Latino

“We hope this is a start for local and surrounding communities to get to know us, who we are as Latinos,” said parishioner Sandy Garcia.

Catholic Church officials say they are not surprised by the 2020 U.S. census showing Hispanics accounted for 51.1% of the country’s growth, rising to 18.7%, or about 62.1 million, of the U.S. population.

The Catholic Church and American society should recognize the historic and current contributions of Hispanic and Latino leaders, said a U.S. bishop at the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated Sept. 15-Oct. 15.

Perhaps one of the most interesting findings of the recent report is the observation that less than half of Hispanics in our country self-identify as Catholic (about 47%). As far as memory goes, we have practically taken for granted the assumption that the majority of Hispanics are Catholic. No longer.

During the last months of the year, Catholics reflect about the reality of death. The church’s liturgy brings us All Souls’ Day. Among Hispanic Catholics, the feast is widely known as “el Día de los Muertos” (the Day of the Dead).

Hispanic / Latino adults participating in a pilot program designed to train lay ministers received their certificates May 30 during a graduation Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral in St. Cloud.

A pilot program to form lay ministers graduated 56 Latino leaders.

Mayuli Bales spends a lot of her time listening. As director of the Diocese of St. Cloud’s Office of Multicultural Ministries, she sees her office as a connection — a crossroads — between people and communities.