From Gomer to Gomez: grief and joy in Hispanic ministry

National Catholic Reporter, July 29, 2005 by Kenneth G. Davis

Therefore, the challenge cannot rest on the individual lay student, but rather on those schools who publicly profess to prepare lay ministers for the Catholic church of the United States in the 21st century. Schools cannot claim to prepare lay ministers for the reality of this church if they do not systematically address Hispanic ministry by providing their lay ministers good university courses in Spanish and reexamining their pedagogy, curriculum, faculty, financial aid and development efforts. They can and must be true to their promise to prepare laity for ministry, and that ministry will include Tia Beatriz and Andres as well as Aunt Bee and Andy.

[Conventual Franciscan Fr. Kenneth G. Davis is associate professor of pastoral theology at the St. Meinrad School of Theology, Indiana. He can be reached at www.kennethgdavis.com.]