The number of Hispanic Catholics in the Archdiocese has steadily grown over the past decade. In July, as part of an ongoing effort to meet the cultural and pastoral needs of that community, Archbishop Nelson Pérez announced a new deanery structure that includes a deanery specifically designated for parishes within the Hispanic Ministry Apostolate.
This deanery encompasses apostolates providing pastoral care and the sacraments for Spanish-speaking Catholics in 37 parishes across the five-county region. Father Francesco D’Amico, pastor of St. William Parish in Philadelphia, was chosen as the dean.
Retired Auxiliary Bishop Edward M. Deliman and Auxiliary Bishop Christopher R. Cooke share pastoral responsibility for the Spanish-speaking Catholic community in the Archdiocese. Bishop Cooke served at St. Martin of Tours in Philadelphia and St. Francis of Assisi in Norristown, parishes with many Hispanic Catholics.
“This deanery was established to give the proper level of pastoral care for those parishes where they have Spanish-speaking communities,” Bishop Cooke explained.
Bishop Deliman, who retired from active ministry in 2022, is continuing to make pastoral visits to parishes with Spanish-speaking communities along with Bishop Cooke, who also is responsible for the pastoral care of 30 parishes in Bucks County.
“We’ll go on a Sunday to offer Mass in Spanish, meet the people afterward, talk with the priests who are doing Hispanic ministry,” Bishop Cooke said. “We ask the priests about the support they need because bishops are responsible for providing support to the priests doing the day-to-day ministry at a parish.”
Bishop Cooke noted that the pastoral plan for Hispanics in the United States, published by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) last year, is under discussion among priests and lay leaders in the Archdiocese.
“There are 10 pastoral priorities in that plan, so we’re working with the lay leaders and priests to identify the top two or three pastoral priorities that we’re going to start working on right now,” he said.
“The USCCB Hispanic Pastoral Plan is a great focus for us now so we can be really clear about the things we’re going to be featuring to serve the Hispanic communities in the Archdiocese.”
A training session on the pastoral plan was held in June for Hispanic lay leaders in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, Bishop Cooke added.
One initiative the priests and lay leaders are learning more about is V Encuentro Young Adult Hispanic Leadership Initiative (VEYAHLI), a formation training program that helps Hispanic/Latino young adults in the United States to grow as missionary disciples and prepares them for ministry in the Church and leadership in society. The 150-hour program is offered through the Mexican American Catholic College in San Antonio, Texas.
“They have already set up all these modules, and we want to get them into the hands of our young people,” Bishop Cooke said.
The goal, he said, is to start with approximately 20 young adults; retreats and small group gatherings may be added for the participants.
Bishop Cooke said that all priests involved in Hispanic ministry will gather next month to determine which priorities in the plan will be implemented for Hispanics in the Archdiocese.
“I’m excited about this pastoral plan because it’s really going to be a uniting of the Office for Hispanics, the priests, the lay leaders, and the people in the parishes,” he said. “It’s going to align us so that we have a real focus on what we are emphasizing in the faith.”
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Two upcoming events for Spanish-speaking Catholics are the Puerto Rican Mass on Thursday, September 26 at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul, Philadelphia and the Hispanic Heritage Mass on Saturday, October 5 at Saint Peter the Apostle Parish, Philadelphia.
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