Institute on Migration, Culture, and Ministry

Preparatory meeting for Pastors' Conference

2009-04-13T18:35:00.003-05:00

Frs. Shay Auerbach and Bill Rickle will be in Mexico City this week to work on preparations for a conference in November for pastors and pastoral agents from Central America, Mexico, the US and Canada. While there they will visit sites in the state of Morelos where many migrants find their way to Virginia.

Fourth Spanish Silent Directed Retreat Weekend at Faulkner, MD

2009-01-19T09:57:00.005-05:00

Over the weekend of 16-18 January twenty young Hispanic church leaders participated in a directed silent Ignatian retreat at the Loyola Retreat House in Faulkner, MD. They came from the Archdiocese of Baltimore and the Diocese of Arlington.This is the fourth such retreat we have offered in as many years, and we are now planning a second level silent weekend retreat for October, 2009 at the same

Conferencia Ignaciana at Mount Manresa

2008-05-30T13:15:00.006-05:00

Eighty-one enthusiastic participants gathered for the Conferencia Ignaciana, to share, discuss and envision ways in which Ignatian spirituality is and can be exercised in the Hispanic community. The organizers, Fr. Jack Fagan, SJ, Mr. Rudy Vargas of the Northeast Pastoral Institute and board member of The Jesuit Collaborative, Sr. Veronica Mendez of Renew International and Fr. Bill Rickle of the

Our Mexican Mission: A New Hampshire Parish helps a Mexican Village

2008-04-01T23:08:00.017-05:00

Our Mexican Mission By Lee Alphen St Joseph Parish, Salem, NH Chaplain Rockingham Park, Salem, NHA New Hampshire Parish helps a Mexican Village The blogs describing Posada are very enlightening. Thank you so much. We typically travel to the little village we adopted south of Mexico City during Advent. The people of

Paul Brant sends good news from Four Oaks, NC

2008-03-20T09:44:00.002-05:00

Pastor Joey Yow and several members of the Four Oaks United Methodist Church joined our Four Oaks Hispanic congregation for the Palm Sunday procession from the Elementary School down Main Street (see photo) to the Church last Sunday. On Monday, the Administrative Council, after a very positive evaluation, renewed our covenant and we will have use of the Church sanctuary Sunday afternoons through

Dr. Hosffman Ospino de Boston College: Hacia una nueva generación de líderes hispanos para el servicio de Dios y la Iglesia en los Estados Unidos

2008-03-18T00:28:00.005-05:00

An English version of this entry is just below.Uno de los retos más grandes que enfrentan los hispanos como comunidad en los Estados Unidos es la educación de un cuerpo adecuado de líderes que guíen el camino hacia el crecimiento y una participación plena en nuestra sociedad. Lo mismo podemos decir de los hispanos en la Iglesia. Mientras que el número de hispanos se aproxima al 50% del total de

Dr Hosffman Ospino from Boston College: Preparing a New Generation of Hispanic Leaders for the Service of God and the Church in the United States

2008-03-18T00:25:00.003-05:00

One of the biggest challenges that Hispanics face as a community in the United States is that of educating an adequate body of leaders to lead the path to growth and full participation in our society. The same is true of Hispanics in the Church. While the number of Hispanic Catholics nears 50% of the total Catholic population in the country, the number of Hispanic clergy, consecrated women and

Ignatian Family Teach-In on Immigration, Los Angeles, CA

2008-03-08T14:03:00.003-05:00

At the Ignatian Solidarity Network Family Teach-in on Immigration, held March 7-9 at Loyola High School, Los Angeles, Bill Rickle, SJ, gave the opening address on “Why should be care? Demographics, History, and Patterns of Migration and Immigration.” Nearly 500 students, leaders, parish members, JVC members and gathered for education, reflection and sharing on immigration. Maryland Province

Fr. Bavinger: Lenten Activities and Thoughts

2008-03-07T12:05:00.006-05:00

Howdy, everyone. Wanted to share a couple of things about our Lenten journey here in Wilson and Rocky Mount, North Carolina. We called the retreat, “Peregrinación al Corazón.” It took place in church for about two and half hours, and it was for couples, adults and jóvenes. Childcare is such

