V Regional Summer Seminar on Formation for Hispanic Ministry Page | 3
July 25-28, 2012, Menlo Park, California
Vision of the Regional Summer Seminar
As the Hispanic population in California and Nevada continues to grow, the Regional Summer Seminar on Formation for Hispanic Ministry seeks to be a space of encounter, enrichment, study, prayer, consultation, and networking that gathers the directors and representatives of the formation programs of three ecclesial groups:
· Archdioceses and dioceses
· Catholic universities
· Independent ministry institutions
The Seminario is an initiative of LMU which is coordinated by a Steering Committee. This initiative has the support of the Bishops of California and Nevada.
The V Regional Summer Seminario on Formation for Hispanic Ministry met in Menlo Park, California, July 25-28, 2012. A total of 45 participants attended, and for the first time every (arch) diocese in California and Nevada was represented. Also in attendance were representatives from four Catholic universities, two independent pastoral institutes and the California Catholic Conference. The participation of every (arch) diocese is an expression of the interest that the Seminario has had as a resource for all.
1. STATEMENT ON FORMATION AND HIGHER EDUCATION
Before reporting on events in the Regional Summer Seminario on Formation for Hispanic Ministry, we would like to share first an important development that has emerged from the reflection and work of the V Seminario: a Statement on Formation and Higher Education (see enclosed).
As seen above in the Vision of the Seminario, the main purpose of this initiative is to cultivate a serious conversation between formation programs and institutions of Catholic higher education. Over the five year life of the initiative, an insistent concern has emerged: to create the possibility for Hispanic ministry formation candidates to earn a degree.
Of course, this will not be for all candidates in all programs. But what became apparent at the V Seminario was the fact that this concern was shared by representatives of all the (arch) dioceses; this meant that, at the regional level, a fairly large pool of students might be attained.
Thus, the enclosed Statement was adopted by the participants of the Seminario. It is hoped that in each archdiocese or diocese a conversation might be started with the Ordinary, in order to understand the best ways to manage this urgent need for Catholic higher education felt in Hispanic ministry formation programs throughout the region. Additionally, the same program directors will continue to dialogue on this topic during the coming year.
2. ISSUES ADDRESSED AT THE SEMINARIO
v The theme of the Seminario was respect between cultures; Dr. Arturo Chavez of the Mexican American College (MACC) was invited to guide the process of reflection on this topic. Although it is well known that the USCCB is in the process of disseminating a model for intercultural formation for pastoral ministers, the process we followed in the Seminario aimed to give each of the participants a chance to review their own attitudes toward the ecclesial reality of cultural diversity. In addition, the presentation of Dr. Arturo Chavez helped us to consider the need to include this subject and its process in the curricula of formation programs.
v On the first night of the Seminario, José Antonio Medina gave a brief summary of what has been accomplished in the first four Seminarios: 2008 at LMU; 2009 in Oceanside, California; 2010 in Las Vegas; and 2011 in Collegeville, Minnesota. The Assembly has welcomed the perceived continuity in the development of both subject matters and the process of the Seminario.
v With the help of Robert Hurteau, we reviewed the progress of the Seminario in the implementation of the priorities which were outlined at the 2010 gathering:
1) Meeting the formation needs of the different groups that make up the Hispanic community in this region
2) Working on regional formation standards that respond to the church’s situation
3) Including the social dimension in all stages of formation
4) Addressing the needs of Hispanic youth and young adults, especially the generations of Hispanics born in the U.S.
5) Defining the scope of what we mean by the terms "education" and "formation," concentrating on what we can actually do from our own areas of work on behalf of the Hispanic Catholic community in California and Nevada
Over the last two years, priority (4) is the one that has received the most attention in the Seminario, while less time and attention that has been given to number (3).
v Institutions offering U.S. higher education for Hispanics. Robert Hurteau and Carlos Obando presented their initial research on U.S. universities offering degree programs in a bilingual and distance-learning formats. In the course of this conversation, Robert Lassalle-Klein said that the formation directors present may have some power to use on this issue, as they represent Hispanic ministry formation programs in 14 (arch) dioceses. They do not have decisive power, but they are people who are consulted by their bishops. Moreover, if all the directors pooled their candidates, there could potentially be a large group of students from the 14 (arch) dioceses who would be enrolled in an academic program in the region. Conversation on this point continued throughout the Seminario, and at the end of the gathering the participants approved the drafting of a Statement on this matter that they can share with their bishops. With the approval of the bishop, further research on the viability of such a program (logistics, financial and academic considerations) could be conducted. The experience of MACC was very motivating in this regard.
v On Friday, July 27 Bishop Jaime Soto discussed the topic of collaborative ministry. From his perspective as a bishop, he offered practical criteria to guide pastoral service in a spirit of collaboration within different pastoral environments, within the structure of the diocesan offices, and within the parish. He also discussed relationships with Apostolic movements and the response to the sex-abuse scandals, among other topics .
v The National Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministry (LEM). We have closely followed the development process of the National Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministry; undoubtedly this process has served to give members a better idea of how to implement these standards in their own diocesan programs. It will be important to see if the Seminario will be called upon to review the portfolios of certification applicants.
