Arkansans represent diocese at V National Encuentro

Bishop Taylor goes with other leaders to discuss challenges

Published: September 27, 2018

By Aprille Hanson
Associate Editor

Delegates representing the Diocese of Little Rock pose at the V National Encuentro conference Sept. 20-23 in Grapevine, Texas. Pictured are Paola Sal-gado (left); Sister Norma Edith Muñoz, MCP, diocesan director of Hispanic ministry; Msgr. Scott Friend, vicar general and diocesan vocations director; Sister Ana Luisa Díaz Vázquez, MCP, associate director of Hispanic youth ministry; Bishop Anthony B. Taylor; Jonathan Ramírez; Deacon Arturo Castrejón; Kimberly Colula and Martha Peña.

How it began

Sister Norma Edith Muñoz, MCP, director of Hispanic ministry for the Diocese of Little Rock, has been directing the program within the diocese since it was implemented in fall 2016 and has included parish, diocesan and regional Encuentros in preparation for the national meeting. The Fifth National Encuentro, known as V Encuentro, means “Encounter” and involves Hispanic ministries throughout the country training team leaders of all ethnicities to go out and evangelize those in the community who have fallen away from the Church and sometimes even those within the parishes that might be slipping away from their faith.

The theme “Missionary Disciples: Witnesses of God’s Love” is centered on Luke 24:13-35, the story of two disciples walking to Emmaus who encounter Jesus. The Hispanic Ministry Office began hosting workshops in October 2016, training about 500 leaders to start V Encuentro missions in their parishes, based upon themes found in Pope Francis’ “The Joy of the Gospel.”

From there, volunteers would use V Encuentro guidebooks to document what they learned from catechizing in their communities. Often, evangelizing meant knocking on doors and first sharing their personal story of how Jesus touched their life. About 30 parishes in the state participated.

Delegates from the Diocese of Little Rock joined 3,200 ministry leaders, bishops, priests and others from around the United States for the V National Encuentro Sept. 20-23, the final meeting in a program that has helped reenergize Hispanic communities around the country since the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops began the evangelization initiative in 2016. It was the first National Encuentro since 2000.

Sister Norma Edith Muñoz, MCP, director of Hispanic ministry for the Diocese of Little Rock, along with Bishop Anthony B. Taylor, Msgr. Scott Friend, vicar general and vocations director, Deacon Arturo Castrejón, Sister Ana Luisa Díaz Vázquez, MCP, and four parishioners traveled to Grapevine, Texas, for the three-day conference.

“It was an amazing outpouring of the Holy Spirit,” Sister Norma told Arkansas Catholic while attending the Region X Hispanic Ministry Directors meeting. “We all came to share our personal experience of Christ in our lives and also especially the pastoral concerns and the difficulties, the obstacles we find in our work and ministries and also the opportunity we have had to evangelize through the V Encuentro process.”

National meeting

V National Encuentro, which means “Fifth National Encounter,” consisted of break-out sessions that focused on “evangelization and catechesis, family, immigration, justice and peace and Hispanic youth and young adults,” according to Catholic News Service. A variety of speakers spoke about the importance of Hispanic ministry, including Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus; Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago; and Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Sister Norma said the broken immigration system was discussed, as well as the “fears and anguish” many young Hispanics feel about their parents being deported and their uncertainty with DACA.

They discussed how “pastors are to be like Christ and minister to all their flock. There are many places in the house of God. We’re one family, diverse but united,” Sister Norma said. “(We need to) come out of our comfort zone and go out and start creating a culture of encounter. It’s imperative we overcome barriers, knock down walls. We need a conversion of the heart.”

That call was emphasized in Pope Francis’ video message played for all the delegates.

Youth speak out

Young adults had several opportunities to speak their mind, including during a youth dinner with bishops throughout the country. Sister Norma said about 200 bishops and 350 priests attended presentations throughout the conference.

Jonathan Ramírez, Hispanic ministry coordinator and technology coordinator at St. Raphael Church in Springdale, said he learned about more Spanish-language resources, but also how the Church is lagging behind in using technology for evangelization.

He said the youth feel “a big gap of communication” between their bishop and sometimes their local priest.

“Me working at a parish, it’s easier for me to open up. For the other ones, they were really shy; it took a while to warm up to the bishop. We don’t even know how to relate (to) the bishop, how to talk to the bishop. We need to feel like we are closer to them,” Ramírez said.

Kimberly Colula, 24, a 2016 college graduate from Glenwood, said she was moved by how “open the Catholic Church was to the Hispanic youth.”

A bishop was put at each youth table along with a facilitator to discuss their needs.

“It made me feel very committed to actually doing something,” she said. “That’s something I want to bring back to our diocese — let the youth know our bishop is willing to hear and work with us.”

Paola Salgado of St. John Church in Russellville and Martha Peña of St. Edward Church in Little Rock were also selected to represent the Diocese of Little Rock at the meeting.

How it began

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