DANVILLE, Calif. — A national gathering of friars interested in Hispanic ministry will be held Oct. 12 to 15 at San Damiano Retreat near Oakland. This annual interprovincial event — the third of its kind — is called “Juntos Como Hermanos,” meaning “together as brothers.”
Friars who would like to attend are asked to contact Fr. Tommy King, OFM, of St. Barbara Province, before Sept. 1. Registration information is provided on a flyer that was emailed to HNP friars last month.
Previous interprovincial gatherings have provided an opportunity for friars to share their experiences and hopes for the future.
“For Franciscan friars who are involved or just interested in the Hispanic ministry, this upcoming national gathering is a golden opportunity,” said Jacek Orzechowski, OFM, who is helping to organize the event. “It will offer us a chance to get to know our fellow brothers from other provinces, celebrate together the gift of our vocation, share insights about the Hispanic ministry and be inspired by one another. In addition, the friars will explore some of the challenges and opportunities vis-a-vis the process of restructuring Franciscan life and ministry in the United States.
“The gathering of friars will also be enriched by some of the lay Latino partners-in-ministry from across Santa Barbara Province,” he added. “We’ll hear directly from them about their struggles, joys and hopes for the future.”
He continued, “I’m very excited about this upcoming event. I hope that the friars from Holy Name Province who are either currently involved in Hispanic ministry or just interested in it, will not miss this wonderful opportunity to be a part of this very important grassroots interprovincial event.”
In recent years, the Province has increased its focus on Hispanic culture. Two Encuentro Franciscano events and two vocation retreats for Latino men at the Province’s house of studies, among other activities, have been held. Next month, the Province’s vocation office is holding a retreat for men of Hispanic background who are between the ages of 21 to 45. Information about the event at Holy Name College in Silver Spring, Md., can be obtained from Gonzalo Torres, OFM, assistant vocation director, at gonzaloofm@hotmail.com.
More information about HNP’s Hispanic ministries can be found on the Provincial website.
— Jocelyn Thomas is director of communications for Holy Name Province.