On 2013, the USCCB’s Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs convened pastoral leaders of the Hispanic community to engage in a process of Encuentro (meaning “Encounter” in English). The V Encuentro was convened in the context of the New Evangelization and emphasized the importance of involving young, second and third generation Hispanics.
“Missionary discipleship” emerged as a central theme for the V Encuentro. In addition, the Subcommittee defined the spirituality of encuentro and accompaniment as an illustration of the Bible passage of The Road to Emmaus, which ends with the Disciples joyfully walking toward Jerusalem. Moreover, they emphasized the necessity for a continual pastoral conversation that allows the church, consistent with its missionary nature, to respond with more fidelity and enthusiasm to the Hispanic presence in parishes and dioceses and to empower the Hispanic people to live their vocation more fully as joyful missionaries.
Leaders in dioceses, parishes, lay ecclesial movements and other Catholic organizations and institutions were invited to participate by encountering Hispanic Catholics, particularly those living in the periphery through the missionary process of evangelization and consultation of the V Encuentro. The main goal of the V Encuentro was to discern ways in which the church in the United States can better respond to the Hispanic presence, and to strengthen the ways in which Hispanics respond to the call to the New Evangelization as missionary disciples serving the entire church.
The V Encuentro is a four-year process of ecclesial reflection and action that invites us to intense missionary activity, consultation, leadership development and identification of best ministerial practices in the spirit of new evangelization within the Hispanic community.
Parish Encuentros
The V Encuentro was very much a grass roots effort, and the process for it started at the local level. Beginning in 2016, local leaders in the Diocese of Camden started the process of development and training the V Encuentro diocesan team, the development and distribution of the V Encuentro process’ guide, and the development and training of 48 co-chairs of the V Encuentro parish teams, from 24 church communities.
During Lent 2017, bilingual parish small groups around the diocese began to focus on five topics from Evangelii Gaudium – The Joy of the Gospel: called to a loving encounter with Christ; execution through words and actions; walking together with Jesus; bearing fruits of new life; and celebrating the joy of being missionary disciples. South Jersey’s Hispanic Catholics gathered in their own parishes, homes and communities to reflect on how they could best become missionary disciples of Jesus Christ and urge others to do the same.
The excitement and fire for the faith generated from the more than 260 small Christian communities, which saw approximately 2,300 people young and old share fellowship and the Gospel message, did not end with the conclusion of the sessions. In May and June 2017, parish Encuentro days were held throughout the diocese, focusing on prayer, reflection and dialogue.
The V Encuentro, at the parish level, was a great opportunity to hear the needs of the Latino community and to empower new leaders to be authentic missionary disciples. Each parish’s own Encuentro included current and emerging leaders. This process definitely generated new leaders, and new passion for sharing the faith. New leaders, particularly young adults, who emerged from these missionary activities of the V Encuentro are still active in their communities and inviting new parishioners to join them in service.
Diocesan Encuentro
On October 2017, these small Christian, Hispanic communities became one family at Divine Mercy Parish for an all-day diocesan V Encuentro celebration with 320 delegates from 24 parish communities together with Bishop Sullivan.
Almost a quarter of those in attendance were young adults. There is a lot of hope for the future of Hispanic leadership. Particularly knowing that the U.S. census estimates that about 29.7 million Hispanics in the United States identify as Catholics, which represents nearly 59% of the total Hispanic population in the country. Among millennials, Hispanic Catholics represent 54% of U.S. Catholics born in 1982 or later.
The conversation of the diocesan participants produced eight priorities for Hispanics in South Jersey to focus on in the upcoming years: youth and young adults; vocations; Catholic schools; immigration; family life; evangelization; social services; and the formation of leaders.
The V Diocesan Encuentro provided the opportunity to learn about new initiatives that took place through the parish encuentros. A particular one was from a group of parishioners in the Parish of Saint Monica in Atlantic City who discerned to establish a small community of the V Encuentro in a prison. They undertook a rigorous process to get access to the jail. It was amazing to see their excitement when they were approved to visit the Hispanic prisoners. This ministry did not end with the V Encuentro process. They continue visiting periodically the prison, comforting and evangelizing more people.
Regional Encuentro
After holding their own parish V Encuentro and the diocesan V Encuentro, South Jersey’s Hispanic Catholics were ready for the regional V Encuentro. Fifty delegates, together with Bishop Dennis Sullivan, spent a Saturday on April 2018 at the San Bellarmine Co-Cathedral of the Diocese of Trenton with other 300 participants from several dioceses of Region III.
It was a great opportunity for the delegates from our diocese to reflect on the social, cultural and pastoral realities experienced by Latinos living in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. At the same time, it was a special moment to renew our commitment to the new evangelization as missionary disciples. Bishop Sullivan called the Regional Encuentro “a dynamic and encouraging ecclesial experience for the participants.”
National Encuentro
In a spirit of joy, love and collaboration, 18 delegates from the Diocese of Camden, including Bishop Sullivan, joined more than 3,000 others from around the country on September 2018 for the National V Encuentro in Grapevine, Texas.
In a videotaped statement shown to delegates at the beginning of their four days, Pope Francis shared his belief that the V Encuentro was an opportunity for U.S. Church to “respond to the challenge of going beyond what is comfortable, business as usual, and to become a leaven of communion for all those who seek a future of hope, especially young people and families that live in the peripheries of society.”
During the National V Encuentro, 28 ministerial areas were discussed in several workshops. Last year, the national team of the V Encuentro tabulated the recommendations and best practices from this process of consultation. A document was publicized with the proceedings and conclusions of these whole process.
Post V Encuentro
Regions and dioceses were encouraged to organize a post V Encuentro during 2020. Since many of them were not able to hold it due to the pandemic of COVID-19, the Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs offered a national virtual event for all dioceses to connect and then break up into diocesan delegations for discussion. The purpose of this national event was to complete the last milestone of the V Encuentro process: visualize the future of Hispanic Ministry; help dioceses and organizations fine-tune their pastoral responses at the local level; rejoice in the fruits of the V Encuentro; and be sent forth once again as joyful missionary disciples.
Thirty-six diocesan and parish staff working in Hispanic Ministry throughout the Diocese of Camden joined Bishop Sullivan, and over 3,000 of their counterparts from over 100 dioceses, in this two-day virtual event on October 2020. In step with past parish, diocesan, regional and national V Encuentro gatherings, this year’s event invited clergy, lay leaders and young adults to celebrate their Hispanic heritage and discuss the best practices that are working in creating missionary disciples in the Hispanic community.
At the end of this four-year process, we could say that the V Encuentro was an amazing opportunity to hear the voices of the Latino community — its needs, challenges, ideas and recommendations. Moreover, it was an extraordinary process to empower new leaders who have the commitment to share the message of salvation. It is important not to lose the momentum and joy; and continue to implement what we have learned to better serve the Latino community in South Jersey.
Andres Arango is Bishop’s Delegate for Hispanic Ministry and Director of Evangelization, Diocese of Camden.