Originally published at National Catholic Register
Speakers presented a wide range of topics, including ministering to young adults, people with disabilities, immigrants, people with same-sex attraction, and more.
For attendees at this year’s conference of the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry (NCADDHM), effective Hispanic ministry has become part of the lifeblood of the Catholic Church.
Just ask Father Brian McWeeney — the Archdiocese of New York’s director of Ethnic Apostolates — who witnessed this firsthand in New York. “When COVID was coming towards the end, the first churches that were filled were the mostly Hispanic churches,” he noted.
The 2024 annual conference, which took place in Miami Oct. 8–11, was not Father McWeeney’s first. He said NCADDHM conferences rejuvenate him in his ministry to various ethnic groups, including Hispanics.
“This conference is especially important in conjunction with the Eucharistic Revival and the Synod [on Synodality],” he said, referring to the 16th General Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops occurring in Rome Oct. 2–27, 2024. “The synod is calling for communion, participation, and mission. This conference gives us a concrete way of communicating with each other about how to do this in our areas.”
This year’s theme — “Pathways to Unity
