As the US population becomes increasingly diverse, shared or multicultural churches provide a canvas that offer the gifts and challenges of living out, “so that they may all be one” (Jn 17:21). Ecclesial inclusion and authentic belonging requires promoting justice both within the parish and in the outside community. How can we work to make our churches places of encounter, relationship, and true discipleship?
Dr. Brett Hoover, professor and researcher at Loyola Marymount University and Lena Solis-Aguilera, ministry leader at St. Louis of France Catholic Church share their experiences and best practices in unpacking the call to justice in multicultural parishes.
Resources from the Presenters
Looking for More Resources for Multicultural Communities? Want to do more?
How does our faith call us to live differently, love more deeply, and help bring healing to our world? How does encountering Christ in one another lead us to become people of hope in difficult times? Encuentro de Esperanza: Encountering Hope invites your small group to immerse yourselves in the foundational teachings of your Christian faith and discern how it calls you to transform your life and our world. Along the way, the program materials highlight the unique and diverse gifts that Spanish-speaking communities bring to the Church, celebrating a few of the many teachings, traditions, and faith leaders that help all of us to see God a little more clearly.
Join us on Wednesday, August 27 at 2:30pm ET/11:30am PT to learn more about the Encuentro de Esperanza: Encountering Hope program. JustFaith Staff Members will provide a brief experience of the program, an overview of the content, general information, and tips for starting the program in your church, organization, or area. This event will be facilitated in English and offer simultaneous live interpretation in Spanish. Register today!
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About the Presenters
Brett C. Hoover, Ph.D., is Professor of Pastoral and Practical Theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and formerly directed the MA degrees in theology and pastoral theology there. His teaching and research focus on immigration, US Catholicism, parish life, and theologies of ministry. He is the author of The Shared Parish: Latinos, Anglos, and the Future of US Catholicism (NYU Press, 2014) and Immigration and Faith (Paulist Press, 2021), as well as a forthcoming book on ministry from Liturgical Press.
Lena (Lina) Solis-Aguilera is the Acting Director of Faith Formation at St. Louis of France Church in La Puente. She has been involved with the RCIA/OCIA process at St. John the Baptist, in Baldwin Park and has served in parish ministry for over 30 years. Lena taught K-8th grade in the Mountain View School District and was an active member of her union serving on the negotiating team and lead negotiator. She has a BA in Liberal Arts from Cal Poly Pomona, an MA in Mexican American Studies from Cal State Los Angeles and an MA in Pastoral Theology from Loyola Marymount University. Her personal life and professional life have formed her as a leader and peace builder. She is a published author of family-lore and is biliterate in English and Spanish. She is married and the mother of an adult son.