V Encuentro Proceedings and Conclusions

Proceedings and Conclusions of the V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry | 13 General Assembly of 2015, the SCHA and the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church approved the five themes that would guide the small group sessions at the heart of the V National Encuentro of Hispanic/ Latino Ministry, inspired by the words of Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium, n. 24. These themes were fully elaborated in the V Encuentro Parish Guide developed by the ENAHVE Process Team in 2016, and they are: 1. Taking the First Step – Called to a Loving Encounter with Jesus 2. Getting Involved – With Words and Actions: Do it! 3. Accompanying – Walking Together with Jesus 4. Bearing Fruit – Fruits of New Life 5. Rejoicing – Celebrating the Joy of Being Missionary Disciples From the beginning, the main goal of the V Encuentro has been to discern ways in which the Church in the United States can better respond to the Hispanic/Latino pres- ence, and to strengthen the ways in which Hispanics/Latinos respond to the call to the New Evangelization as missionary disciples serving the entire Church. To that end, there are five objectives that have animated the entire process: 1. Call all Catholics in the United States to become authentic and joyful missionary disciples by giving witness to God’s Love with a prophetic voice by encountering their Hispanic brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore embracing the cultural diversity in the North American Church. 2. Promote a vision of the Church in mission that develops effective pathways to invite, engage, and form Hispanic Catholic youth, young adults, families, and ecclesial movements to live out their baptismal vocation. This includes the promotion of vocations to marriage, the priesthood, the permanent diaconate, and consecrated life. 3. Invite all Catholic leaders to engage and accompany Hispanic Catholics, particularly themost vulnerable and those who find themselves in the periphery of the Church and society. 4. Identify and promote opportunities for Hispanic Catholic pastoral leaders to serve in leadership positions in the Church and in the larger society and increase the number of lay and ordained ministers directly engaged in the New Evangelization. This will require dioceses and parishes to welcome new leaders and those seeking formation to become leaders. 5. Stimulate a new wave of faith formation and leadership development initiatives that prepare Hispanic Catholics to share and celebrate the Good News of Jesus Christ and to become leaven for the Reign of God in society. THE V NATIONAL ENCUENTRO AS A PROCESS OF EVANGELIZATION Catholics in the United States entered the process of the V Encuentro in response to the Church’s universal invitation to a New Evangelization in our day. Many are the signs of hope that give life to Catholicism in the Process and Methodology