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INTERNATIONAL PASTORAL MINISTERS HELP US EMBRACE OUR CATHOLICITY by Mar Muñoz-Visoso, MTS, Executive Director

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INTERNATIONAL PASTORAL MINISTERS HELP US EMBRACE OUR CATHOLICITY by Mar Muñoz-Visoso, MTS, Executive Director Spring/Summer 2018 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE INTERNATIONAL PASTORAL MINISTERS HELP US EMBRACE OUR CATHOLICITY by Mar Muñoz-Visoso, MTS, Executive Director Recently I had their effort, since the growing pres- reaching closer to 40 percent. This an opportunity ence of international pastoral min- year’s ordination class tells a similar to spend a few isters in our midst, and their impor- story. days with more tance in particular local Churches, I was invited to present on the than 150 voca- remind us that we must receive their blessings and challenges of receiv- tion directors and generous service with gratitude, do ing international pastoral ministers vicars for clergy, a better job to prepare the ministers into the United States. To be sure, religious forma- for service in the United States, the presence of missionaries from tion directors and and the communities that receive other lands is not a novelty nor just numerous priests them so that they can welcome and a pragmatic solution to the dimin- and sisters from different parts of support them. ished number of home grown voca- the world serving or studying in the Currently, there are more than tions. Nor is it a distinctive mark of United States. This second biannual 6,000 international priests and more the Church in the United States. conference was put together by St. than 4,000 religious sisters in the On the contrary, it is a part of the Meinrad Seminary (Indiana) and St. United States, according to the DNA of the Church from the very Luke Institute. Center for Applied Research in the beginning. The USCCB Guidelines The conference looked at Inter- Apostolate (CARA), and a study on for Welcoming Pastoral Ministers cultural Competencies for Human International Sisters (2015) done in the United States (2014) express Formation, focusing mostly on the by Trinity Washington University this well: “Both our history and a assessment, reception and orien- in conjunction with CARA. On deep sense of our identity as Catho- tation of international candidates average, 30 percent of active priests lics lead us to embrace the exchange (priests, seminarians, religious sisters in this country were born in another of international pastoral minis- and brothers). I really appreciated country, with some presbyterates ters as a gift and a necessity. The continued on page 2 continued from page 1 reciprocal giving and receiving of Church in this country, as different gifts expresses the reality of our com- from their place of origin. They IN THIS ISSUE munion and our solidarity with one experience the real pain that comes 1 Front Cover – Executive Direc- another in Jesus Christ by the power from being uprooted from one’s of the Holy Spirit. In other words, native culture and the difficulty in tor’s Message the exchange of pastoral ministers maintaining foundational relation- 3 Chairman’s Reflection manifests a great sign of our catho- ships with family and friends, and 4 Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refu- licity and the gospel-inspired hospi- establishing new networks in a new gees, & Travelers tality that flows from catholicity.” place. All this can, sometimes, lead 5 African American Affairs The graces and challenges in to loneliness and isolation, or even 6 Asian Pacific Islanders this process are both for the inter- rejection of the new culture, espe- national pastoral minister and for cially when structures, networks and 7 Hispanic Affairs V Encuentro the communities that receive them. plans are not in place to assist the 8 Special: Spanish Language Thus, the importance of preparing new minister with the transition and Misal both well. adaptation process. 10 Hispanic Affairs While this conference was mostly For the receiving communities, 12 Native American Catholics the minister brings much needed focused on efforts to better welcome 13 Meet the Staff pastoral and ministerial assistance, international pastoral ministers, it is allows that them the opportunity also important to remember that, in 14 Recommended Resources to exercise hospitality and welcome today’s multicultural context, gaining 15 National Events and may expose them to new forms intercultural competence is import- 16 Prayer (back cover) of service; it also helps deepen their ant for everyone. Our parishes grow sense of the Church’s universality. more and more diverse every day; For the international pastoral minis- so, the ability to communicate, work a vast majority of whom is now of ter, the blessings come in the form of and relate across cultural boundaries Latino heritage. Vocations aren’t an opportunity to serve real needs, is a real asset for pastors and their coming in droves