V Encuentro Proceedings and Conclusions

68 | Proceedings and Conclusions of the V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry Cardinal O’Malley reminded us that we are not alone, because we can always count on God’s love, forgiveness, and protection. In addition to God’s love and presence, Mary will always accompany us in our missionary journey. We are called to be a people of “yes” and to fulfill God’s mission of announcing the Good News to the poor, liberating prisoners, and giving sight to the blind. “Your homework as missionary disciples is to help our Church find the joy of the Gospel in the middle of the darkness and pain.” “The irony is that people think that we Catholics are the ‘People of No.’ – ‘Don’t do this. Don’t do that.’ But we are the people of Yes! Yes to God! Yes to Life! Yes to Love! Yes to Justice!” Keynote: Liberation and Renewal Revealed – Most Rev. Arturo Cepeda, Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit This V Encuentro process has allowed us to unite voices, lives, sorrows, and uncertainties, as well as dreams and longings, in a journey towards the new evangelization. There are two practi- cal examples of how this process is bearing fruit in our Church. First, in Region VI, a parish pas- toral juvenil group met to learn about the process and to participate in this pilgrimage. In one of their meetings, a young person from the parish youth ministry asked what they were doing, and they welcomed him. Soon, both groups began to hold their meetings together. On another occasion, a parish decided to collect the prayers of their parishioners for the pil- grimage to the National Encuentro . The one who brought the prayers told me: “Bishop, I can- not stay with my arms crossed [standing still] ... we must pray.” With these words, I recognized the fruits of this process—walking together as Church, committing ourselves to be missionary disciples and witnesses of God’s love. “The process of this V Encuentro has allowed us to unite our voices, our lives, our sorrows and uncertainties, as well as our dreams and longings.” “With these words, I realized immediately how the process is bringing us to a path that will bear much fruit.” Bearing Fruit