Hispanics – Madison Catholic Herald

MADISON — Since 1972, the Catholic bishhops in the United States have held an Encuentro every five to eight years to give Hispanic/Latino Catholics an opportunity to express their needs, aspirations, and contributions to the Church.

In 2018, the fifth Encuentro — V Encuentro — is being held throughout the country. Its theme is “Missionary Disciples: Witnesses of God’s Love.” The main goal of the V Encuentro is to discern ways in which the Church in the United States can better respond to the Hispanic/Latino presence, and to strengthen the ways in which Hispanics/Latinos respond to the call to the New Evangelization as missionary disciples serving the entire Church.

Support our immigrant brothers and sisters

“For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me” (Mt 25:35).

All of us (except Native Americans) who live in the United States are descended from immigrants.

My own ancestors came from Ireland, Germany, and Belgium seeking a better life in this country for themselves and their families. Most of them were Catholic, so they also wanted a place where they could worship freely.

Immigrants have continued to come to the United States. Many are welcomed by the Statue of Liberty in New York City’s harbor with words inscribed on the statue’s pedestal that say: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

Immaculate Heart of Mary School nears record enrollment


	Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Monona has increased its enrollment by 49 percent, primarily due to recruiting Hispanic and Asian students through its Catholic School Advantage Program. (Contributed photo)

MONONA — Five years ago, a trend toward decreasing enrollment at Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) School in Monona had become an increasing concern.

To respond to this concern, a five-point strategy was implemented to retain and increase school enrollment.

Five-point plan

The five-point plan included:

Prayer — putting faith in God to provide opportunities for increasing enrollment
Public school partnership — becoming a 4K site for the Monona Grove School District
Retention — commitment to improving student retention between elementary and middle school
Outreach — implementing the Catholic School Advantage (CSA) Program for Hispanic immigrant families
Enrollment management — hiring a development director to focus on building and retaining enrollment

Exciting new program

Since implementation of the plan, with God’s help, this five-point strategy is working.

One of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of this strategy is the Catholic School Advantage (CSA) program. This program is a ground-breaking student recruitment effort that reaches out to Hispanic-immigrant students from families who want to send their children to a Catholic school, but are unable to afford tuition.