Denver Catholic

6 SEPTEMBER 22-OCTOBER 12, 2018 | DENVER CATHOLIC "T he more prosperous nations are obliged… to welcome the± foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot fi nd in his country of origin" (CCC 2241).± With the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in mind and the vision and mission of answering the Church's call to welcome and aid the newcomers, Archbishop Charles Chaput and Monsignor José Gómez created Centro San Juan Diego in 2003. Fifteen years later, the mission of Centro continues more urgently than ever. On Oct. 11, the institution will cele- brate its 15th birthday — or as it's called among Hispanics, its 'Quinceañera. ' Centro was created to meet the urgent needs of the growing Hispanic immigrant community in Colorado after the arrival of what was considered one of the largest wave of immigrants to the U.S. between 1996 and 2004, explained Juan Carlos Reyes, Execu- tive Director of Centro San Juan Diego. "The creation of Centro was neces- sary, not only so Catholic immigrants could fi nd the Church welcoming them, opening its doors and helping them to actively participate in the Church's life, but also, for the immigrant community in general, regardless of their faith, to o„ er them an area of social work," Reyes explained. Since its creation, Centro has helped thousands of people. In fact, nearly 5,000 Hispanics reach out to Centro every year to receive faith formation and educational services. With the Pas- toral Institute, the family, children's and young adult's ministries, and the educational and leadership programs, Centro has become the main resource center for both long-term residents and newcomers in Colorado. At Centro, students start by learning English, preparing for their citizenship, and/or becoming entrepreneurs by attending small business classes. Twice a month, Centro o„ ers a legal night (Noche Legal) to provide legal advice from lawyers in di„ erent areas of law to those seeking help but with no fi nancial means to do so. During tax season, Centro provides tax prepara- tion services at a low cost. Additionally, a tax preparer certifi cation is available for those who want to pursue it. "One of the programs that has given us more recognition is the part- nership Centro has with Universi- dad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP), a university in Puebla, Mexico that o„ ers bachelor's and master's degrees in Spanish that are valid in both countries," said Reyes. This partnership began in 2012 and pro- vides online education at low cost to any Spanish-speaking individual, regard- less of their citizenship status. Around the Archdiocese Your gift helps support parish operations and funds nearly forty ministries Forming Forming 60 future priests in our future priests in our 2 seminaries Educating 9,000 Catholic school students 9,000 9,000 school students 9,000 9,000 212,000 nights of shelter 732,000 meals served 3,000 Hispanic adult education students education students www.archden.org/givetoday • 303-867-0614 20 18 20 18 Colecta Anual Del Arzobispo BY MAVI BARRAZA mavi.barraza@archden.org @MaviBarraza Centro San Juan Diego to celebrate its 'Quinceañera' Oct. 11 For 15 years, Centro has worked to meet the needs of the growing Hispanic immigrant population in Colorado. PHOTO BY NISSA LAPOINT

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