New section of Detroit Catholic to tell stories about local Hispanic Catholics, report news of relevance to growing, vibrant community
Visit Detroit Catholic en Español
DETROIT — The future of the Catholic Church is Latino.
The statistics have been cited time and again, but they’re worth repeating: Forty percent of all U.S. Catholics are Hispanic, along with a majority of Catholics under the age of 30, according to a survey conducted as part of the V Encuentro process in 2018.
Those numbers are only growing. U.S. Census projections say the number of Hispanics in the United States will surpass the 132 million mark by 2050, representing 30 percent of the country’s population.
Locally, Hispanic Catholics are a significant segment of the Detroit church, with Masses celebrated regularly in Spanish at more than 20 parishes and a vibrant Hispanic presence in some of the city’s most historic communities, including Ste. Anne and Most Holy Redeemer.
In order to better serve this growing community, and to respond to the U.S. bishops’ call to strengthen the Church’s outreach to Hispanic Catholics, Detroit Catholic is launching an all-new section dedicated to serving news in Spanish.
“Detroit Catholic en Español builds on our award-winning news gathering and storytelling platform and expands it to better serve our Hispanic brothers and sisters,” Detroit Catholic editor Michael Stechschulte said.
The new section will include original stories in Spanish as well as translated content from Detroit Catholic’s English-language coverage, supplemented by national, international and Vatican coverage from syndicated sources.
Detroit Catholic en Español will also feature regular columns from Detroit-area Hispanic Catholic leaders, including Auxiliary Bishop Arturo Cepeda.
A news publishing platform in Spanish is also a response to Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron’s Unleash the Gospel pastoral letter, which calls for the local Church to develop “cultural competency” as it seeks to serve and evangelize diverse communities.
“It is my ardent prayer that this new communications effort will inspire and form readers as they continue to live out our calling to be transformed into joyful missionary disciples,” Archbishop Vigneron said in a letter to clergy and lay leaders announcing Detroit Catholic en Español.
José Manuel De Urquidi, who will serve as editor of Detroit Catholic en Español, said he’s looking forward to connecting with Metro Detroit’s Hispanic Catholics on a deeper level as his team of reporters and editors uncovers and tells stories highlighting the vibrant faith of the local Hispanic community.
“Latinos communicate in various and unique ways,” De Urquidi said. “With Detroit Catholic en Español, we will be bringing them original stories with a Hispanic voice.”
Readers of Detroit Catholic en Español can sign up for a weekly email digest with a roundup of the week’s news, and readers can also connect via Facebook and Instagram, De Urquidi said.
Weekly email digests will be sent on Wednesdays.
“I invite Latinos all over the Metro Detroit area to subscribe and let other people know about this great tool,” De Urquidi said. “Hispanics have a very rich faith culture, and now they will have access to stories tailored specifically for them. We want to bring people closer to God and His Church, and this tool will help in our shared efforts to unleash the Gospel.”
Detroit Catholic was launched in October 2018 as the digital successor to the Archdiocese of Detroit’s award-winning newspaper, The Michigan Catholic. It offers daily, multimedia coverage of the parishes, schools and life-giving ministries throughout the archdiocese, as well as national, international and Vatican news, local Catholic High School League sports, columns and obituaries.
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