Home visits seen as way to reach unchurched Hispanics

Published: 2005-10-31

SAN ANTONIO (CNS) -- Being a welcoming church to the growing number of Hispanic immigrants often means knocking on their doors, said Martin Martinez, who teaches people in Hispanic ministry how to conduct house calls. "A lot of faith is celebrated in Hispanic homes," said Martinez, giving as examples the Mexican custom of erecting a home altar to commemorate the dead and the placing of religious statues in the house. Home visits conducted by lay people that capitalize on Hispanics' popular religiosity can be a way of tapping into that faith and to let the household know there is a Catholic parish nearby willing to help serve their needs, he said. Martinez is coordinator of the Lay Leadership Formation Program at the Mexican American Cultural Center in San Antonio. The center trains people engaged in Hispanic ministry. One of the center's workshops, he said, teaches participants how to conduct house visits "in a nonthreatening way." Reaching Hispanics who do not go to any church is the biggest challenge facing Hispanic ministry today, Martinez told Catholic News Service.

Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .