Both diocesan and parish leaders don’t have to think twice when discussing how Bishop Dennis Sullivan has walked with Latino Catholics and ministered to the immigrant community over the years.
“Bishop Sullivan has been a blessing to the Diocese, not only because he is bilingual, but also because he is bicultural,” said Andrés Arango, the Bishop’s Delegate for Hispanic Ministry and diocesan director of evangelization. “He not only speaks Spanish, but he has a Latino heart and fully understands Hispanic culture.”
Ways in which the Bishop has long been committed to supporting Latino Catholics include encouraging catechesis and pastoral ministry programs; bringing Hispanic priests to South Jersey; outreach to farmers and their workers; retreats and special Masses, and advocating for the rights and dignity of immigrants.
This support is critical in a Diocese with 120,000 Hispanic Catholics, or 22% of the Catholic population. Spanish and/or bilingual Masses are celebrated in 20 of the Diocese’s 62 parishes.
“Bishop Sullivan’s initiatives are vital in ensuring that the pastoral, cultural and social needs of Hispanic Catholics are addressed,” Arango said. “By advocating for immigrant rights, supporting leadership formation through programs like the Instituto de Ministerio Eclesial de Camden (IMEC) and fostering international partnerships, he strengthens the unity and vitality of parish communities. These efforts promote inclusivity, enrich the faith experience and ensure that the Church remains a welcoming home for all its members.”
IMEC is a three-year formation program for Hispanic lay leaders, and includes courses around Scripture, theology, spirituality and pastoral ministry. Arango shared that Bishop Sullivan has celebrated with hundreds of program graduates, all of whom have brought the skills they gained back to their parish communities.
Cultural understanding
Bishop Sullivan was also active in the “Share the Journey” global campaign, which was launched by the Vatican to promote understanding and support for migrants and refugees. In 2017, as part of this initiative, he led a candlelight procession in Vineland and presided over a Mass with the Latino community to emphasize solidarity with those seeking a better life.
Arango also noted the Bishop’s advocacy for both documented and undocumented immigrants, and his efforts in 2013 to designate May 5 as “Justice for Immigrants Sunday.” He stood with faith leaders and immigrant families in 2014 to call for relief for families facing deportation and detention; in 2018, he engaged with immigrants through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, to hear their experiences and express the support of the Church.
Father René Canales, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Lindenwold, has been ministering to Hispanic Catholics across South Jersey since 2015.
“They are part of and woven into our Diocesan society,” said Father Canales, who came to the Diocese of Camden from El Salvador. “Not only is it paramount for the Catholic Church to help and welcome the newly arrived, but to care for them in a pastoral way.”
He credits Bishop Sullivan for his love of Hispanic ministry, and for supporting efforts to establish the first regional Hispanic Ministry at Saint Jude Church, Our Lady of Hope Parish, Blackwood. The ministry has been successful for more than a decade and has become a model in supporting Latino Catholics and the immigrant community.
“Bishop Sullivan understands their dreams and challenges,” he said.
Building partnerships
Bishop Sullivan also has focused on fostering a partnership with diocesan communities in Colombia to help support the pastoral needs of Latinos in South Jersey. According to Arango, this has included clergy exchanges as well as the presence of Colombian priests to serve the Camden Diocese.
“This initiative enriches the spiritual life of the community and ensures that cultural and linguistic needs are met,” said Arango, who traveled with the Bishop to Colombia in 2014 to initiate the partnership. “During his visit to Colombia, he really immersed himself and enjoyed the culture.”
Father Stephen Robbins serves as parochial vicar at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Camden, as well as the director of Catholic Identity for Camden Catholic High School, Cherry Hill. He was sent to Colombia by the Bishop as a way of enhancing his own ministry in Camden and building upon his bilingual skills.
While Father Robbins acknowledges that the experience wasn’t easy – spending the early months of his priesthood away from family and friends – but one that has profoundly enriched his priesthood.
“My time in Colombia was exceptionally difficult, but in hindsight, one that I am immensely grateful for,” he said. “In that time, the Lord showed me how radically I need to depend on Him in my life as a priest and prepared me when I came home to Camden to empathize with people who live in a foreign land and have to navigate life in a language that is not their own.”
When thinking of Bishop Sullivan’s commitment to Hispanic ministry, Father Robbins said that the parable of the Good Samaritan comes to mind.
“Bishop Sullivan’s boundless zeal to serve the immigrant populations of our Diocese demonstrates exactly what Jesus emphasizes in the parable,” he said, “which is that everyone is my neighbor.”
‘The Good Shepherd’
Each summer, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish, Newfield, leads a farm ministry that involves Mass and visits on different farm fields. Bishop Sullivan has been a regular participant, celebrating the closing Mass as well.
“This is a time for the workers, farm owners and parishioners to be united in prayer. We are the Garden State, and farming is very important in South Jersey,” said Father Ariel Hernandez, pastor. “The workers are in the fields from dawn to dusk. We are a missionary Church, and we bring the Church to the fields. It is a beautiful experience to see farmers, workers and parishioners join together in worship.”
He credits Bishop Sullivan with helping Latino Catholics feel like part of the Church family.
“He shows great love and appreciation for the Spanish cultures, and he speaks to them in their own language and understands their devotions and culture,” Father Hernandez said. “Bishop Sullivan has been the Good Shepherd to the people of the Camden Diocese. He gives hope for a better future to those who bring the richness of faith and devotion, hard work and love of family to South Jersey.”
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