Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

The U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs conducted a survey of dioceses and archdioceses in the country’s 14 episcopal regions, releasing its results on August 21. The survey reveals the growth of Hispanic ministry across the nation and highlights that most dioceses have established parish-based pastoral responses to Hispanic Catholics.

Alejandro Aguilera-Titus, assistant director of Hispanic Affairs under the Secretariat for Cultural Diversity in the Church at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, stated that the subcommittee aimed to establish a baseline for Hispanic ministry at the parish level. He emphasized the importance of monitoring the implementation of the National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry, a 10-year plan approved by U.S. bishops in June 2023.

The survey, conducted from April through mid-August, included questions about the number of parishes in each diocese, those offering Mass in Spanish, and those with a Hispanic/Latino presence or ministry without a Spanish Mass. Aguilera-Titus noted, “It was very important to know what the starting point is...the quintessential sign that we see that the Hispanic community has been welcomed as a community in a parish.”

According to Aguilera-Titus, almost 30% of parishes nationwide now have an established Sunday Mass in Spanish. An August 21 press release from USCCB indicated that all Latin Catholic archdioceses and dioceses participated in the survey. It found that 4,479 out of 16,279 U.S. parishes offered Sunday Mass in Spanish and approximately 2,760 parishes had a Hispanic/Latino presence or ministry without currently offering Mass in Spanish.

Aguilera-Titus highlighted that there is significant growth in parish-level responses to Hispanic communities: “We are talking about...a significant response or parish ministry.” However, he acknowledged that thousands of parishes still need to recognize this presence more accurately and provide adequate pastoral responses.

Bishop Oscar Cantú of San Jose, California, chair of the Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs, praised these surveys as essential for responding effectively to Hispanic/Latino communities: “There are common obstacles...such as bilingual priests or limited resources,” he said according to USCCB's press release.

Aguilera-Titus stressed promoting vocations among Hispanic Catholics and enhancing intercultural capabilities among seminarians and priests. Despite financial challenges facing U.S. dioceses, he noted that diocesan-level Hispanic ministry remains strong: “It’s really good news that 57 of the dioceses...have their Hispanic pastoral office and director.”

The survey showed close to 47% of respondents were directors or coordinators of Hispanic/Latino ministry while another 35% held positions related to cultural diversity and faith formation.

Aguilera-Titus also pointed out areas needing further development: “We also have about 20% of the dioceses where we see that the diocesan structure could be further strengthened.” He identified three key characteristics for successful diocesan ministries: direct contact with bishops, sufficient budgets for program development, and collaboration with other diocesan offices.

“We are deeply grateful for the high participation from...people who coordinate and direct Hispanic ministry,” Aguilera-Titus concluded.

The USCCB press release noted exclusions from this survey such as the U.S. Archdiocese for Military Services and Eastern Catholic archeparchies and eparchies.