Hispanic Ministry Meeting in Raleigh, NC

2008-03-05T13:48:00.002-05:00

On February 20, Father Bill Rickle gave a presentation to priests who are working in Hispanic Ministry of the diocese of Raleigh. He described the work that Jesuits and their colleagues are doing in the area of Hispanic Ministry, widely understood. In collaboration with partners in Central America, Mexico, the US, and Canada Jesuits of the Maryland province are participating in a multidimensional

Fr. Ameche Reflects From North Carolina

2008-02-25T10:07:00.004-05:00

Hi again from Western North Carolina. As you all know too well, Ash Wednesday and Lent have arrived with such unexpected speed. We just finished all of the Christmas activities in the parishes, and we had to begin planning for Lent. What is new? Several things. First, I would like to mention a remarkable meeting that we had on February 7 at St. Eugene’s Parish. It was a clergy meeting

Bill Rickle reports on Weekend Retreat for Hispanic Leaders

2008-01-21T18:07:00.000-05:00

From Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon, twenty-one Hispanic leaders from North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland made a silent weekend Ignatian retreat under the care of a team composed of Dr. Dora Tobar Cobo, and Frs. Cristián Sotomayor, SJ (of Chile), Frank Kaminski, SJ and me. It was held at the Loyola Retreat House in Faulkner, MD, beautifully set on the bank of the Potomac. For many, but

Padre San Martin: Las Coloridas Celebraciones de Fin de Año en la Comunidad Hispana

2008-01-20T11:58:00.000-05:00

El final del año para la Comunidad Hispana esta lleno de luces, color y sabor latinoamericano. Las primeras luces empiezan a iluminar el escenario de la Comunidad latina a principios del mes de diciembre cuando se descorre el telón para celebrar las fiestas de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. El latinoamericano, y en especial, el mexicano, puede algunas veces ser frío y aun religiosamente

Fr. San Martin: The End of the Year Colorful Hispanic Community Celebrations

2008-01-20T11:24:00.000-05:00

The end of the year for the Hispanic Community is full of lights, color and Latin American flavor. The first lights begin to illuminate the scenario of the Latin Community in the opening days of the month of December when the curtains up to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Latin American people, and especially, the Mexican, could sometimes, be cold and even religiously

Three Kings find their way to Richmond!

2008-01-07T09:03:00.000-05:00

On Sunday January 6, the Epiphany, the Three Kings, (Los Tres Reyes Magos), found their way to Sacred Heart Church in Richmond astride a camel (a new 2008 model BMW), a thoroughbred horse and an elephant whose trunk seemed to have a mind of its own...At the 11:00 Mass, with standing room only, the community celebrated Mass as usual, but the offertory procession included the three kings presenting

Hno Ricardo Greeley: Rasgos de las fiestas de los inmigrantes latinos en Carolina del Norte

2007-12-29T18:51:00.000-05:00

Rasgos de las fiestas de los inmigrantes latinos en Carolina del NorteEl mes pasado les compartí sobre cómo fue que llegué a Carolina del Norte y sobre el contexto con el que me encontré, específicamente por las dificultades que los inmigrantes sufren ante lo politizado que está el tema de la inmigración ilegal… Les ofrecí algunas de las formas concretas de cómo la policía local está

Fr. Reiser Writes in from Worcester, MA

2007-12-18T15:57:00.001-05:00

An old industrial town in central Massachusetts, Worcester has long been a city of immigrants—French, Italians, Poles, Irish, and more recently, Albanians, Vietnamese, Haitians, and Latinos . The Latino population represents people largely from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. There is also a sizeable Portuguese-speaking population

Un Pensamiento de Javier San Martin, S.J. que trata de "Cosas Curiosas"

2007-12-14T17:04:00.001-05:00

Cosas CuriosasInmigrantes:OSOS y HUMANOSLos Osos InmigrantesEl periódico “Press Registrer” de Mobile Alabama, con fecha 27 de octubre 2007, publicaba en su primera página, con una gran fotografía a todo color, una noticia que llamó mi atención: “Los osos están llegando al Condado de Baldwin y parece que quieren establecerse en la zona fundando una población de osos. Clem Parnell, Experto Oficial,

Immigrants: Bears and Humans

2007-12-14T16:26:00.000-05:00

Curious SituationsIMMIGRANTS:BEARS AND HUMANSThe Immigrant BearsThe newspaper "The Press Register" of Mobile Alabama, 10,27,2007, published in its first page, with a full color picture, a news that got my attention: "The bears are arriving to the County of Baldwin and it seems that they want to settle down in the area founding a population of bears”. Clem Parnell, Official Expert, confirmed that

