Archives: Drawers
Our Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative is a formation program for Hispanic/Latino Catholics who serve in pastoral ministry or other leadership roles.
Hispanic/Latino pastoral leaders disproportionately minister in parishes that have fewer financial resources, less trained pastoral support staff, and greater social challenges, including racial injustice and poverty, which can make pastoral leadership more challenging.
This comprehensive formation process provides Hispanic/Latino leaders access to critical leadership skills and addresses the complex pastoral environments where these leaders serve. Leadership Roundtable created the initiative in response to the need for formation of Hispanic/Latino Catholics identified during the National V Encuentro process.
In 2021, Leadership Roundtable launched this initiative working with Hispanic/Latino leaders in the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois. The program expanded with a cohort in the Diocese of St. Augustine, Florida, and grew again with a cohort in the Diocese of Austin Texas. The initiative will continue to be offered in partnership with dioceses throughout the U.S.
- 40 % of U.S. Catholics identify as Latino
- 3 % of pastors are Hispanic/Latino
- 10 % of lay leaders are Hispanic/Latino
Hispanic/Latino Leaders face greater challenges due to a lack of resources and cultural barriers.
Read the 2023 Latino Pastoral Leaders Impact Report
Read previous Latino Pastoral Leaders Impact Reports
“To me, the best part of the initiative has been the people that I’m able to meet here, the network of the exemplary disciples and apostles of Christ.”
Clara Sowers
Participant, Diocese of St. Augustine
Want to bring formation for Hispanic/Latino pastoral leaders to your diocese?
CASE STUDY
Diocese of St. Augustine
In June 2021, Leadership Roundtable launched a cohort of Latino Pastoral Leaders in the Diocese of St. Augustine in Florida. Working closely with the diocese and its Multicultural Ministry Office, we hosted a 10-month immersive bilingual formation process that included Leadership Roundtable’s Catholic Leadership 360, Toolbox for Pastoral Management, and Catholic Standards for Excellence, as well as peer group coaching.
Participants found the experience transformative, helping them become stronger in their ministry, develop confidence in their call to leadership, and establish greater community among Hispanic/Latino leaders within their diocese.
“I learned that the Catholic Church leaders of the future will increasingly be lay people and that they must have a heart for service. Embracing real humility, they must grow in confidence, above all placing their trust in God’s plans for them. This is especially true in the case of women,” said Marina Alonso de Gallo, a participant.
When asked to evaluate the initiative, 100% of the participants responded “absolutely” or “very much so” that the program equipped them with the tools and skills to work more effectively in their current ministry, increased their satisfaction in their calling/career as a pastoral leader, and gave them more confidence to seek out future ministry leadership roles.
“The fact that Leadership Roundtable is facilitating outreach to the Hispanic/Latino Catholic community is such a blessing, and the fact that the Diocese of St. Augustine has been chosen for this project is a magnificent contribution to our pastoral care.”
Bishop Emeritus Felipe J. Estévez
Diocese of St. Augustine
Make this your story, too.
Meet the Latino Pastoral Leaders National Advisory Committee and Team
*The Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative is generously supported by Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of their Thriving in Ministry initiative, and by other donors.
Featured News
Leadership Roundtable represented at NCADDHM Conference in Miami
Andrea Blanco, Program Manager of the Latino Pastoral Leaders…
Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative Expands to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe
This September, we launched our fourth cohort of the…
Lessons from the Toolbox: Intercultural Competence for Ministry
Intercultural Competence for Ministry: Mapping the Road Ahead by Fr.…