Connections

“TEJIENDO EL FUTURO JUNTOS”/ “WEAVING THE FUTURE TOGETHER”

Since the census of 2000, the Catholic Church and many of its organizations have often worried about the increasing number of Hispanic young people in the United States. We wondered: do we have in place the resources, trained personnel, models, and processes that will engage these young people in the U.S. Catholic Church. They come from Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America and into the U.S. as Catholics. They are looking for a better tomorrow and are doing something about it today. Farm workers, professionals, and workers of all kinds come for a future that will bring prosperity to their lives as well as for all of the family back where they came from. Most of them are very young and are looking toward the church as a means and way of hanging on to life itself.

The numbers speak for themselves: in less than five years this group of young Hispanic persons will be the majority of the Catholic Church. In real numbers, this is about 18 to 20 million young persons between the ages of 9 through 28 years.

La Red, together with its many member organizations, brought to the Bishops Committee on Hispanic Affairs and the Subcommittee on Youth and Young Adults a proposal to forward our initiative. It provides a framework for bringing together many organizations to make this group—young Catholic Hispanic youth and young adults—a priority in all programs and evangelization efforts in our church. Through many discussions with these organizations and groups, La Red has proposed the big question: how do we hear from the young people to see what is needed?

To that end, the Encuentro 2006 will provide a forum in which to hear from Catholic Hispanic youth and young adults. You are invited to learn more about this exciting endeavor and to encourage Catholic Hispanic youth and young adults from your dioceses to participate. Information includes: background, goals, objectives, partner organizations, schedule, and contact information. Click on this link to reach the additional information.