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Among the more than 3,000 delegates at the National Fifth
Encuentro in Grapevine, Texas, Sept. 20-23, were 22 people from the Diocese of
Arlington.
Father José E. Hoyos, director of the diocesan Spanish
Apostolate, was impressed with the diversity of the delegates and the presence
of bishops, cardinals and others.
Bishop Michael F. Burbidge will meet with the delegates to find
out their reactions in mid-October.
“One of the things that I concluded was that the Hispanic
Catholics don’t want assimilation, we want participation,” said Father Hoyos.
“Two Catholic churches do not exist in the United States. It is the Anglos and
Hispanics working together. The Catholics are called to be protagonists in the
new evangelization.”
Marco Benites, a delegate from St. John Neumann Church in Reston,
said the experience was amazing. “The priests and bishops are open to hear us
and give us an opportunity to work together and not divide the church,” he
said. “We are going to work together to help people know more about faith, the
church and the Gospel.”
Related: Today is the ‘hour of the laity,’ Archbishop Gomez tells Encuentro delegates
Ángel F. Valecillos, a delegate from St. Joseph Church in
Herndon, came back inspired and energized to put his gifts at the service of
the church as part of a wider community. “We must get out of our comfort zone
and reach out to the peripheries,” he said. “There are so many projects to work
on, and I need to discern how God is calling me to serve.”
Father Thomas P. Ferguson, vicar general of the Diocese of
Arlington and pastor of Good Shepherd Church in Alexandria, said the gathering
was a great opportunity “to gather with Catholics from around the country to
renew our commitment to welcoming and integrating Hispanic Catholics into our
parish and diocesan communities.”
Related: Papal nuncio addresses Encuentro delegates
Father Ferguson said the meeting was filled with enthusiasm and
joy from start to finish. “There were beautiful celebrations of the Eucharist
each day, inspiring homilies and keynote addresses, and fruitful discussions
with counterparts in ministries from other parts of the country. A special
emphasis was placed on fostering opportunities for leadership formation,
especially among young adults.”
Franklin O. Soruco Suarez, a parishioner of St. James Church in
Falls Church, was invited to join a meeting with bishops to speak about young
adults.
Related: Encuentro opens with procession, papal message
“It was a great experience to be at the same table,” he said.
“You can tell they want to help the community and listen to the young people
because of their attitude toward the Hispanic community, their disposition to
listen and their discourse during the Encuentro.”
