Amarillo—The Church of Amarillo is invited to attend and participate in a Diocesan Encuentro Saturday, Feb. 17 from 9:00am to 4:00pm at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, 4512 NE 24 th.
“The Diocesan Encuentro will begin with Mass and a review of the Consultation process,” said Father Hector J. Madrigal, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church, Amarillo. “This will include a call from Bishop Patrick J. Zurek to Missionary Discipleship beginning at home and a presentation on the results of the Encuentro Consultations that took place during the parish process.
“There will be moments, prayer, reflection and group discussions that will lead us in discerning what steps to take next in the Diocese of Amarillo to better form Missionary Disciples. We also hope to hear how we can better serve our youth, families and the diversity of cultures within our diocese. This is also a day to recognize the special needs of the Hispanic in our diocese and how they can better serve the Church. This is a two-way process—first, how we can better serve them, and second, how they can better serve the entire Church.
“Our hope is that this model will also guide us in discerning how to best serve other groups in the Church. More than anything we seek inclusion in this process.”
Father Madrigal said the Diocesan Encuentro will be followed by the Region X Encuentro later this spring.
“We are presently discerning the selection of 18 delegates for the Region X encuentro that will take place in San Antonio Friday, April 13 through Sunday, April 15,” Father Madrigal said. “This delegation, along with Bishop Zurek, will present the issues from the Diocesan Encuentro that need to be addressed at that level. Then six of the 18 delegates will continue the process on consultation and prioritizing pastoral actions at the National Encuentro that will take place in the Diocese of Fort Worth on the Thursday, Sept. 20 to Sunday, Sept. 23.
“At this same time the leadership in the Diocese of Amarillo will be following through the results of the Diocesan Encuentro. It is at our local level that the goal of the V Encuentro process becomes even more important. The Encuentro process calls to identify how we can better serve the Hispanics in the diocese and in turn how they can better serve the Church as Missionary Disciples. From its onset the Encuentro process has been concerned about special groups, youth and young adults, the family, and second and third generation Hispanics. These are groups that have been identified as target groups because of numbers and because of the high risks of losing them in the midst of the cultural shifts taking place in our society today. This is all to be taken into account the call to become a church that goes out. We can no longer just sit comfortably waiting for people to come to us but how are we going to go to the people to encounter them and accompany them.”
Is it too late for people to be involved in the V Encuentro?
“We encourage all Catholics to join us in the Diocesan Encuentro,” said Father Madrigal. “It is open to all that participated in the five sessions in the parish level and those that did not have the opportunity to participate before. Anyone who is interested in how we can foster and become Missionary Disciples is encouraged to participate. Please let your pastor or parish office know if you are planning to participate. We would like to parishes to notify us before the weekend by calling St. Joseph’s Church with the numbers so that we can plan for lunch and space appropriately.”
Father Madrigal added that the five-step Methodology used by the Encuentro Process is an excellent way to form Missionary Disciples.
“It uses the experience of the disciples on the road to Emmaus,” he said. “Our call to missionary discipleship that uses the spirituality of the journey to Emmaus serves as a way to nurture the culture of encounter and the art of accompaniment. Beyond the events of the Encuentro I believe this process can be instrumental in helping us in the diocese to continue to form Missionary Disciples through all of our diocesan and parish ministries.
For additional information on the Diocesan Encuentro, please call Father Madrigal at 355-5621.