In 1997, the Archdiocesan Planning Commission appointed by the archbishop, conducted listening sessions in all 16 districts to obtain feedback on its tentative recommendations for the future staffing of parishes. At the same time, deans conducted meetings with the priests in their districts. The result of these consultations was the Archdiocesan Plan with its “parish directives” from the archbishop. Subsequently, it became apparent that there was a greater need to hear from the Hispanic community than had occurred in the Planning Commission’s 1997 listening sessions. Thus, the Task Force on Hispanic Ministry has served two important purposes:
it provided information to assist in allocating priests to minister to Catholic Hispanics in the archdiocese.
The number of priests in the archdiocese has been declining for the past 30 years. There is a limited and dwindling pool of priests available for ministry — including Hispanic ministry. This archdiocese experiences a reduction of about 10 priests per year.
During the summer and fall of 2000, the task force consulted with leaders in Hispanic parishes across the 10 counties in the archdiocese. Results of a survey conducted by SARELA (Sacerdotes Religiosos Laicos) in spring 2000 were also taken into account. (SARELA is an advisory body for the Office of Hispanic Ministry.) The task force operated from the assumption that archdiocesan resources are limited and it is best to find local, grass-roots solutions and resources to meet the concerns raised.
The archbishop will appoint a committee to oversee implementing the parish and central office recommendations suggested by the task force.
To download a copy of the Hispanic Ministry Report go to www.archmil.org and choose: Departments – Multicultural Office – Resources
History of Parish Ministry to Hispanics
Hispanic Catholics are un pueblo peregrino, a pilgrim people who bring a rich heritage of faith and treasured values to share with the entire Church. Hispanics are traditionally a Catholic people. Outreach to Spanish-speaking Catholics has taken many forms in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Formal parish ministry to Hispanics began with the founding of the Mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the south side of Milwaukee on December 12, 1926. The mission served the largely Mexican immigrant community that began to arrive to the city in significant numbers in the 1920s. Subsequent waves of immigration of people from Latin and Central America broadened the variety of Latino groups in the archdiocese. This led more parishes to reach out to those who may have been newcomers to the state, but not to Catholicism.
(This information is taken from an essay by Gary Pokorny, faculty member at Saint Francis Seminary, entitled, “Ministry to Hispanics in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee,” from the book Milwaukee Catholicism: Essays on Church and Community by Steven M. Avella - Milwaukee, Knights of Columbus, 1991.)
Office for Hispanic Ministry established
The growing number of parishes ministering to Catholics Hispanics brought about an increasing awareness of the need for coordinated pastoral planning at every level of the Church. As a response, the archdiocese established the Office for Hispanic Ministry in the mid-1970s under the leadership of Archbishop Weakland. During its formative years the office was guided by the director, with his advisory board which was the Comisión Católica Hispana. This entity later evolved into SARELA, an advisory body composed of ordained, religious and lay pastoral agents. SARELA has been in existence since 1982. The work of the Office of Hispanic Ministry is further guided by the results of the National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry (1987) and its local adaptation, Pueblo de Dios en Marcha: A People of God in Action (1989), and the three national Encentros in 1972, 1977 and 1985.
Ministry to Catholic Hispanics today
Hispanic Catholics from a variety of national origins are found in every county in southeastern Wisconsin, as well as in rural and urban parishes throughout the archdiocese. (NOTE: The terms Hispanic and Latino are general terms used primarily in the United States. As such, they are not fully adequate in describing a diverse people with national origins in as many as 21 Spanish-speaking countries. The terms Hispanic and Latino can be used interchangeably.)
Archdiocesan demographics in terms of the Latino population reflect the national profile. This means that the largest Latino groups present in our communities are of Mexican and Puerto Rican backgrounds, with Central and Latin American groups represented as well. Twenty-six parishes in the archdiocese, alone or in collaboration, offer Hispanic ministry. This is roughly 11% of all of our parishes.
(This information is exerpted from the Hispanic Ministry Task Force Report. Look for more information in subsequent issues of the Parish Leadership Newsletter.)
