Hispanics in the U.S Catholic Church
By Kyle Shinseki @ 6:03 PM :: 380 Views
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Hispanics currently make up 40% of the Catholic Church in the United States.  It may seem hard to believe, but only a generation ago, many Dioceses opposed ethnic ministries and Spanish-speaking parishioners were often obligated to celebrate Mass in church basements.  But since the 1960s, more than 70% of the growth in the U.S. Catholic Church has come from Hispanic Catholics, who now number over 25 million.  It is estimated that by 2050, 80% of Roman Catholics in the United States will be of Hispanic origin.

While many parishes with Hispanic ministry are located in places like Los Angeles, Miami, and New York, churches like St. Mary in Kodiak, Alaska and Sacred Heart/St. Dominic in Portland, Maine also celebrate a weekly misa en español.  In fact, there are more than 3,600 parishes throughout the United States that minister to this growing ethnic group.  Sisters provide social services to new Hispanic residents in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, while priests from Colombia lead prayer groups in Honolulu.  While the Church assists Hispanics in adjusting to their new lives in the United States, it also helps maintain Latin American traditions like fiestas patronales, novenas, and posadas. 

Although the U.S. Catholic Church has made significant advances in its outreach to Hispanics, there are still a number of challenges.  Traditional and evangelical Protestants have made significant inroads among Hispanics.  According to a survey conducted in 2001, 76% of Hispanic immigrants identified themselves as Catholic, as compared to only 59% of U.S.-born Hispanics.  Each year, more than 60,000 Hispanic Catholics in the United States leave the Church to become Evangelicals.  Since only 37% of Hispanic immigrants belong to a Catholic parish, it is not surprising that many Evangelical groups are able to attract them by providing social services and employment assistance.

While certainly the Catholic Church can do more to serve its Hispanic faithful, there currently are only just over 2,000 Hispanic priests in the United Status, which translates to one Hispanic priest for every 10,000 Hispanic parishioners.  Two-thirds of U.S. Dioceses have no Hispanics in key administrative positions and many parishes lack Hispanic participation on parish councils.  Here is where the ACU and its commitment to developing lay Catholic leadership has been able to and should continue to play an important role.  Agrupados in many cities have served as a bridge between English-speaking and Spanish-speaking parishioners and provide their professional skills and experience to serve the growing numbers of Hispanic faithful.