By Priscilla Greear

Staff Writer

ATLANTA-Gonzalo Saldaña, director of the archdiocesan Hispanic Apostolate, envisions increased dialogue and understanding between Hispanic and other Catholics in the Atlanta archdiocese by the great jubilee year 2000.

Through the Hispanic Apostolate information and support are offered to parishes beginning or developing Hispanic ministries. In addition, training sessions are provided for leaders from 20 parishes participating in the Spanish version of the RENEW 2000 spiritual renewal program. These will be held Aug. 22 and 29 at St. Patrick's Church in Norcross and St. Philip Benizi Church in Jonesboro, respectively.

Through discussions in small faith communities, Saldaña, a Cuban-American, hopes that the RENEW program, when adapted for Hispanics as Renacer, will help to overcome cultural tensions created through the formation and ever increasing growth of the archdiocese's 36 parish Hispanic ministries. According to The Atlanta Journal Constitution the estimated Hispanic population in North Georgia is expected to increase from 350,000 to over 600,000 by the year 2000.

"There's always a kind of tension that gets created between the two communities...People don't like to be displaced, and they get the fear they could be displaced," Saldaña said. "We're still one church regardless of our color or the language we speak. We can become a united Catholic Church---that is my vision for the third millennium."

The Hispanic director added that prejudice towards the minority is often very subtle and may relate to very simple problems such as finding a space to hold an event, noting that Hispanics may not know the right contact person for making a request. "You know it exists. You can see it. You can feel it, but it's not documented."

As the average Hispanic immigrant is 25 years of age, Saldaña is particularly interested in developing young adult leadership and ministry at parishes. Therefore the Hispanic Apostolate sponsors a young adults council composed of 11 participants who meet monthly at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Atlanta. It additionally offers Experiencia Cristo, retreats which have attracted 60-70 young adults when given, as well as a Spanish language version of the Pre-Cana program for engaged couples. The archdiocesan office also supervises youth who meet every three months to write reflections on a designated theme, such as immigration or the family. These are published in a booklet each February through the auspices of the Hispanic Southeast Pastoral Institute in Miami.

The Hispanic Apostolate staff of three also sponsors schools of formation and catechist certification and distributes pastoral letters, articles and other Hispanic information to parishes.

"We try to implement Hispanic ministries and offer our support to the parishes," said Saldaña. "We want to do a thorough job, but we're always behind. We never have enough resources---either economic or (in) persons--to really do a good job...The challenge is really great. The Hispanic presence is very real and its growth is not going to stop regardless of any legislation on immigration."

In addition to offering Mass in Spanish, Saldaña feels that parishes may need to expand their ministries to meet particular Hispanic needs, noting that Our Lady of the Americas Mission in Doraville offers computer training, English classes and legal clinics to parishioners. Moreover, Saldaña feels it is important for more archdiocesan parishes to have bilingual receptionists. Hispanics making inquiry calls who do not know English often freeze and hang-up when there is no Spanish language option. In 1996 only four parishes had information available in Spanish.

Father Joseph Fahy, CP, a priest who work in the Hispanic Apostolate, serves parishes with Hispanic communities lack bilingual priests. He celebrates a Spanish Mass weekly at parishes in Carrollton, Cumming and Canton and has also established ministries in Gainesville and Norcross. He trains lay evangelization teams which visit Hispanics in their homes, giving them crucifixes, inviting them to Mass and sharing the Gospel.

Father Fahy hopes that more Catholics will begin to serve the Hispanic community by providing religious education to English speaking Hispanics and by transporting them to church and to other activities.

"I do think our native American Catholics can do a lot more for our Hispanic brothers and sisters...The church of Christ from the very beginning was called Catholic because it's designed to be the home of every human being."

Administrative assistant Silvia Garcia-Maldonado, a Mexican-American, said that many priests need greater understanding of Hispanic traditions. For example, musical celebrations called mañanitas are held at 5 a.m. during celebrations of the feast of Our Lady of Guadaloupe in December. "This is the way the Mexicans celebrate. A lot of priests do not understand," she said. "It would be nice...(if) some of the priests or pastors would try to visit the country (in order to) understand us better..."

Saldaña is promoting Hispanic ministries nationally as well as locally. As president of the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors of Hispanic Ministry, he is helping plan Encuentro 2000, a national convention to be held in Los Angeles in 2000 to discuss ways of promoting dialogue between Hispanic and other Catholics.