Retreat celebrates second year of Spanish LEM

Intermountain Catholic

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Members of the Spanish Lay Ecclesial Ministry program (Emaus) celebrated the end of the second year of their studies, with a special retreat. IC photo/Laura Vallejo

SALT LAKE CITY — The members of the Spanish LEM program (Emaus) celebrated the end of their second year of studies with a special retreat in which Father Eleazar Silva, parochial vicar of the Cathedral of the Madeleine, and Alejandro Siller-González from the Congar Institute for Ministry Development were the presenters.

Siller-González is the new assistant director for Hispanic Programs at the Congar Institute, a ministry of the Southern Dominican Province, located in San Antonio, Texas. The institute’s mission is to promote the formation of lay ministers for the Catholic Church. (See related story, left.)

Siller-González takes the place of Dominican Father Luis Roberto Aguilar.

The Spanish-language LEM began in response to the huge need for Hispanic leaders in the Utah Church, which is facing a fast-growing Catholic Hispanic community.

The retreat began with a special prayer dedicated to families, followed by Fr. Silva’s presentation, which focused on the importance of a relationship with God.

"We are going to focus on the meaning of being a Christian and how we can live our lives with and in Christ," said Fr. Silva, who started with a story about a slave who became free when she decided to put her life in God’s hands.

"She learned that this new master did not hit her, did not humiliate her, that he freed her and he makes people happy. A new being is present in herself and that’s how everybody should feel – be one with Christ," said Father Silva.

The Emaus participants come from all over the state, not only from parishes but from missions such as Fillmore, Beaver, Elberta, Huntington, Delta, Ephraim and Heber. Most of them are originally from Mexico but there are also some from Colombia, Peru, Panama and Guatemala.

The Emaus program takes approximately four years of studies. The formation plan has four main areas: human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral.

The Hispanic Ministry Office of the Diocese of Salt Lake City teamed with the Congar Institute for Ministry Development to make the Emaus program a reality in Utah.

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