Bishop Dennis Sullivan recently met with local Catholic Latino priests and pastors of parishes with Hispanic Ministry at Vineland’s Saint John Paul II Retreat Center in preparation for V Encuentro, a four-year process of ecclesial reflection and action that calls on Hispanics to missionary activity, consultation, leadership development, and to the identification of best ministerial practices in the spirit of the new evangelization.
In a video message to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops last month, Pope Francis said that “the Encuentro seeks to acknowledge and value the specific gifts that Hispanic Catholics have offered, and continue to offer, to the church in your country, (and is) a great process of renewal and missionary outreach,” and urged bishops to consider “how your local churches can best respond to the growing presence, gifts and potential of the Hispanic community.”
During Lent 2017, bilingual parish small groups around the diocese will begin to focus on five topics of the V Encuentro: called to a loving encounter with Christ; execution through words and actions; walking together with Jesus; bearing fruits of new life; and celebrating the joy of being missionary disciples.
In May, parish Encuentro days will be held throughout the diocese, focusing on prayer, reflection, and discussion, before next October’s diocesan Encuentro.
V Encuentro “is a privileged moment for Latino Catholics in the United States,” remarked Andres Arango, Bishop’s Delegate for Hispanic Ministry in the Diocese of Camden. “V Encuentro, at the parish level, is a great opportunity to hear the needs of the Latino community, and to empower new leaders to be authentic missionary disciples,” he said.
For more information, visit vencuentro.org. If you would like to take part please contact the Office of Hispanic Ministry at 856-583-6170.
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