Supporting the Formation of U.S. Hispanic Catholic Pastoral Leaders

In the United States, 19.6 million Latinos identify as Catholic, around 40 percent of American Catholics. But the numbers of Latinos in ministry do not reflect the national numbers. A new project hopes to change that. 

Thanks to the generosity of the Lilly Endowment, Inc., a $7.9 million grant will assist Notre Dame and Boston College in partnering to lead Haciendo Caminos, an initiative to form at least 100 Hispanic Catholic pastoral leaders, both clergy and laity, for the Catholic Church. The focus of the project is to reduce barriers and support theological education for U.S.-born, young adult, Hispanic Catholics through a coalition of Catholic higher education institutions.

“The evangelizing outreach of young leaders to their peers is our most effective means as a Church to inspire healing and faith among our

 younger sisters and brothers today,” said Timothy Matovina, professor and chair of Notre Dame’s theology department and co-lead on this project. “If we desire a more vibrant and youthful Church, we need to personally invite young people to leadership and prioritize our collective support for them in their formation. That is why I am so grateful to Lilly Endowment and our partners in the Haciendo Caminos project. The present and future of Catholicism in this country will largely depend on how we engage and support young Latinas and Latinos in their faith journeys. Their leadership is a gift to all of us.”

The grant was given as part of the Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, which offers support to programs and institutions that are preparing and strengthening pastoral leaders who will ensure the vitality of Christian congregations. The initiative awarded 16 phase-3 grants ranging in funding from nearly $5 million to $8 million, with Haciendo Caminos receiving the largest award.

“Theological schools play an essential role in ensuring that Christian congregations have a steady stream of well-prepared leaders to guide their ministries,” said Christopher L. Coble, the Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “This grant will help educators develop innovative and collaborative approaches to theological education that we believe will strengthen their efforts to prepare and support excellent leaders for Christian communities into the future.”