LATINO PASTORAL LEADERS Impact Report 2021
In partnership with lay, ordained, and religious leaders and organizations across all sectors of the Catholic community in the United States and Rome, Leadership Roundtable seeks to elevate and implement best practices in management and leadership to establish a culture of co-responsible, servant leadership for a healthy, thriving Church in the U.S.
Cover Photo: Diocese of Joliet cohort (Bishops Ronald A. Hicks at center) Photo this page: Deacon Hector Ortíz and Bishop Joe S. Vásquez - Photo credit Gabriel Lujan
Before Yazmín Saldívar-Pérez joined the Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative, she had never taken part in a program specifically designed to form leaders like her — a Latina. As project coordinator for the offices of Hispanic and Ethnic Ministry and Young Adult and Campus Ministry in the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois, Saldívar-Pérez was one of about 20 Hispanic/Latino leaders in the Diocese of Joliet who took part in the inaugural cohort of the Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative. “This [Initiative] is an amazing opportunity to develop professionally and personally and to use these strengths and gifts as an offering to the Church,” Saldívar-Pérez said. In January 2021, Leadership Roundtable began working with Hispanic/Latino leaders in the Diocese of Joliet. In June, the Initiative expanded with a second cohort in the Diocese of St. Augustine in Florida, and grew again in November with a third cohort in the Diocese of Austin in Texas.
Responding to a critical and growing need The number of Hispanic/Latino pastoral leaders in the United States is growing. Like most pastoral leaders, many Hispanic/Latino leaders have received a comprehensive theological formation, but have not been given the mentoring and pastoral management skills to thrive as leaders. “For too long, we as a Church have underinvested in Latino leadership,” said Michael Brough, executive partner at Leadership Roundtable who oversees the Initiative and also works directly with participants in their leadership formation. The major issues facing pastoral leaders are often more pronounced for Hispanic/Latino leaders — from managing Church finances, operations, and human resources, to serving community needs — due in part to a lack of resources and cultural barriers.
Learn more about the Latino Pastoral Leaders
Yazmín Saldívar-Pérez
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THIS [INITIATIVE] IS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY AND TO USE THESE STRENGTHS AND GIFTS AS AN OFFERING TO THE CHURCH. –Yazmín Saldívar-Pérez
During a 2015 symposium on Hispanic Leadership and Philanthropy for a 21st Century Church, sponsored by the University of Incarnate Word, the Mexican American Catholic College, FADICA, and Leadership Roundtable, Catholic leaders identified leadership formation and development among Hispanic/Latino leaders as one of the top opportunities for Catholic Hispanic ministry. They also made clear that there is, historically, a lack of funding available for Hispanic/Latino leaders to access leadership formation and development, naming it as one of the greatest challenges facing Catholic Hispanic ministry.
leadershiproundtable.org
Initiative on our website: 1
Diocese of Austin cohort (Bishop Joe S. Vásquez at center) — Photo credit Gabriel Lujan
The V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry led by the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity and Hispanic Ministry Affairs office of the United States Catholic Conference Bishops (USCCB) in 2018 demonstrated the commitment of Hispanic/Latino leaders to the mission of the Church, and their call to lead within their parishes, dioceses, and Catholic organizations. Addressing the lack of investment in leadership development and faith formation for Hispanic/Latino leaders was one of the top priorities identified through the V Encuentro process.
“The vibrant, committed Latino community within the Catholic Church in the United States is being called to lead in carrying out the Church’s mission. The Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative gives participants the tools to serve in many leadership capacities, including as pastors, parish staff, and lay ministers” said Fr. Allan Figueroa Deck, SJ. Fr. Deck is a Distinguished Scholar of Pastoral Theology and Latino Studies at Loyola Marymount University and a member of the National Advisory Committee for the Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative.
Despite the broad lack of investment in Hispanic/Latino leadership to date, about 36 percent of U.S. Catholics identify as Latino. Yet only around three percent of pastors and one in 10 lay leaders are Hispanic/Latino.
The Initiative supports Hispanic/Latino leaders to build a foundation of best practices to nurture a vocational identity and praxis as pastoral leaders. The Initiative inspires Hispanic/Latino leaders to see themselves as “co-participants in a community of practice,” creating opportunities for peer-to-peer engagement. The Initiative provides Hispanic/Latino leaders not only access to critical capacity-building skills but ensures that those skills are both culturally appropriate and address the often complex pastoral environments of these leaders.
Leadership Roundtable recognized the many gifts and talents that Hispanics/Latinos bring to the Catholic Church in the United States and believed it was critical for Catholic institutions to assist Hispanic/Latino pastoral leaders to thrive in their vocations and, thus, support the well-being of the congregations in which they minister.
