V Encuentro Proceedings and Conclusions

176 | Proceedings and Conclusions of the V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry the Church could be more responsive to the needs of their peers. Among those responses, five major themes stand out above all others: • Evangelization and catechesis. For the young Latinos in the survey, the Church needs to strike the proper balance between evangelization and catechesis in its ministries with youth and young adults, with evangelization always taking priority. “Most kids just see rules and boring rituals, but the relationship is amazing!!!” wrote one teenaged respondent. A strong emphasis on encountering Christ in Scripture was encouraged, as was the conviction that young people should be mentored into becoming the primary evangelizers of their peers, whether in their Church groups or at school, work, family, etc. Instruction about the faith then follows, with practical application to essential real-life issues: social justice, relationships, service, making good choices in life, prayer and the spiritual life, and living the sacraments, especially Eucharist and Reconciliation. • Formation for leadership and ministry. Young Hispanics want the older generations in the community to demonstrate confidence in their potential and invite them to take meaningful roles in the ministry. They want to be the protagonists in planning sessions and programs, and in their implementation—as long as they have the proper training to carry out their roles. They also expressed the hope that adult pastoral leaders—priests, seminarians, and youth and young adult ministry leaders—would get to know the reality and challenges of young Latinos and learn how best to help them reach their goals and continue as active members of the Catholic community. • Listening, accompaniment, and vocational discernment. Many in the survey asked for the Church to really listen to the young people and let them know that they are not alone—that they are cared for. They would like the priests and religious to be more present in the lives of young Latinos, to listen to their problems, and show them the way God wants them to live. Too often they feel rejected, judged, or discriminated against, especially for their race/eth- nicity, language, sexuality, or questioning beliefs. Spiritual conversion in life comes through welcome and patient accompaniment, not by coercion or shame. The young people are especially seeking help to understand what a vocation is and how to discern a call from God. • Casting a bigger net. Young Latinos are asking for more ways and opportunities to connect with the Church. Many of the responses in Spanish asked for a “ grupo juvenil ” (group for young people) in the parish. It was not clear whether this meant the parish had no youth or young adult ministries, or there was simply no Spanish-speaking group. Either way, the young people felt the parish had little to offer them personally, and they asked for “opening spaces” with a variety of activities and events: retreats, diocesan gatherings or rallies, and programs targeted to particular interests (i.e. Scripture, prayer, music, etc.) or needs (i.e. tutoring and education, gangs, addictions, immigration, etc.). They asked for the Church to do better at communicating online and through social media, and to expand the concept of Appendix B