V Encuentro Proceedings and Conclusions

160 | Proceedings and Conclusions of the V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry causes, but also to be their friends, to listen to them, to speak for them and to embrace the mysterious wisdom which God wishes to share with us through them.” ( EG 198) Pope Francis has called for this “art of listening” to be renewed and integrated deeply into the pastoral practices of the Church ( EG 171), and the V Encuentro process has admirably set us on that path. Even so, the hard work of build- ing and sustaining relationships of pastoral accompaniment with all those who have been encountered in the peripheries remains as a life-giving challenge. In fact, it is at the heart of the mission of the Church. In the words of Pope Saint Paul VI, “Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evan- gelize.” ( Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14) By integrating the spirit, methodologies, and practices of the V Encuentro into its pastoral processes at all levels, theChurch has embarked on creating an institutional culture of encuen- tro that will permeate its activities and stand as a counter-cultural witness to the world. This is the necessary first step toward building the “peaceful and multifaceted culture of encoun- ter” in the world that the Pope evokes in his exhortation. Missionary disciples cannot hope to bring the culture of encuentro into the world if they have not lived it, if they have not savored it, if they have not been challenged by it, and then overcome those challenges first among their sisters and brothers in the assembly of the People of God. Yet it is not enough to embody this culture of encuentro in the Church—it must be translated also into the home, the work- place, the marketplace, and every aspect of our local, regional, and national social and political life, as well as in international relations between countries and peoples. In the history of Hispanic/Latino ministry in the United States, the V Encuentro no doubt represents a major milestone, and early indi- cations suggest that it may also be a turning point in our ecclesial history. These four years of missionary action, consultation, leader- ship development, pastoral discernment, and renewed pastoral response have been a pow- erful demonstration of the capacity for pas- toral leadership to be found in the Hispanic community in the U.S. Catholic Church. For example: • The V Encuentro was a massive undertak- ing that has achieved great success with regard to its main goal and has made sig- nificant progress on its principal long-term objectives (see page 13). • Major responsibility for its organization and implementation was primarily in the hands of Latinos—bishops, other clergy, religious, and lay ministers—who were adept at involving and collaborating with ecclesial leaders of other cultures. • These Proceedings and Conclusions amply demonstrate the ability of Hispanics to chart a course for Hispanic/Latino min- istry that can also serve as a model for the wider Church. • Looking to the future, Hispanic/Latino leaders expressed confidence that they are ready and willing to take up the challenge of creating new and renewed ministries to meet the needs of their own commu- nities, while supporting parishes, Catholic schools, dioceses, movements, and other Catholic organizations and institutions to strengthen their respective ministries. Point of Departure