Equipo Latino Ignaciano

2007-12-14T15:23:00.000-05:00

Somos un grupo de hombres y mujeres que a través de la reflexión sobre nuestros problemas y la puesta en común de nuestras inquietudes, hemos querido usar nuestros propios recursos y la espiritualidad ignaciana para ayudar a los demás. Este grupo surgió espontáneamente: nos dimos cuenta que las mamás y papás que llevaban sus hijos al catecismo, esperaban en sus carros hasta que terminara

Latino Ignatian Team (English)

2007-12-14T14:56:00.000-05:00

We are a group of men and women who through reflection on our problems and our common anxieties, have wanted to use our own resources and Ignatian spirituality to help others. This group came about spontaneously: we noticed that the parents who took their children to Sunday school waited in their cars until catechism was over. We asked ourselves why not invite them in for a meeting while

The Novenario continues in North Carolina, an update from Fr. Bavinger, S.J.

2007-12-13T17:20:00.000-05:00

Howdy, Y’All!A reminder that I’m assisting in two parishes in Wilson and Rocky Mount, North Carolina.I wanted to share my experience of the novenario, the novena of rosaries which leads up to the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the 12th. We’re doing it for the first time in the Rocky Mount parish, meeting in different homes each of the nine nights. The picture is from the first evening, of some

On Assignment: Amanda Cataneo Reports from Baltimore, Maryland

2007-12-10T17:12:00.000-05:00

Hello all!How exciting to be writing my first blog entry for the Institute! My name is Amanda Cataneo. I am a senior at Loyola College in Maryland and an intern at the Institute on Migration, Culture, and Ministry. On Saturday, November 10th I attended a dinner and discussion on immigration issues out in Ellicott City. I went on behalf of the Institute and to do some research for my senior thesis

An Update from Fr. Ameche in North Carolina

2007-12-09T21:39:00.000-05:00

Hi again! I would like to update you on some of the things that were happening last month.The Hispanic community at St. Barnabas Parish in Arden is beginning a new stage. During November I had a meeting with the pastor and his staff for faith formation. They had a fear that if we started a Spanish faith formation program, that we would be dividing the parish in the long run. Right now they have

When Latinos want to pray, don't get in their way!

2007-11-30T14:52:00.000-05:00

A year ago last September, Latino parishioners of a local church whose doors were closing came to see me and ask if the Jesuits at Boston College could help them find a new spiritual home. My first reaction was that the parish, St. Ignatius where I've been pastor for the past 18 years didn't have the pastoral resources to respond to the request. Even though I've been working on my Spanish for a

Paul Brant, SJ -- Cursillo in North Carolina

2007-11-30T11:20:00.000-05:00

In Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish we’re gearing up for our patronal feast. We priests are left behind in a cloud of smoke as the laity click in on their annual routine. Our novenario is 18 days long, and two images of the Virgen are circulating in the homes and trailer park in the four counties which our Parish touches. There will be thousands of fresh roses in the sanctuary and around the statue

Brother Ricardo Greeley, SJ from Albemarle, NC. (en español)

2007-11-30T09:54:00.000-05:00

Sin fronteras en la misión de la Compañía (segunda parte)En mi escrito de presentación del mes pasado les compartí sobre mi trasfondo familiar y apostólico pasados, subrayando mi experiencia entre indígenas mexicanos. Allí apuntalé cuál creo puede ser mi mejor aporte a la misión de la Compañía de Jesús. Ahora les comparto sobre cómo es que llegué a Carolina del Norte y con qué realidad me

Welcome Ana Maria Goonan!