Creating the Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative Answering the call to respond to the need for leadership formation for Hispanic/Latino leaders, Leadership Roundtable worked to bring the Initiative to life. We leveraged our more than 16 years of experience helping Catholic pastoral leaders succeed through coaching and mentoring with and from other pastoral and peer leaders to promote management and leadership best practices for the long-term. 2
Leadership Roundtable launched the Initiative in partnership with Lilly Endowment Inc., which generously provided funding through its Thriving in Ministry Initiative, and with support from other donors. The news of the Thriving in Ministry grant gave hope to Catholic Hispanic/Latino clergy and lay leaders that recognized the Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative as a promising opportunity that will have a lasting effect on
National Advisory Committee members Mr. Javier Bustamante Director, Center for Cultural Engagement, The Catholic University of America
Dr. Arturo Chavez Associate Vice President for Mission and Ministry and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, University of the Incarnate Laura Vargas
the development of Hispanic/Latino ministry leadership in the United States.
Word (2020)
Fr. Allan Figueroa Deck, SJ, Distinguished Scholar of Pastoral Theology and Latino Studies,
Fr. Juan Molina, president and CEO of the Mexican American Catholic College said that, “for too long, the Church has not benefited from the leadership talents of Hispanics/Latinos. For the Church to continue to grow and evangelize, it is vital that our Church continue the work begun with the V Encuentro to form leaders from the Hispanic/Latino community and welcome them to the leadership tables.” Fr. Molina is also a member of the National Advisory Committee for the Initiative.
Loyola Marymount University
Collaborating with a National Advisory Committee
President & CEO, Mexican American
Sr. Teresa Maya, CCVI Congregational Leader, Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word
Fr. Juan Molina
The National Advisory Committee of Hispanic/Latino leaders formed to guide the Initiative has been instrumental in its development and growth. The committee includes well-respected Hispanic/Latino Catholic leaders from Catholic organizations, religious communities, and educational institutions within the United States. Members represent different regions, backgrounds, and experiences to ensure the Initiative’s approach is culturally informed and responsive to Hispanic/Latino leaders’ varying and complex needs. The members’ academic, professional, and pastoral expertise is reflected in the design, promotion, and implementation of the Initiative, and in the selection of participating dioceses.
Catholic College (2021)
“The launch of the Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative is an important step forward for the formation of Hispanic/Latino leaders and for carrying out a top priority of the Church,” said Mar Muñoz-Visoso, a member of the National Advisory Committee, who serves as Executive Director, Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Youth Ministry
Ms. Mar Muñoz-Visoso Executive Director, Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Mr. Darius Villalobos Director of Diversity and Inclusion, National Federation for Catholic
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Leadership Framework: Building the Bridge to the Future provides a framework for understanding one’s role as a Latino/a leader in the Church in the United States today and offers key elements of leadership for us to reflect on and commit to growing in as we serve as a bridge to the future. • De-clericalization of Leadership • Pastoral Conversion • Servant and Synodal Leadership • The Latino Presence and Leadership • Leadership for Reconciliation, Justice, and Peace • Sources of a New Vision for Latino/a Leadership Latino/a servant leaders steeped in these sources and nurtured in a spirituality of service and ongoing personal and communal discernment and life in the Spirit will provide the Church in the United States with the bridge to the future in these times of epochal change.
The collaboration with the National Advisory Committee has proven very fruitful. The members were instrumental in developing a foundational resource document titled Leadership Framework: Building the Bridge to the Future. This document outlines the leadership vision for the Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative, the understanding of the Hispanic/ Latino leaders’ role in serving the Church in the United States today, and offers key elements of leadership to reflect on, and commit to growing in, as Hispanic/Latino leaders in order to serve as a bridge to the future — being “Gente Puente.” Committee members have also served as presenters in the program and have facilitated peer group coaching sessions.
Developing Effective Program Elements To most effectively serve Hispanic/Latino leaders, Leadership Roundtable staff designed bilingual training and coaching curricula to meet the needs of participants in the Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative. After it became clear that the pandemic would have a long-term impact, the Initiative was further adapted to provide both an online and hybrid online/in-person format. The Initiative’s program consists of the study of leadership and pastoral ministry competencies and best practices in Church management, including: • Catholic Leadership 360 — A leadership development process that uses a 360-degree assessment tool to provide respectful, structured feedback on key leadership competencies and behaviors that have been shown to contribute to the success of Catholic pastoral leaders. Participants use this feedback to create a development plan for their leadership development throughout the Initiative. • Toolbox for Pastoral Management — A comprehensive introduction to the key elements of pastoral management in a workshop-style series of presentations that provide practical, ready-to-use tools. • Catholic Standards for Excellence — Training in a comprehensive set of managerial best practices designed to assist parishes, dioceses, and Catholic organizations in their operations to help leaders advance the Church’s mission. • Peer Group Coaching Sessions — Monthly sessions that provide an opportunity for participants to tap into the wisdom of their colleagues, guided by an experienced facilitator. These sessions provide a forum to explore further and synthesize pastoral skills and leadership concepts learned in the other program elements.
