The Catholic Church in the United States is a diverse group of faithful followers of Christ. One of the most active groups is Hispanic/Latino Catholics – men and women from Mexico, Spain and of Latin American heritage.

Ministry to Hispanic/Latino Catholics in the United States has been a priority for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for more than 50 years. The Hispanic/Latino community is vibrant and brings new life to many aspects of Catholic ministry.

In 2023, the bishops released the USCCB document Missionary Disciples Going Forth with Joy: National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry. This document was the outcome from Encuentro – an in-depth dialogue between the bishops and the Hispanic/Latino Catholic community.

The Encuentro process began in 1971, when the U.S. Bishops began to work with Hispanic/Latino Catholics to find out how the Church could support their ecclesial needs. I Encuentro was the start of the dialogue, followed by II Encuentro in 1977, which studied the diversity of Hispanic/Latino Catholics and what they bring to the Catholic faith.

In 1985, III Encuentro continued to express the needs of Hispanic/Latino Catholics and how the Church can minister to this group and utilize their gifts, making the Church stronger. Plan Pastoral Nacional del Ministerio Hispano (1987) was a written record of the discussion and plan.

Encuentro 2000 was a celebration of all the different races and cultures that make up the U.S. Catholic Church. The emphasis was solidarity of all Catholic men and women in the Church.

In 2006, the Primer Encuentro Nacional Hispano de Pastoral Juvenil was a gathering to address the needs of youth by listening to their voices and recognizing their contributions to the Church.

V Encuentro in 2018 continued the discussions and planning from the previous Encuentro gatherings, creating strategies for change. The bishops took the work done in the Encuentros to create their document Missionary Disciples Going Forth with Joy: National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry.

This document contains both a pastoral vision and pastoral guidelines for Hispanic/Latino ministry. The pastoral guidelines focus on:

1. A community of missionary disciples, nourished and transformed by the Eucharist, that is sent forth to joyfully proclaim the Good News of the Gospel and bear fruit in every human situation
2. A prophetic Church, animated and formed by the Word, that is a promoter and an example of justice and mercy
3. A pastoral model of encounter with Christ, accompaniment, and reaching out
4. A pastoral vision and practice that seeks ecclesial integration and inclusion in the context of a multicultural Church
5. A synodal and missionary Church that is leaven for the Reign of God in the world

The document offers detailed guidance for dioceses, parishes and regions to strengthen ministry to and alongside Hispanic/Latino Catholics. A successful partnership is possible only if there is depth to the relationship, which should encompass all areas of faith development and h ministry.

Pastoral priorities covered in this document include:

• Evangelization and mission
• Faith formation and catechesis
• Pastoral accompaniment of Hispanic/Latino families
• Youth and young adult ministries
• Immigration and advocacy
• Formation for ministry in a culturally diverse Church
• Pastoral care for those in the periphery
• Liturgy and spirituality
• Promotion of vocations
• Catholic education

The U.S. Bishops also present national projects and initiatives that will guide and support parishes in their pastoral plans, which are based on the pastoral priorities. The objectives have suggested activities to aid in meeting the goals, as well as a list of collaborators for each objective who can assist parishes.

The goal of the document is for the U.S. Church to support, utilize and encourage this faith-filled Catholic community. The importance of Hispanic/Latino Catholics is emphasized by the bishops in the introduction of the pastoral vision section of the document:

At this moment of grace, we the bishops of the United States affirm, once again, that the Hispanic/Latino presence among us is a blessing from God for the Church and for our country. The richness of the Hispanic/Latino community has been present in our lands for more than five hundred years. Such blessing, such richness, has become more evident over the past few decades. We have witnessed how our Hispanic/Latino community has reinvigorated the life and mission of thousands of parishes and other Catholic institutions and organizations. God in his mysterious ways has called Hispanics/Latinos to embrace their vocation as joyful missionary disciples to the Church in the United States.