CHARLOTTE — The first grant from the Diocese of Charlotte’s unprecedented “Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love” campaign to benefit multicultural ministries is being given out to connect Hispanic families to the Church using the latest digital technology.
The Multicultural Ministries Endowment – one of seven endowments set up thanks to the FFHL campaign – is funding a $17,400 grant for the Hispanic Ministry Office. The money will be used to buy computers and audiovisual recording equipment to assist the Hispanic Ministry team that supports the 10 vicariates, or regions, of the diocese.
The diocese’s Hispanic Ministry staff is one of the most extensive of all dioceses in the United States, with diocesan-supported leadership and staff serving every vicariate and parishes with Hispanic populations. Nearly half of the diocese’s estimated 400,000 Catholics are Spanish-speaking or of Hispanic origin.
Your DSA contributions at work
The diocesan Hispanic Ministry Office is funded in part by contributions to the annual Diocesan Support Appeal. Learn more about the DSA and how you can contribute at www.charlottediocese.org/dsa.
Sister Joan Pearson, who is the Hispanic Ministry coordinator for the Salisbury Vicariate and works closely with Hispanic Ministry’s vicar Father Julio Dominguez, said she is grateful for the opportunity to buy 12 laptops, 12 projectors, 12 microphones with stands, and 12 light sets for video recording purposes.
“It really is a godsend,” Sister Joan said. “I used to have to share the projector with Father Julio and had to go get it when I needed it.” Now she will have a laptop, projector and microphone to use at her location as needed.
“We are so grateful to the good people of our diocese who pledged and contributed to the FFHL campaign, because the funding we have just received from the Multicultural Ministries Endowment is very important to our efforts to accompanying our Hispanic Catholic faithful throughout the diocese – especially during this ongoing pandemic,” Sister Joan explained.
“The continuing COVID-19 crisis has pushed all of us to adapt our ministries following the CDC and diocesan safety guidelines regarding how we minister to the faithful,” she said. “I believe we, the diocesan Hispanic Ministry coordinators team, have been very creative in our efforts, which we began employing as early as late March while still in Phase 1 of the governor’s stay-at-home order.”
Hispanic Ministry team members were able to adapt to the challenges brought on by the pandemic with a fairly rapid and smooth transition from church-centered activities to social media, podcasts, webinars and video conferencing to “keep the faith going” and strengthen Hispanic families during the crisis. The need for outreach was particularly acute because the coronavirus has disproportionately affected Hispanics, many of whom are classified as essential workers or are unable to work from home, and others who lack access to affordable health care.
Sister Joan noted, “The reality of doing this with outdated tech equipment (older than some of our class participants!) quickly revealed some major problems: We needed up-to-date and multiple-platforms-enabled equipment. Some of us needed cameras to attach to old monitors just to Skype.”
“This grant equipment is essential in accomplishing our mission. And the designation of these funds for Hispanic Ministry is a very clear way to communicate support by the diocese to the People of God,” she said.
They hope to begin using the new equipment next month, she said.
“FFHL funds continue to go to the parishes, capital projects and endowments across the diocese,” said Jim Kelley, diocesan director of development. “FFHL has had a significant impact on the work being done in parishes and in ministries across the diocese that provide services to parishioners. This distribution from the Multicultural Ministry Endowment Fund is just one way these distributions will help the Hispanic Ministry staff do a more effective job serving others.”
The FFHL campaign launched in 2013 and has received $53.3 million in pledge payments to date.
Proceeds from the campaign have already been put to work, and all 92 parishes and missions have received funds. Four other main areas of the campaign have received significant funding so far: clergy support, Catholic education, Catholic outreach, and pastoral and temporal needs.
Campaign distributions total $43.1 million to date, including $15.5 million for FFHL’s seven endowments.
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter