V Encuentro Proceedings and Conclusions

90 | Proceedings and Conclusions of the V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry • Invest resources to identify and utilize Latino learning styles for immigrant children. V. Resources The following resources were recommended by presenters and participants of the V National Encuentro : • Hosffman Ospino and Patricia Weitzel-O’Neill, Catholic Schools in an Increasingly Hispanic Church, Boston College, 2016. • Journal of Catholic Education, Special Issue: Latinos, Education, and the Church (2016, n. 2, https:// digitalcommons.lmu.edu/ce/vol19/iss2/ ). • Antonia Darder, “Hispanic Ministry and Education” in Hispanic Ministry in the 21 st Century: Urgent Matters, Convivium Press, 2016. • University of Notre Dame – Catholic School Advantage ( https://ace.nd.edu/catholic-school-advantage/ apply-to-a-csa-program ). See especially the Adelante and Latino Enrollment Institute programs and the Resources—>Publications menu tab for proven strategies to serve Latino communities and increase enrollment in Catholic schools. VI. Ministerial Area Team • Episcopal Moderators: Most Rev. George Lucas, Archbishop of Omaha; and Most Rev. Manuel Cruz, Auxiliary Bishop of Newark. • Co-Leaders: Sr. John Mary Fleming, O.P. and Rev. Joe Corpora, C.S.C. • Panelists: Joanne Jones, Toni Vaeth, Melodie Wyttenbach, and Christine Tax. 4. COMMUNICATIONS AND NEW MEDIA I. Vision Evangelization of the Hispanic community cannot happen without effective communication. The Church must reflect seriously on the obstacles to communication in the Church and in its messaging to society, as they apply to generational and language differences, as well as economic disparities. In the Hispanic community, story-telling is a very useful way to reach the people’s minds and hearts, whether at the parish level or through local and national broadcast news, TV, radio, and film. Special focus should also be given to new and innovative means of communication including use of technology and social networks to reach young Hispanic Catholics while promoting involvement in the Church through a strong presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blogs, YouTube, etc. II. Social and Religious Context in Hispanic Ministry • The new media are a great resource to distribute information in a wide and convenient way in both English and Spanish, as well as to reach young people. • Many leaders in the Hispanic community do not have experience using technology and updated media. Even the availability of technology in parish ministry can be intimidating or an obstacle. As a result, most Hispanic-serving parishes are currently making poor use of social media. There is a need for hands-on training to help them overcome their fears. • The young Latino generation is made up of digital natives, but the door is rarely open to them to contribute in Church communications. Sometimes language is an obstacle. • Most U.S. Hispanic adults use Facebook and YouTube—even more so than their White and Black peers. Those who have family in other countries also make extensive use of WhatsApp. • A large majority of Hispanic teens have access to a home computer/laptop, and nearly all have a smartphone. AmongHispanic teens the preferred social media platforms are YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook, Ministerial Area Sessions