3. RENEWAL OF THE SEMINARIO STEERING COMMITTEE
Current members of the Seminario Steering Committee:
· Robert Hurteau, LMU
· Olivia Cornejo, Diocese of Orange (2012-2015)
· José Luis Elias, Diocese of San Bernardino (2012-2015)
· MaryJo Waggoner, Diocese of San Diego (2012-2015)
Adjunct for Higher Education Issues
· Robert Lassalle-Klein, Holy Names University
Coordinator
· Carlos Obando, LMU
4. PLANNING
In addition to approving the aforementioned Declaration on higher education and formation, the group scheduled the following activities for the coming year:
a) At least one Webinar, and the first is being programmed for the second half of November
b) The VI Seminario, will be held July 31 to August 2, 2013 (starting with lunch on Wednesday and ending with lunch on Friday) in the retreat center of Mission San Antonio, near the town of Jolon, California (Diocese of Monterey)
5. FINANCES
From the beginning of the Seminario in 2008, LMU has been able to count on the financial support of Catholic foundations to subsidize the cost to the participant. For example, in 2012 the registration cost was only $35 per participant. At the same time, the total cost of attending the Seminario is shared, as each participant has had to fund their own travel expenses.
For 2013, we have about $8,500 left over from the grant we received from an anonymous foundation in 2010; the grant was intended to support the Seminarios in 2011 and 2012, but with the amount remaining there is a financial basis for the 2013 Seminario as well. But unless we find another source of support, the registration fee will have to be increased to $125 per participant.
Partial remedies have been implemented for 2013. We selected Mission San Antonio as the meeting site because their rates are affordable and it is geographically central to all in Region XI. If participants used car pools, their travel costs could potentially be reduced. We have also cut the program from three days to two.
Ideally, if we had the support of just $3,000 (three thousand dollars), we could lower the cost of registration to the range of $60 - $75 per participant. Because budgets are tight in some diocesan offices, it has been a priority to keep the registration fee of the Seminario as low as possible.
The Steering Committee
Los Angeles, September 10, 2012
PARTICIPANTS
José Antonio / Medina / California Catholic Conference
Patricia / Jiménez / Fresno
Fr. Mike / McAndrews / Fresno
Feliciano / Tapia / Fresno
Robert / Lassalle-Klein / Holy Names University
Fr. Robert / McChesney SJ / JSTB
Marc / González / Las Vegas
Fr. Bruno / Mauricci / Las Vegas
Elsy / Arévalo / LMU
Roberto / Hurteau / LMU
Carlos / Obando / LMU
Martha / Núñez / Los Angeles
Ernesto / Vega / Los Angeles
Fr. David / Robinson / Loyola Institute for Spirituality
Guadalupe / Guerrero / Monterey
Marina / Ocampo / Monterey
Petra / Robles / Monterey
Héctor / Medina / Oakland
Samuel / Vásquez / Oakland
Mary Ann / Wiesinger / Oakland
Olivia / Cornejo / Orange
Dcn. Guillermo / Torres / Orange
Patricia / Cruz-Hernandez / Reno
Martha / Cervantes / Reno
Maripaz / Ramos / Reno
Sister Virginia / Alcalá / Sacramento
Ulrich / Schmitt / Sacramento
Kevin / Staszkow / Sacramento
Petra / Alexander / San Bernardino
José Luis / Elías / San Bernardino
Paulina / Espinosa / San Bernardino
Mary Jo / Waggoner / San Diego
Cecilia / Arias-Rivas / San Francisco
Sergio / Canjura / San Francisco
Teresita / Contreras / San Francisco
Cuauhtemoc / Juárez Martínez / San Francisco
Linda / Cunha-Ricchio / San Jose
Stella / Agudelo / Santa Rosa
Humberto / Ramos / St. Marcellinus Parish
Fr. José / Rubio / St. Patrick's Seminary
José / López / Stockton
Digna / Ramírez / Stockton
Sister Reyna / Colimote / Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity
Sister Terri / Malave / Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity
Sister Sara / Postlethwaite / Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity
Dr. Arturo / Chávez / MACC
Most Rev. Jaime / Soto / Sacramento