Building up the Body of Christ

The months of October and November were filled with opportunities to collaborate and network with our national and regional partners to bring about a greater awareness of where and how the Church is as we emerge from the pandemic.  The Congar Institute was asked to present a workshop at the annual gathering La Red (National Catholic Network de Pastoral Juvenil Hispana). Fr. Wayne and I presented on the Pastoral de Conjunto as a tool for assessing parish and campus ministry programs for pastoral juvenil which encompasses bilingual ministry to Hispanic youth and young adults, ages 18-35.

We also participated in the annual conference of the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors of Hispanic Ministry (NACDDHM) which was held in person in Las Vegas, Nevada. The theme of the conference was, “The Feminine Genius: A Church that Goes Forth.”  It was a wonderful experience filled with many stories of women in ministry and the women with whom they minister.  The various panel discussions and storytelling not only offered new perspectives of Hispanic women in ministry, but the panelists also left us with challenging questions and insights that call us to see the reality of the many life struggles of Hispanic and migrant women and to name resources that can help women move the Church forth in her mission to evangelize. 

The Congar Institute recognizes that networking with likeminded pastoral agents and national and regional organizations is essential to our mission of formation. Over the years the staff has worked to grow our network and deepen our relationships, and the fruit of our labor is the national recognition of the Congar Institute as a mutual partner in the mission to build up the Body of Christ via pastoral leadership formation for laity.