The Diocese of Little Rock took steps last year to formally train Spanish-speaking men and women to become leaders in their parishes.
On Sunday, Jan. 8, the feast of Epiphany, 33 adults from northwest and western Arkansas were given certificates for completing “Power to Serve: Fostering Latino Leadership for Church and Society,” an eight-month course held in Rogers. Bishop J. Peter Sartain celebrated a Spanish Mass at St. John Center in Little Rock for the graduates and handed out certificates at the end of the celebration.
Those completing the course were:
Bentonville: Alejandra Hernández
Fayetteville: Enevit Cruz, Evaristo Ayala, Israel Cruz, Luz M. Morlet and Juana Ayala
Fort Smith: Aldo Martín Pozos, Ana Gabriela Martínez, Jaime. R. Flores, José Rosales, Juan Rosales, Maria Josefina Flores, Miguel Devora, Olga Ozuna, Pedro Martínez, Rosalba Zarate, Roxana Devora, Vanessa Martínez and Yolanda Torres
Green Forest: Elías Rangel Flores
Rogers: Carmen de Haro and Rosy Carbonell
Siloam Springs: Margarita Hernández, Benito Baca, Gustavo Bautista and Leticia Bautista
Springdale: Humberto Herrera, J. Gabriel Lunar, Jorge Sierra, Juan José Godinez, Mirza Vázquez and Patricia Ortega.
Van Buren: Mercedes C. López
In the course, which was developed by the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry, the participants were taught skills in pastoral and civic leadership, organizational development and community organizing.
Sister Mickey Espinoza, MCP, former diocesan Hispanic ministry director now living in Dallas, said the growth in the Hispanic community made it necessary for the diocese to offer more leadership training.
“Many who already serve have had some experience in their country of origin, and some have natural leadership qualities,” she said. “I believe that the training helped them understand some of the realities of the Church ’structures’ here in the United States and how they can best contribute to the mission of the Church.”
Deacon Marcelino Luna, current diocesan director of Hispanic ministry, said the graduates now better understand how parishes operate in the United States.
“The leaders will work toward organizing ministries and be more active in their parishes,” he said.
One graduate, Luz “Lucy” Morlet, is the Hispanic ministry coordinator at St. Joseph Church in Fayetteville since July 2005. A native of Acapulco, Mexico, she believes the seminars helped her become a better leader in her parish.
“Being a good leader is crucial to help in building the kingdom of God on this earth,” she said.
Morlet attended the eight sessions from April to November at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers. “It was an extensive course, but the constant on each session was a reminder to be humble at all times to better serve our brothers and sisters,” she said.
Several of the graduates will now form teams and offer the course to different areas of the diocese.
In November 2004, the course’s eight instructors attended a five-day seminar at the Mexican-American Cultural Center in San Antonio. The group included Sister Mickey; Sister Josefina Gutierrez, MSC, of Fort Smith; Jose Luis Ahumada of Rogers; José Dionicio Vázquez, Sofía Manjarrez, Estela Gómez and Alicia Ruiz of Springdale; and Pablo Ramírez of Van Buren. Sister Mickey, who was the director at the time, worked with the team members to implement the course in the state.
