By Roberta Ward

At the Social Action Summer Institute (SASI) held in August, a national conference which was hosted by the Diocese of San Jose Office of Social Ministry and held at Santa Clara University, a panel on diocesan social action skills focused on “Hispanics and Social Ministry: Time for a New Conversation?”

Jesuit Father Eduardo Fernandez from Santa Clara University, Cecilia Titizano from the Jesuit School of Theology at SCU and the Graduate School of Theology in Berkeley, and Anne Grycz, retired Director of the ILM (Institute for Leadership in Ministry), formed the panel which addressed issues in Hispanic ministry.

Titizano said that Hispanics represent many different cultures and national origins and “community” is a central theme for all.

“Hispanics stress group solidarity and the common good is promoted,” she said. ‘The Virgin is a central figure who connects with Latinos even though it is a mixed vision with different countries and ethnicities.

“We are a transnational community. We get it. We are very focused on issues of human dignity,” she said.

Social ministry, she emphasized, needs to be based on Latino spirituality. This expresses a covenant relationship with God and others.

Latino spirituality includes Biblical images, an experience of God, is connected to religious festivals and sacramental moments, she explained.

She said, “We must not forget the culture. Popular piety is very important.”

Titizano said that, according to 2002 data, Hispanics are the largest minority in the U.S., with 66.9 percent coming from Mexico and 14.3 percent coming from Central and South America. From 1990 to 2000 there was a 57.9 percent increase in the Hispanic population in the United States.

Many are young people, average age 25-29 years, with a third of all the young people under 18 years of age. One quarter of newborns in the U.S. are Hispanic.

Father Fernandez said that education is low for Hispanics and the poverty level is high. Over 30 percent of children are living in poverty. Generally, Hispanic families tend to be larger and the extended family is very important.

“There are different ways of being Catholic,” Father Fernandez said, “and popular piety is important for Hispanics. It’s not just about Sunday Mass attendance and envelope use.”

He urged his audience to challenge myths. “Who are you calling Latino?” he asked.

He noted generational mobility and said children of immigrants are likely to be more educated than their parents and have greater social mobility.

“Latino spirituality provides a source of strength,” he said. “How can we put Latino social justice together, especially for the undocumented?”

He said that popular religiosity plays a big role but it is very complex and should not be equated with “idolatry.”

Grycz shared her experiences of the Hispanic track of the ILM where both communal and relational aspects of Latinos are part of the program.

“Group work and consensus is very important,” Grycz said. “Individualism does not work. Latinos work together.”

In fact, the ILM promotes “prayer partners” in which English track and Spanish track students pair up during the three-year program. There are bilingual prayer services, posada processions and other shared inculturating experiences.

“It’s all about forming relationships,” Grycz said. “We have to have confidence in people’s abilities. We also have to be willing to deal with misunderstandings from time to time.”

She also noted the challenges of technology, the availability or lack of technology and economic issues of Latinos. “We have to help them,” she said.

“The teaching and learning process is also different for Latinos,” she said. They tend to be more oral.”

She recalled a bright former ILM student. “Jaime was finding it difficult to keep up in class in spite of the fact that he was a natural leader in his parish and is very bright. His ILM graduation was very special to him. It was his only graduation!

“We need to empower people – meet them where they are, and help them gain confidence, education and knowledge,” Grycz said of her ILM experience.

In a question and answer period, Titizano said that social ministry for Hispanics should focus on the local community and its specific needs and challenges such as immigration and gangs.

“These things are very real and affect people locally. They can be rallying points for social action,” she said.