Socorro Lagarda-Quiroz is the Hispanic Ministry Director for the Diocese of Monterey in California.  One important responsibility of her position is the Migrant Ministry that provides pastoral care to families of farmworkers living in the peripheries of the diocese. Previously she worked, for over 30 years, in the banking and scholastic industries in Los Angeles County. Socorro holds a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry from St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, CA., of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.  She has over 22 years of experience in church ministry.

By Ana Maria Alstrum Director of Hispanic Catechesis Archdiocese of Hartford   The V National Encuentro on September 20-23, 2018, in Grapevine, TX, brought together the delegates from parishes of the XIV Regions across the United States with Hispanic/Latino communities. I was one of the 14 delegates from the Archdiocese of Hartford in Region I

Dear Members of FCH, I write to you with many joys to share. Over the summer we held elections and we now have a fully complete leadership team. I invite you to visit our website www.FCHcatechesis.org/our-team/in order to view the new FCH Officers. As many of you know, this past September 2018, the V Encuentrotook place in Grapevine, Texas. FCH was present as an exhibitor and we had an amazing time meeting the enthusiastic delegates from all over the nation and speaking with them about catechetical ministry in their area. I had the honor of co-facilitating the session on Faith Formation and Catechesisand being one of the presenters for the topic of the Care for Creation. I got to join a few of the regional breakout conversations as well. One of my favorite experiences was speaking as a panelist for the Bishop and Young Adult Dinner Encounter. I shared some of my observations and concerns as a young adult in the church today. In the end, I feel all those present at the V Encuentro left with a tremendous sense of hope, a spirit of community, and the responsibility to take our discipleship to a whole new level of commitment. How exciting for our Church! Therefore, based on last year’s FCH Post-Conference and some of the key topics from V Encuentro, our theme for this year’s FCH Pre-Conferenceis, “Nurturing the Hungry Heart” and we will focus on families and young people. We wish to address the following three insights taken from last year’s gathering: (1) cultivate richer and stronger partnerships between Hispanics and non-Hispanics, (2) form future leaders through new and innovative ways, and (3) develop strategies to empower parish leaders to accompany families in their faith formation. Our speakers this year include the NCCL Vice-President, Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy, and the MC from the V Encuentro, Armando Cervantes. I hope that you would consider joining us! I would like to end on a bitter-sweet note. This NCCL/FCH conference will be my last as FCH President. I have served the FCH Board for six years, three as Communications Officer and the three as President. Words cannot express how amazing these past years have been for me and it has truly been an honor to serve as a member of the FCH Leadership Team. Back in October 2018, I stepped down from my own diocesan job, so I think the timing is perfect and all will be complete because I have chosen to make motherhood my one and only ministry. I pray that this federation be led by someone with new energy and ideas, and who can fully and boldly dedicate themselves to the mission of FCH. I thank all those who I worked with during my time with FCH, especially the FCH Officers whom served on the Board with me. I have been inspired by each and every one of you! I also thank those who believed in me enough to see me as President of FCH as well as those who constantly challenged me to be and do better. Thank you my sisters and brothers in Christ. It has been an honor! God bless each one of you, your families, and your ministry.     Paz, Miriam Hidalgo FCH President