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Engaging Participants To identify the first cohort of leaders for the Initiative, Leadership Roundtable issued a Request for Proposal to all dioceses in the United States and to leaders of Hispanic/ Latino ministries. Many dioceses responded with interest, and 14 dioceses submitted completed applications. The National Advisory Committee and Leadership Roundtable staff evaluated applications, and specifically the capacity of each diocese to support ongoing leadership formation at the conclusion of the Initiative, to determine which diocese would be invited to host the initial cohort. The Diocese of Joliet in Illinois was selected to host the inaugural cohort, and leaders took part in the Initiative from January 2021 to November 2021. Then-apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Joliet, Bishop Richard E. Pates, shepherded the formation of the cohort and blessed the participants as they launched into this new formation Initiative. “Formation is one of the priority areas identified by the V Encuentro process in the Diocese of Joliet…” said Bishop Pates. “This Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative will provide the
Diocese with a great opportunity to continue developing and enhancing the leadership skills of priests, religious, and lay leaders within the Hispanic community.” Joliet’s current Bishop Ronald A. Hicks told the participants during the closing Mass: “Your participation in this course is important for the life of the Church, and for yourselves, because growing in wisdom and learning about yourself and leadership is something that you can not only use in the life of the Church but also in life in general.” “One of the things you all learned in these courses was to use your own voice, that your voice is intelligent, and to use it for the good of the Church, for your lives, to grow in this leadership using your voice,” Hicks said. “Sometimes this scares us … but God gave us all a voice and it is good to use it in a beautiful and good way.” Due to the pandemic, the Joliet cohort participated in the Initiative almost fully online. The final integration session and a closing Mass celebrated by Bishop Hicks with the participants and their families were held in-person as a joyful culmination of the Initiative.
Juliana Rueda (left), Lily Chhin (center), Luisa de Poo (right) - Photo credit Gabriel Lujan
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Media Coverage of the Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative
1. Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative partners with Joliet Diocese National Catholic Reporter (September 2020)
2. Diocese of Joliet to partner with nonprofit for Latino leaders Initiative America Magazine (September 2020)
3. The Diocese of Joliet Selected to
Danny Ortegon - Photo credit Gabriel Lujan
Partner with Leadership Roundtable to Train Hispanic Leaders Christ is our Hope (December 2020)
4. Diocese of St. Augustine Selected for Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative Diocese of St. Augustine (June 2021)
5. Program works to equip Hispanics for leadership roles in Church Crux (July 2021)
6. ‘This is our moment’: Latino Pastoral Leadership Initiative expands with
second cohort National Catholic Reporter (October 2021)
7. Diocese of Joliet concludes Hispanic leadership training (January 2022)
8. Glendale Heights pastor, parishioner complete national Hispanic leadership training (January 2022) 6
A second cohort of the Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative launched in the Diocese of St. Augustine in Florida in June 2021 with a sending forth ceremony and blessing by Bishop Felipe J. Estévez. “Leadership Roundtable is one of the best organizations of the Church in the United States,” said Bishop Estévez. “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.” Leadership Roundtable is delivering the Initiative to this cohort under a hybrid model, with a combination of in-person and online sessions. In November 2021, the Diocese of Austin in Texas launched the third cohort of the Initiative with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, who blessed the pastoral leaders. The Austin cohort will also use a hybrid method of delivery.
Enhancing a Ministry of Servant Leadership For participating leaders, the Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative has been transformative, helping them become stronger in their ministry and more confident in their call to leadership. “[The best part of the Initiative was] being around great leaders who shared their experiences,” said Sandra Hernández, a leader from the Diocese of Joliet.
Diocese of St. Augustine cohort (Bishop Felipe J. Estévez at center) — Photo credit: Diocese of St. Augustine, Woody Huband
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IT MADE ME A BETTER LEADER – Manuela Botello
Manuela Botello, also a leader from Joliet, said the Initiative taught her how to set boundaries, helped her identify her strengths as a leader, as well as identify areas where she wanted to improve.
Few other avenues exist for lay leaders and clergy to collectively build the relationships and culture that allow for open dialogue, honest encounter, and listening. As a lay leader, Saldívar-Pérez said she valued how the Initiative provided participants the opportunity to learn in small groups with ordained and lay leaders as peers. “It was encouraging to know that we all have strengths and weaknesses, regardless of our titles, degrees, or positions,” she said.
“It made me a better leader,” she said. When the participants in the inaugural cohort, the Diocese of Joliet, were asked whether the Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative equipped them with the tools and skills to work more effectively in their current ministry, 94% responded “absolutely” or “very much so.” And when asked if the Initiative increased their confidence to negotiate challenges in their ministry, 100% responded “absolutely” or “very much so.”
In the Diocese of Joliet, Hispanic/Latino leaders have already begun to implement their newly acquired skills by helping to facilitate the work of parishes in the global Synod process. Nationally, Leadership Roundtable plans to continue to grow the Initiative in the years ahead with additional dioceses and cohorts across the United States.
CO N TAC T:
Andrea Blanco
415 Michigan Ave, Ste. 275 Washington, DC 20017
Program Manager, Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative
Leadershiproundtable.org
andrea@leadershiproundtable.org
202-635-5820 7
Manuela Botello
(left) Bishop Ronald Hicks (right) Andrea Blanco
(left) Yovani Valdivia (right) Fr. Ramón Sida
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Elisabeth Román
Latino Pastoral Leaders Initiative National Advisory Board member Mar Muñoz-Visoso presents to members of the St. Augustine cohort.