The Diocese of Laredo is blessed to be amongst the 175 dioceses participating in V Encuentro.

The main goal of the V Encuentro is to discern ways in which the Church in the United States can better respond to the Hispanic/Latino presence, and to strengthen the ways in which Hispanics/Latinos respond to the call to the New Evangelization as missionary disciples serving the entire Church.

For more information, please contact Leti Valdez at lvaldez@dioceseoflaredo.org or (956) 727-2140.

All leaders in arch/dioceses, parishes, lay ecclesial movements and other Catholic organizations and institutions are invited to participate by encountering Hispanic/Latino Catholics, particularly those living in the periphery through the missionary process of evangelization and consultation of the V Encuentro.

What are the Objectives of the V Encuentros?

• Call all Catholic leaders in the United States to become authentic and joyful missionary disciples by giving witness to God’s Love with a prophetic voice by encountering their Hispanic brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore embracing the cultural diversity in the U.S. Church.
• Promote a vision of the Church in mission that develops effective pathways to invite, engage and form Hispanic Catholic youth, young adults, and families and ecclesial movements to live out their baptismal vocation. This includes the promotion of the vocation to the priesthood and consecrated life.
• Invite all Catholic leaders to engage and accompany Hispanic Catholics, particularly the most vulnerable and those who find themselves in the peripheries of the Church and society.
• Identify and promote opportunities for Hispanic Catholic pastoral leaders to serve in leadership positions in the Church and in the larger society, and increase the number of lay and ordained ministers directly engaged in the New Evangelization. This will require dioceses and parishes to receive new leaders and those seeking formation to become leaders.
• Stimulate a new wave of faith formation and leadership development initiatives that prepare Hispanic Catholics to share and celebrate the Good News of Jesus Christ and to become leaven for the Reign of God in society.