from any of the enriching their ministerial pasto- teams. Less and less of our priests and other cultural groups: neither from ral skills, and the spiritual growth future priests will have the “luxury” those of Euro American descent, nor that is always brought about by the (or disadvantage, depending on how the Hispanic or Asian non-immi- detachment of what is familiar. They you look at it) of being assigned to grant generations. And it seems as if too will gain an expanded experi- monolingual, monocultural com- we have given up on African Ameri- ence of the Church’s catholicity. munities. And we don’t do them cans and Native Americans. The challenges are real too. At any favor by not preparing them to So, while we pray that the Lord times, the receiving churches strug- minister and thrive in this diversity. sends more workers to the vineyard, gle with communication when the Likewise, culturally speaking, our recovering the connection with fam- English language skills (and other vocation crisis spreads across the ilies and schools (from elementary languages spoken by the parishio- board. We seem to be doing a fairly and middle grades, where you plant ners) are limited, or the pronuncia- poor job with our own, very diverse, the seed, on), and being more inten- tion difficult to understand. Some- US born Catholic population. Yes, tional about promoting vocational times they may also experience, we are up against strong individu- discernment and recruiting among among some members, a rejection of alistic and materialistic tendencies more diverse populations seems not the culture of the new minister, and in the culture, and a real pull away only important but urgent. even prejudicial or racist attitudes. from traditional “organized” forms When at the end of our time The newly arrived minister often or religion. But, in the US Cath- here, we go to meet the Lord and He suffers a cultural shock derived from olic Church, we are also having a asks us, “How well did you do on my the difference in language, customs, hard time communicating with and command to go and make disciples and even the functioning of the attracting the younger generation, of all nations?”, how will you and I respond? 2 CHAIRMAN’S REFLECTION TRANSITIONING FROM MULTICULTURALISM TO INTERCULTURALISM By Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, M.Sp.S. St. Justin Church in the US. We are called to Martyr wonder about what the Spirit may described “the have “in the oven.” Nonetheless, seed of reason we know that Easter only comes (the Logos) after Good Friday. Our risen Lord implanted in keeps the marks of the nails and the every race of wound on his sides. men” (2 Apol. I believe that the present awak- 8), to which ening of attitudes that we thought we now refer in the past, such as racism, discrim- as the “seeds of the Word”. It is ination and irrational violence –by the action of the Holy Spirit, who which people of different origins works in all hearts where there is “tolerate” the presence of others in a search for truth, goodness and order to coexist and in an attempt God himself. Throughout history, of self-reassurance– are the rattles we see it in every culture, which of death of a lack of confidence that the paraclete makes fertile soil for denote false identity. the faith to grow, awaiting the light Our Lady of Guadalupe makes of Jesus Christ for the Good News way for the wake of a new era in to flourish. Every people, every which the Spirit will bring each culture, at every time in history, is other to encounters of the heart, like in expectation for the sparks of made possible by the light of Christ, encounters that can detonate pro- where each will become more aware cesses of inculturation of the Gospel of their own cultural identity, as that set the world on fire. they welcome, promote and cele- In our time, we are witnessing brate that of others. Cultural iden- Adobe Stock image © Bill Perry dramatic cultural changes in the tity can only be such when its seed Babel will become the Cenacle at world, combined with a tremendous is not weed, but the Word of God. Pentecost. It is up to us to make it demographic transformation of the And what once was the tower of happen sooner, rather than later. Pope Francis, @Pontifex God walks along the dusty paths of our lives and responds to our longing for love and happiness by calling us to joy. 5 Jan 2018, Pope Francis on Twitter 3 PASTORAL CARE OF MIGRANTS, REFUGEES, & TRAVELERS Adobe Stock image © Antonello BRAZILIAN APOSTOLATE IN THE UNITED STATES By Bishop by Most Rev. Edgar Moreira da Cunha, S.D.V., Bishop of Fall River, Episcopal Liaison to Brazilians in the United States and Member of the Subcommittee on Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees and Travelers The Brazilian Apostolate in the USA. In the three regions where the long-awaited event to bring together United States is organized into Apostolate is organized, and where the Brazilians living in West Coast.
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