V Encuentro Proceedings and Conclusions

174 | Proceedings and Conclusions of the V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry For the higher levels of Encuentros , the data received is more complete. Although all dioceses gave estimates or counts of overall attendance at their Diocesan Encuentros, only about 56% of the dioceses reported the number of youth and young adults present. Their numbers indicated that about 26% of the participants were young people, for an estimated total of about 12,000. For the Regional Encuentros , every region provided both an overall count and either a count or an estimated percentage for the youth and young adults. In total, 16.5% (854) of the 5,182 regional delegates were young adults. Finally, at the National Encuentro , all attendees were asked to complete an online survey as part of the registration process. About 2% of the dele- gates and other participants representing Catholic organizations did not complete the survey, but among those who responded, 21% (607) were young adults. As was the case in the parish reflection and mission process, the Parish, Diocesan, and Regional Encuentro Teams were not asked to separate or compare the contributions of the younger del- egates in their final reports. They were, however, encouraged to be sensitive to the needs of the youth and young adults present. The approaches varied, and they included ideas such as: forming table groups consisting primarily of young people to ensure that they have an oppor- tunity to voice their ideas among their peers; accommodating the language preferences of the younger delegates; making a preferential option for younger members of the table groups to present the consensus of the group; selecting as many young people as possible to serve as delegates in the subsequent Encuentro ; and involving young people as leaders and presenters in the process. All of these techniques were incorporated into the process of the V Encuentro National Event. The celebration in Fort Worth was marked in particular by four strategies that featured the younger delegates. First, on Friday night the young adults were all invited to a facilitated din- ner encounter with a majority of the attending bishops. Second, for every panel presentation from the main stage, at least one young adult was included as a panelist, with some featuring two or three. Third, during the Saturday morning breakout session, every young adult that expressed an interest in youth and young adult ministries was assigned to the breakout session on that combined topic. And finally, young adult delegates from the San Bernardino Diocese prepared and presented a main-stage skit on Sunday morning that dramatized the impact of the V Encuentro , followed by a panel dialogue on youth and young adults. Major Themes Emerging from the Consultation One of the most impactful realities that has distinguished the V Encuentro from prior Encuentros is the sheer size of the Hispanic/Latino Catholic population—especially among the young. The changing demographics are visible at the national level in the first chart of Appendix E on page 197, clearly showing that the proportion of Latinos/Hispanics among younger Catholics today stands in stark contrast to the older generations. Similar charts have been produced for Appendix B