By Galen Holley
PONTOTOC – A light of recognition shone in Maribel Sanchez’s eyes, and she smiled humbly, her hand on her heart, as she stood to speak on behalf of her breakout group.
“I am a sinner, but God loves and forgives me, and, because of that, I am confident as a missionary,” said Sanchez, a catechist, as well as a lector and Eucharistic minister at St. Christopher Parish. “God has given me many good things, and all that I have, he wants me to share,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez stood amid some 50 of her fellow leaders in Hispanic ministry throughout Deanery Five, in northeast Mississippi. They gathered at St. Christopher for a day of study and reflection, the culmination of a year-long process of deepening their understanding of the faith, and better equipping themselves to impart that knowledge to others.
The course Sanchez and 10 other leaders officially completed on July 21 is called Camino. Meaning “the path,” in Spanish, Camino is an online, Spanish-based program in which students prepare by reading assigned, theological materials, then discussing what they have learned in group, chat sessions, and completing written assignments. Camino was developed through a partnership between the Pastoral Institute of the Southeast and the University of Notre Dame
Camino Director Esther Terry drove to Pontotoc from South Bend, Ind., with her husband and infant son, and conducted the retreat in Spanish. She began by citing the biblical accounts of Jesus’s call of Matthew, as well as the Lord’s call of his first disciples, in the first chapter of John, and Jesus’s visit to Mary and her sister, Martha, in Luke 10.
“Catechists, lay minsters, all who serve God, begin with an encounter with Christ,” said Terry, referring throughout the day to Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium.” In the 2013 document, the Holy Father emphasized that all the baptized, whatever their position or level of instruction, are called to proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel.
“Pope Francis says that all of us, informed by the Word of God and Church teaching, and reflecting upon our personal experience of the faith, are called to live our baptism by being missionary disciples,” Terry said.
That message resonated with catechist Luis Urzua, from New Albany St. Francis of Assisi Parish.
“Each of us experiences our relationship with Christ uniquely, so the gifts we offer, our witnesses, and our approaches to evangelizing will also be unique,” said Urzua.
According to Director of Faith Formation, Fran Lavelle, clergy and lay leaders in Deanery Five volunteered to serve as a pilot program for Camino in the Diocese of Jackson.
Choosing a program that was effective and manageable was a top priority, according to Raquel Thompson, Hispanic minister at Tupelo St. James Parish.
“A lot of thought was given to methodology,” said Thompson. “The guided study, the context for students to share what they learned with others in online forums, and the practical nature of the courses were important.”

At an orientation meeting in June of 2017, participants learned they would cover four areas of study, including the faith, the Creed, liturgy and sacrament, and prayer and spirituality. Each course lasted about six weeks. No grades were given, but online facilitators encouraged reasonable expectations for participation and consistency. Students were asked to pay $50 for each course, and the diocese offered scholarships.
The increasing need to provide sound theological and ministerial formation in Spanish was a big reason deanery personnel gave Camino a trial run, Thompson said. The broader impetus for the program, she added, emerged from the new vision statement and pastoral priorities Bishop Joseph Kopacz and his envisioning team set last year.
“Among the concerns we often hear from catechists and other leaders in the Hispanic community is that they don’t feel ready, or sufficiently prepared, or, in some cases, confident enough,” Thompson said.
St. Christopher’s Hispanic minister, Danna Johnson, concurred.
“We see a great hunger in our communities to learn more about the faith, and this innovative format, utilizing technology, and allowing many working people to study in their homes, when their schedules allow, is very exciting,” said Johnson.
Toward the end of the day, after participants prayed before the Blessed Sacrament, enjoyed lunch, and shared what they learned from the Camino experience, Lavelle awarded certificates, and Terry closed with another reflection upon Pope Francis’s exhortation, with a caveat from St. Pope John Paul II.
“John Paul II said that we never stop discovering, never stop deepening our understanding of faith,” Terry said. “Being a missionary disciple is also a lifelong process. Following Christ, imitating Christ’s life, participating in his mission — these are not easy things. Jesus didn’t promise us a rosy, easy time. Yet, we are invited to receive the love of God, and to share it.”

(Galen Holley is a member of New Albany St. Francis of Assisi Parish.)