church as communion.At its most fundamental level, this communion is theexpression of God’s desire that all may be one. The [National]Pastoral Plan describes communion in missionas movement “from fragmentation to coordination.” Itcalls for collaborative efforts and the distribution of re-22sources among ministries and groups.Pastoral conversion: A call to a profound paradigm shift inarchdiocesan, deanery and parish structures, inspired byan ecclesial reflection on the needs of the local Church.Popular piety or popular religiosity: The religious sense ofthe people which finds expressions in various forms ofpiety surrounding the Church’s sacramental life, suchas the veneration of relics, visits to the sanctuaries, pilgrimages,processions, the Stations of the Cross, religious23dances, the rosary, medals, etc.Posadas: The Hispanic community prepares for the arrivalof Christmas with processions called Posadas. This representsthe pilgrimage of Mary and Joseph on the ninenights before Jesus’ birthday. The novena (a prayer saidon nine consecutive days) of Las Posadas traditionallybegin on December 16th and continue through ChristmasEve, each night a search for shelter, a series of refusals,and a final resting place.Presentación del niño: A blessing rite of Mexican andMexican American origin. It is a custom of sacramentalnature in which a child is presented to the church. Thisblessing stems from a desire to invoke divine protectionupon the vulnerable newborn and gratitude for a safe24childbirth.Proselytism: Improper attitudes and behavior in the practiceof Christian witness to convince members of a particulardenomination to join another instead.Quinceañera: A traditional celebration of life and gratitudeto God on the occasion of the fifteenth birthday of ayoung Hispanic woman. The ritual emphasizes her passagefrom childhood to adulthood.Race: A set of biological attributes or visible characteristicswhich identify a given group, i.e. skin color or facialcharacteristics.Racism: “Racism is the sin that says some human beingsare inherently superior and others essentially inferiorbecause of race. It is the sin that makes racial characteristicsthe determining factor for the exercise of human25rights.”Sacramentals: These are blessings in the form of rituals thatprepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperatewith it. Sacramentals are not sacraments since they donot confer the grace of the Holy Spirit. For examplesof such sacramentals in the Hispanic Catholic tradition(sacramentals can also be objects) see Quinceañera and26Presentación del niño.Solidarity The awareness of communion with Christ andwith our brothers and sisters, for its part the fruit of conversion,leads to the service of our neighbors in all theirneeds, material and spiritual, since the face of Christshines forth in every human being. “Solidarity is thusthe fruit of the communion which is grounded in themystery of the triune God, and in the Son of God whotook flesh and died for all. It is expressed in Christianlove which seeks the good of others, especially of those27most in need.”46