Bishop Lucker Lecture to focus on the culturally diverse communities

by Mark Kemmeter

Diocesan Coordinator of Staff

The third annual Bishop Lucker Lecture will be held in the Diocese of New Ulm on Thursday, March 3, 2005 at the Church of St. Mary in Willmar from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. This year’s keynote will be Father Clemente Barron, C.P., a Passionist priest who will speak on Reflections on Being Welcomed and Welcoming. Father Barron received a Master of Divinity degree from St. Meinrad’s School of Theology in St. Meinrad , Indiana. He also holds a Master of Education from Incarnate Word University of San Antonio, Texas.

Father Barron has been involved with Hispanic ministry since his ordination to the priesthood in 1970. This involvement includes parish work in Mexico, Texas, and California. He has worked at the renowned Mexican-American Cultural Center in San Antonio, Texas and was the Associate Director of the Office for Hispanic Affairs for the southwestern region of the United States. He is a co-founder of the Conference of Religious for Hispanic Ministry (CORHIM) which has been offering seminars to men and women religious for twenty years. He has served as the national chaplain for the Movimiento Familiar Cristiano/USA for twelve years. Father Clemente is currently serving as the Province Vocation Director for his community. He is a board member of the National Religious Vocation Conference and serves on the Board’s leadership team.

The population of culturally diverse Catholics is rapidly increasing throughout the Diocese of New Ulm. The largest populations are Spanish speaking people migrating from Texas, Mexico, and Latin America. The census of  2000 reveals that there are nearly 10,000 Latinos in the fifteen counties that comprise the diocese. This provides an opportunity for Catholic communities to reach out to those in need, to genuinely welcome those who are new to the country, and to become profoundly enriched in the process.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2000 pastoral letter, Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity, asks that Catholics “welcome new immigrants and help them join our communities in ways that are respectful of their cultures and in ways that mutually enrich the immigrants and the receiving Church.”

Also as part of the evening’s event, there will be the presentation of the Diocesan Distinguished Service Awards.

Because of the importance of the topic for all parishes, tickets will be provide free of charge. A form to reserve tickets will be available in the January issue of The Prairie Catholic.

In addition to the lecture, Father Clemente will also meet with the diocesan Hispanic Ministry Task Force and with leaders from the Hispanic community throughout the diocese.