OWENSBORO, Ky. - I write this article as an appeal to my Catholic brothers and sisters in the Diocese. It is no secret that I am and have been very active in Hispanic ministry and we have a great challenge before us. The "challenge" is one that is not for one or only a few to face, but one given to each of us by our baptism. As part of the mystical Body of Christ, we are called to a life of holiness. "There is no separation between faith and works in our daily response to the universal call to holiness" (Pope John Paul II, Ecclesia in America).

At this very moment, several local Protestant churches have begun an aggressive campaign to "reach out" to the Hispanic community. This happened in Paducah as well. When I first began working in Hispanic ministry in Paducah, there was a Baptist Church with a large Hispanic outreach. Once we began offering the Mass in Spanish and reaching out ourselves, that mission folded. I am not insinuating that we should be competing with one another, but I think we have something to learn here. Many of the Hispanics, (90%) are Catholic. What are we doing as members of the Body of Christ to become welcoming to the stranger among us.

I used the word challenge, but according to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the presence of the Hispanic community in the United States is addressed as a "blessing from God" (The Hispanic Presence in the New Evangelization in the United States). Many people have expressed that they don’t know how to communicate because of the language barrier. When I began working with Hispanics, I could not speak a word of Spanish. A smile and body language goes a long way, trust me! To be welcoming is nothing more than that. It does not mean that you have to invite someone over for dinner, or offer money, or food. It is simply respect for the presence of the life and dignity of the person standing in your presence.

The Protestant churches have done an excellent job of this. Some people may say fine, let them do it. But what does that say about my life as a Catholic Christian? Jesus calls us to be a community of believers. Remember the verse, "I was hungry and you fed me," it goes on to say that "I was a stranger and you welcomed me" (Mt 25:35-36). What will your answer be? I am appealing to each and every Catholic to join in the effort to reach out and becoming a welcoming, hospitable community of believers. There are fears and uncertainties that exist among the Anglo community that can be answered by people who have experience in Hispanic Ministry. The mission of evangelization falls not only on a few shoulders, but upon each and every one of us by our very baptism.

There are currently Spanish and bilingual liturgies in a few parishes across the Diocese. Some people object to that, while I am appealing for more! The Bishops also tell us that "culture assimilation (to make alike) is contrary to the rights of the human person" (Prophetic Voices). By continuing to separate we are making a statement that "unless they become like me, let’s keep them separate". My appeal is that we begin our own "mission" as Catholics. The very word "catholic" implies universality, inclusion of all. Because of the language barrier we have to make some adjustments. This is not just a personal opinion; quoting Pope John Paul II again from Ecclesia in America, "The gift of his Spirit and his love are meant for each and every people and culture, in order to bring them all into unity after the example of the perfect unity existing in the Triune God. For this to happen, it is necessary to inculturate preaching in such a way that the Gospel is proclaimed in the language and in the culture of its hearers.".

We can sit back and rest assured that there are a few people doing some work in Hispanic ministry in this Diocese and that is good enough. OR… we can choose to join in the efforts of "welcoming the stranger among us" by becoming a welcoming and hospitable community as Jesus would have it.