2007-11-21T14:36:00.001-05:00

Just in time for Thanksgiving, Ana Maria Goonan has begun work for the Maryland Province and the Institute as part time Administrative Assistant to Bill Rickle, SJ, who has been whining about his need for such help for so long that even he got tired of it! Ana Maria will be working part time in the Institute office three days a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.A native of Peru, she has

Novenario in North Carolina: Fr. Bruce Bavinger, SJ

2007-11-09T14:43:00.000-05:00

Hello, all. I am Bruce Bavinger, SJ, of the Maryland Province, and working in Wilson and Rocky Mount, North Carolina. So good to see the contributions of Mark McGregor, SJ and Javier San Martín, SJ, as well as those of Bill Ameche, SJ, Shay Auerbach, SJ, Ricardo Greeley, SJ and Paul Brant, SJ. The insights and perceptions of their articles encourage and energize me.Mark’s piece on Las Posadas

POSADA & the Posadas Project

2007-11-09T05:20:00.000-05:00

POSADA & the Posadas Project-Celebrating our Faith, Telling Our Stories of Hospitality and Solidarity with Migrants this Advent. By Mark McGregor, S.J.In a search for shelter, one can knock on many doors before being invited in. This story of Joseph and Mary, as celebrated in Las Posadas, is also the story of thousands of unaccompanied immigrant youth who seek to be reunited with family or to

Cold comes to the mountains.

2007-11-03T21:30:00.000-05:00

Bill Ameche reports from Western North Carolina.......Hi. The cold is coming! It has been in the 20s these past mornings in the mountains. The leaves are changing colors and falling. Green is turning to yellow, orange, red and brown. And the sun is out: it is crisp and beautiful. October is such an energizing month. Summer is definitely over! And winter is just around the corner and it is a

The Immigrant: a delta of Love

2007-11-03T06:55:00.000-05:00

My name is Fr. Javier San Martin, SJ and I work in the Hispanic Ministry of Mobile, Alabama.When someone decides to say goodbye to his country and to emigrate to a different culture, he takes with himself all his life, all that his country has given to him. These are treasures an immigrant can decide to preserve and share with the culture that will receive him. It is possible, however, that

Paul Brant, SJ -- Johnny Appleseed in NC

2007-10-28T18:00:00.000-05:00

Johnny Appleseed - Newton Grove and the Station in Four Oaks, NCSince returning to the Diocese of Raleigh, NC after a nine month hitch working in Charlottesville and Galax, VA as the field practitioner for IMCM, I have been assigned to the Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Newton Grove, NC, which has for more than 20 years been a central point for Hispanic Ministry in the Diocese. Except for

Brother Ricardo Greeley, SJ from Albemarle, NC. (En español)

2007-10-19T14:20:00.000-05:00

Sin fronteras en la misión de la Compañía (primera parte)Picture is of Fr. John Starczewski, pastor of St. James, Hamlet, NC and Brother Ricardo Greeley, SJ at Comité Hispano retreat conducted by Bro. Ricardo, Oct 14, 2007 Nací en Guadalajara, México (1966). Desde mis tres años de edad viví entre San Diego, California y Guadalajara: cada cuatro años toda mi familia y yo regresábamos y

Fr. Shay Auerbach, SJ Reports from Richmond

2007-10-14T08:46:00.000-05:00

I am Shay Auerbach, a Maryland Province Jesuit serving as admin- istrator of Sacred Heart Parish in Richmond, VA. We are a parish of about 800 families, over half hispanic and the other half white, African American and African. The Hispanics are largely from Mexico (the majority) El Salvador and the Caribbean.The amazing thing about this parish is the sense of warmth and welcome. The different

Fr. Bruce Bavinger, SJ Chimes in from Rocky Mount and Wilson, NC

2007-10-06T10:18:00.000-05:00

Howdy, All!My name is Bruce Bavinger, and I’m writing from the Church of St. Therese in Wilson, and from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Rocky Mount, NC, each about an hour east of Raleigh, and about half an hour away from each other. There’s one Catholic Church with a resident pastor in each location, and Catholic Hispanic ministry was started here about 15 or so years ago. I have been here

Mexican Provincial and Social Assistant Visit NC and Baltimore

2007-10-05T15:04:00.000-05:00

Fr. Rafael Moreno Villa, SJ, the Social Ministries Assistant for the Mexican Province visited with Brother Ricardo Greeley, SJ in Charlotte and Albemarle areas of North Carolina in late September and early October. Brother Ricardo is the Hispanic Ministry Coordinator for the Albemarle Vicariate of the Charlotte Diocese. They visited four parishes where Ricardo is working with the immigrant

Fr. Bill Ameche, SJ tells of Ministry in Asheville, NC

2007-09-28T07:49:00.000-05:00

Hi. My name is Bill Ameche. I am a Jesuit from the California Province. After being 30 years in Mexico, I came back to the States because my father was dying. I had asked for a sabbatical year for that purpose. During that year I lived and worked at a Jesuit parish in California. I soon realized that "half of the Mexicans were already living on this side of the border". And I also felt that they

Fagan and Rickle meet in Fairfield

2007-09-25T14:07:00.000-05:00

Jack and Bill met on Friday, 21 September with Fr. Richard Ryscavage, SJ, the Director of the Center for the Study of Faith and Public Life at Fairfield University. We discussed the role of the Institute within the wider parameter of The Jesuit Collaborative and explored ways in which we could collaborate and complement one another's efforts.All of us left the conversation enriched and enthused.

