Denver Catholic

12 I CATHOLIC LIFE OCTOBER 9, 2013 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER Centro a model in forming Church leaders, bishops' rep says BY JULIE FILBY This story continues an occasional Denver Catholic Register series celebrating the 10th anniversary of Centro San Juan Diego. PRINT Throughout its 10 years, forming leaders in the Church has been a priority for Centro San Juan Diego, the Hispanic Institute for Family and Pastoral Care for the Archdiocese of Denver. "Centro's emphasis on leadership formation is exceptional," said Jonathan Reyes, executive director of the U.S. bishops' Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development in Washington, D.C., since December 2012. "Their desire to create leaders is forward-thinking." Reyes—who served the Church in Denver from 2004-2013 variously as president and CEO of Catholic Charities, co-founder of the Augustine Institute and vice president of FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students)—will return to Denver to deliver a keynote address at the ninth annual Centro San Juan Diego Gala coming up Oct. 16. Reyes was also on the advisory board for Centro and involved with the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders (CALL), established in Denver in 2008. In his role with the bishops, he is involved with developing social policy and international policy and "Latinos are a big part of the conversation," he said. Leadership formation at Centro is carried out through an array of pastoral care services such as faith-based workshops and programs, individual ministry training, coordinating bachelor degree programs in religion, and heading up family and youth ministries. "The integration of Latinos into society is more important than ever," explained Luis Soto, executive director of Centro and a well-respected Hispanic leader in the U.S. Church. "The U.S. Catholic population has been heavily shaped by immigration and includes a rising share of Latinos," according to a Pew Research Center report released last February. Colorado has the eighth largest Hispanic population in the nation, according to 2012 Pew data: about 1 million Hispanics reside in Colorado, or 2.1 percent of the country's Hispanics. Nearly half of Catholics in the U.S. under age 40, 47 percent, are Hispanic; and an estimated half of Catholics in northern Colorado are Hispanic. Centro, as well as Denver's Church leadership, is committed to Hispanic outreach and relations. "We're talking about the Latino presence in a rising generation of Catholics in a real way," Reyes CENTRO SAN JUAN DIEGO GALA When: 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Oct. 16 Where: Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, 1550 Court Place Featured speakers: Archbishop Samuel Aquila and Jonathan Reyes, head of U.S. bishops' Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development Cost: $150 per person PHOTO PROVIDED Tickets: www.blacktie-colo rado.com/rsvp, event code CSJD1016 JONATHAN REYES is head of the U.S bishops' Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development. said. "Hispanic ministry is largely parish-based … Denver's bishops (Chaput, Gomez, Conley and now Aquila) have all given this a lot of attention." In the Denver Archdiocese, 54 parishes hold services in Spanish; up from eight in 1997. "We need to remind the Latino community 'we are who we are' and be champions of that," said Soto. "(And not) lose values rooted in our life of faith." Soto stressed the importance of "integrating" into society versus "assimilating." "We use the word 'integration,'" he explained. "'Assimilation' (can allude to) someone forgetting who they are in the melting pot … we honor traditions, and appreciate and love American society." Denver is one of 10 cities involved in a research project being conducted by the New Yorkbased Center for Migration in partnership with the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC). Breana George, CMS research coordinator, visited Centro last May while gathering data for a study titled: "Immigrant Integration: Assessing and Improving the Collective Response of the Catholic Church in the United States." The project seeks to address whether Church institutions have adapted to meet the needs and incorporate the contributions of immigrants, if new "integrating" institutions have risen within the Church, and if longstanding institutions have been revitalized in response to the needs and gifts of newcomers. Questions: Visit www.centro gala.org, call 303-295-9470, ext. 104, or email jennie.mar quez@archden.org "We are currently in the process of developing the draft with our funder and project advisors," said George. "We have just commenced the second year of the project which will be focused on the report's dissemination and impact throughout Catholic institutions working with immigrants." The field work involved more than 60 interviewees, she said. "(Centro is) moving in a direction of raising up excellent Latino leaders," Reyes said. "The breadth of what they do is impressive. There's a lot of hope, expectation and excitement." Coming Soon ... 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