MADISON — Once again Hispanic leaders from our diocese come together to continue the five-year process of the V Encuentro.
Back in March, about 12 people of the team were going to attend a regional gathering in Mundelein Seminary in Illinois.
This event was focused on welcoming the participation of all the dioceses of Region VII (consisting of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin) to lead valuable discussion and helping Region VII establish strategies for different ministerial areas.
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| The three delegates from the Diocese of Madison pictured on registration day at the National V Encuentro are, from left: John Rojas, Fr. Jorge Miramontes, and Edgar Martinez. They are standing in front of the Gaylord Texan Resort Hotel and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. (Contributed photo) |
GRAPEVINE, Texas — Delegates from the Diocese of Madison joined over 2,700 National Delegates who came from all regions of the United States in order to represent their respective dioceses at the National V Encuentro (Fifth National Gathering of Hispanic/Latino Ministry) sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). It was held in Grapevine, Texas, from September 20 to September 23.
With the full support of Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison, Fr. Jorge Miramontes, Mr. Edgar Martinez, and Mr. John Rojas were able to be present during these four days of intense activity to represent the Diocese of Madison.
This event is the result of four years of intense planning and preparation focused on the theme “Discípulos Misionerios: Testigos del Amor de Dios” (“Missionary Disciples: Witnesses of God’s Love”). Indeed, the goal of this process is to discover ways that the Catholic Church can be more responsive to the needs of Hispanic Catholics and to empower and encourage the Hispanic Catholics to be more involved in the Church’s work of evangelization.
The Encuentro event unfolded beautifully. Firstly, after the Welcome and the Opening Prayer, His Holiness Pope Francis surprised the attendees with an unexpected seven-minute recorded greeting with the following introduction
Pope Francis said, “Dear brother bishops and delegates to the Fifth National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry, I am overjoyed to speak to you on this occasion. It is a historic moment for the Church in the United States. Through this Fifth Encuentro, you seek to create a culture of encounter that rekindles hope. By gathering with people from different cultures, different ways of living, of thinking, of feeling — you encounter one another and walk together in hope.”
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| Lorianne Aubut, delegate from the Diocese of Madison, reports at one of the plenary sessions at the Region VII V Encuentro held recently at the University of Notre Dame. (Photo provided by Lorianne Aubut) | ||
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — On Friday, June 8, 10 Hispanic diocesan delegates from nine different parishes, accompanied by the Vicar General Msgr. Jim Bartylla, the Encuentro diocesan Chairperson Edgar Martínez and his son Juan Pablo Martínez, departed for the University of Notre Dame in Indiana to attend the weekend long Regional V Encuentro.
Region VII consists of the dioceses in the states of Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin, with 13 of the 16 dioceses represented at the Encuentro.
Back in March, the Diocese of Madison held its Diocesan V Encuentro, where close to 100 parish delegates came together to discuss and provide strategies and recommendations to Region VII with the purpose of creating more Hispanic leaders in the Church.
The Region VII V Encuentro is part of the National V Encuentro process, which has as a goal to have a continual pastoral conversation that allows the Church to respond with more fidelity and enthusiasm to the Hispanic/Latino presence in parishes and dioceses, and for the Church to empower the Hispanic/Latino people to live their vocation more fully as joyful missionaries.
This Regional V Encuentro, attended by nearly 200 delegates and guests, began on Friday, June 8, with an opening Spanish liturgy celebrated by Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades, Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend.
“Missionary Disciples: Witnesses of God’s Love” was the theme of the V Encuentro (“Fifth Encounter”) for the Diocese of Madison held on March 11 at St. Maria Goretti Church in Madison.
MADISON — Since 1972, the Catholic bishhops in the United States have held an Encuentro every five to eight years to give Hispanic/Latino Catholics an opportunity to express their needs, aspirations, and contributions to the Church.
In 2018, the fifth Encuentro — V Encuentro — is being held throughout the country. Its theme is “Missionary Disciples: Witnesses of God’s Love.” The main goal of the V Encuentro is to discern ways in which the Church in the United States can better respond to the Hispanic/Latino presence, and to strengthen the ways in which Hispanics/Latinos respond to the call to the New Evangelization as missionary disciples serving the entire Church.
MADISON — Recently a group of priests involved in Hispanic Ministry in the Diocese of Madison met to begin to plan for a diocesan-wide effort to welcome and minister to Hispanic Catholics living in the diocese.
The priests are hoping to involve Hispanic parishioners following a grass-roots, consultative format that has been initiated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops called Encuentro. Encuentro is a national effort on behalf of the Catholic Church in the United States to respond to the needs of Hispanic Catholics and to strengthen the ways in which Hispanics respond to the call to the New Evangelization as missionary disciples serving the entire Church.
