Hispanic leaders are being taught through LEM

Intermountain Catholic

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Seventy-four people are participating in the LEM Spanish program. Candidates have arrived from all over the state, people from missions such as Fillmore, Beaver, Elberta, Huntington, Delta, Ephraim, Heber, and from various parishes.

SALT LAKE CITY –The Hispanic Ministry Office of the Salt Lake City Catholic Diocese, together with the Congar Institute for Ministry Development, has created a plan to respond to the needs of the Hispanic community.

The Congar Institute, located in San Antonio, Texas, is a ministry of the Southern Dominican Province. Its mission is to support and develop lay ecclesial ministry. Officials at the institute have helped the Diocese of Salt Lake City develop a Lay Ecclesiastic Program in Spanish, similar to the one in English that was developed five years ago.

The Spanish-language LEM began in response to the huge need for Hispanic leaders in the Utah church, who are facing a fast-growing Catholic Hispanic community, said Marylin Acosta from the Hispanic Ministry Office.

Among the learning resources that the program uses for the formation is a document called "Co-workers in the Vineyard of the Lord," which was created by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Applications for the Spanish LEM program were taken last year. There are 74 people in the program, 44 women and 30 men. Most of them are from Mexico but there are also some from Colombia, Peru, Panama and Guatemala.

"LEM is a reality in this diocese, because we can count on men and women committed to serve in their parishes and in the lay community in all the state," Acosta said.

The application process for the LEM program included questions about the service or ministry in which applicants were working in their communities.

Also required were a recommendation letter and approval from their pastors.

"These people have an interview and then are selected by the Hispanic Ministry Office and by the Congar Institute," said Acosta.

Candidates for the LEM in Spanish have arrived from all over the state, not only from parishes but from missions such as Fillmore, Beaver, Elberta, Huntington, Delta, Ephraim and Heber.

"It takes approximately three and a half years to complete the program," Acosta said. "The formation plan has four main areas: human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral."

At the end of the program, the LEM candidates will be prepared to serve in their local ministry, but they also will require ongoing formation.

"For me, learning more about my religion is very important so I can work for and in my church to help the people," said Jorge Olayo, a parishioner of Our Lady Of Guadalupe Catholic Church, who participates in the program.