Jesuits gather for Reflection and Planning

2007-09-14T14:00:00.000-05:00

Six Jesuits, Frs. Bill Ameche, Shay Auerbach, Bruce Bavinger, Paul Brant and Bill Rickle with Brother Ricardo Greeley of Mexico gathered for a day of reflection and planning for the coming year at the Jesuit Loyola Retreat House at Faulkner, MD on the 12th and 13th of September. It was a time for us to renew, and in the case of Brother Ricardo, forge bonds of friendship in the Lord, and spend

From Bolivia

2007-06-28T19:43:00.000-05:00

The last week has been a whirlwind. I arrived in Santa Cruz late at night on the 20th. (HOT) The next day Fr. Ramón Alaix, the Bolivian Jesuit Provincial and I flew to Sucre. (MUCH cooler.) Getting off the airplane I somehow managed to badly twist some muscle in my hip which caused great pain. (A week later, I still have a fair amount of difficulty moving around, but after a Doctor´s consult and

Bill Rickle to Bolivia and Chile for a few weeks...

2007-06-20T10:56:00.000-05:00

Bill will visit various sites, communities and projects in the Bolivian and Chilean Jesuit Provinces from 20 June until 17 July. Check out his blog athttp://billricklesj.blogspot.com/

Jesuit Migration Academic Network goes on line.

2007-06-02T08:37:00.000-05:00

Hosted by Fairfield University, the Jesuit Migration Academic Network now has a web site up and running. It can be visited at http://jesuitmigration.fairfield.edu/WCR, sj

Bolivian Jesuit Provincial superior visits us.

2007-05-19T08:37:00.000-05:00

Father Ramón Alaix, S.J., Provincial of Bolivia, visited the United States for the week of 11-18 May. Bill Rickle met him at Fairfield University at Fairfield, CT and accompanied him for a day trip to New York City, where he met with New York Provincial Fr. Jeff Chojnacki, S.J. They also visited with Fr. Jack Fagan, S.J. to see the Centro Altagracia and the work that Jack and his co-workers are

The Institute at the Conference of Province Advancement and Communications Directors

2007-05-03T06:29:00.000-05:00

From 30 April to 2 May, the Directors of Advancement and Communications of the ten U.S. Jesuit Provinces and the Province of English Canada met at the Hampton Inn Suites, Inner Harbor Baltimore. Bill Rickle had the opportunity to make a 15 minute presentation on the origins, present activities and hopes for the Institute.Response was enthusiastically positive and encouraging. Several

New Latin American and Latino Studies Minor at Loyola College

2007-04-28T10:08:00.000-05:00

Loyola College in Maryland will inaugurate a new interdisciplinary minor program in Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) program in the fall of 2007 semester. Bill Rickle is on the steering committee of the program. He will offer a course in the Sociology of Migration in the U.S., which will be accredited to the program, provided students do projects focuse on the LALS area. More

Hispanic Youth and Young Adult Leader Retreat, Sparks, MD

2007-04-23T13:03:00.000-05:00

On April 21-22, 2007 some 15 Spanish speaking youth and young adult leaders met for a weekend of prayer, reflection, rest and bonding among themselves at the Msgr. O'Dyer Retreat House in Sparks, MD. Led by Ms. Georgina Vaca, of the Youth and Young Adult Department of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and Fr. Charles McDonnell, C.S.S.R., and me, they had the opportunity to learn a number of prayer

2007-04-04T07:16:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Blog of the Institute on Migration, Culture and Ministry. The Institute is a project of Jesuits and our colleagues in ministry dedicated to working with new immigrant as well as receiving communities in the Catholic Church on the East Coast.While the office is located at Loyola College in Maryland, we hope that this will be a space where our many partners and friends can tell our