By Alfonso Aguilar
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 3/24/05)

The First International Catholic Summit organized last week by Latino parishioners of the Arlington Diocese is a clear example of the growth and vibrant presence of Latinos in the life of the diocese.

Nearly 6,000 people from many diocesan parishes gathered to celebrate their faith and share their experiences with parishioners from Washington and Maryland.

The new event immediately turned into the largest concentration of Latinos in a diocesan religious event. The two-day celebration was promoted in the most important Spanish language media outlets in the Washington metropolitan area, including three television channels, two radio stations and a newspaper affiliated with The Washington Post.

Next year, according to Edwin Portillo, coordinator of the summit and parishioner of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Falls Church, the event will gather 10,000 people, and probably will be extended from two to three or four days.

"The entire Latino community in the region had notice about this unique and new Catholic celebration," said Father Ovidio Pecharromán, director of the diocesan Spanish Apostolate and one of the diocesan priests concelebrating the summit’s Palm Sunday Mass.

"Our community is growing by thousands, and according to many reports we are now between 36 to 42 percent of the Catholic population in the country. My personal opinion is that now we are close to being the majority," said Father Pecharromán.

Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde recognized that Hispanic presence during the summit’s Mass. "Our diocese has been immeasurably enriched by a vibrant and growing Hispanic presence," said the Bishop in Spanish.

On many other occasions and more frequently speaking in Spanish, Bishop Loverde has highlighted Latino parishioners as a vital component of the diocese.

Currently, there are weekly Spanish Masses in 30 diocesan parishes. Parishes like St. Anthony of Padua in Falls Church, Holy Family in Dale City, Christ the Redeemer in Sterling, Nativity Parish in Burke and Our Lady of Angels in Woodbridge have two Masses.

The Spanish Apostolate estimates that approximately 21,000 Latinos attend Masses on Saturday and Sunday.

Although new Spanish Masses were recently established in St. Louis Parish in Alexandria, St. Bernadette in Springfield and St. Francis Sales in Purcellville, "we still have many areas where thousands of Latinos are eager to attend Mass in their own language," said Father Pecharromán.

"It is very likely that at least two more Spanish Masses will be established this year," said Beatriz Pachón, pastoral program coordinator of the Spanish Apostolate.

This office reaches out to the community through a weekly newsletter, "Boletín Interparroquial," that is distributed in all parishes with Spanish services. The Spanish page in this publication is also consider a crucial tool in serving the Latino community as well as the dozens of books, brochures and videos promoted at different events.

Many workshops, conferences, round tables and three annual meetings with Hispanic leaders of parishes and pastoral groups "are essential to understand the state and needs of our community," said Father Pecharromán.

"Radio Boletín Católico" and "Jóvenes en Nueva Evangelización" are two weekly radio programs sponsored by the Spanish Apostolate to reach out to the community and spread the word of evangelization. In addition, parishioners of St. Anthony of Padua have their own program "Jesús está Vivo," which is broadcast twice a week.

"We are growing in population, programs, services, employees and budgets," said Father Pecharromán, whose office has now seven persons, including Father Richard Mullins, associate director, Sister Carmen Guerrero, director of the Institute of Pastoral Formation, and Elsa Santa María, a two-year volunteer that now works full time as general assistant.

In fiscal year 2004 the office had a budget of $320,634, which was increased this year to $342,460.

The budgets did not include funds to help Latino youth to stay away from gang groups, but the Spanish Apostolate initiated and coordinated meetings with the idea of establishing a Latino task force on gangs.

"The result was the formation of Save Our Youth (SOY)," remembers Onofre Gutiérrez, parishioner of Good Shepherd Parish in Alexandria.

At least five parishes have formed task forces to help prevent youths from being recruited by gangs and more recently Youth Apostles’ Father Ramón Domínguez established a center with similar purposes in Manassas.

The gang violence, the numerous sect groups recruiting Hispanics by thousands and the lack of many Hispanic priests are considered by many local leaders priority issues that if are not addressed adequately may hinder or slow the advance of Latino parishioners in the diocese.

This year Puerto Rican deacon Ramón Baez will be ordained to the priesthood, and as such he will become the first Hispanic ordained in the diocese.