Hispanic Ministry Certificate

Purpose and Goals
Content

Purpose and Goals
Mount St. Mary’s Seminary serves dioceses throughout the United States, including many who find themselves increasingly enriched and challenged by Hispanic population growth rates as high as 80 percent. To prepare men to face this new pastoral need and opportunity, the Mount offers a Certificate Program in Hispanic Ministry designed to prepare English-speaking seminarians for ministry with Hispanic communities. This integrated program provides seminarians with specific formation for priestly ministry in the growing Hispanic community in the United States.

The curriculum integrates language, cultural studies, pastoral field education and liturgical experiences. Future priests must be able to do more than celebrate Mass by reading a Spanish text. They must also be effective preachers, teachers, celebrants, counselors and confessors. Beyond language proficiency, they must be true shepherds of the flock, able to exercise genuine leadership within the community through a love and understanding of the cultures present in their congregations. The certificate is awarded only upon completion of the M.Div. degree program.

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Content
The requirements for a Certificate in Hispanic Ministry are Spanish language proficiency at the level of SPAN 202/212 and one other advanced Spanish language elective, one pastoral theory elective, at least one other Hispanic culture elective, and pastoral field education and liturgical practica as described below:

• Spanish Language Proficiency
  SPAN 101/102    Beginning  Spanish I & II
  SPAN 211/212    Intrmd. Pastoral Span. I & II (or SPAN 201/202)
  SPAN 301          Spanish Conversation
  SPAN 302          Spanish Composition
• Pastoral Theory
  PATH 907    Hispanic Ministry
• Hispanic Culture (at least one elective in the area):
  CHUR 912    History of the Church in Latin America
  CHUR 913    Hispanics and the Church in the USA
  SPAN 303    Spanish Culture
  SPAN 304    Latin American Culture
  SPAN 360    Studies in Latin American Civilization
  SPAN 300-400 level Advanced Spanish course
• Pastoral Field Education Placements:
  at least one year-long placement with Hispanic focus plus the Deacon Placement
• Liturgical Practica (regular participation in scheduled liturgies in Spanish).  Weekly liturgies in Spanish celebrated by bilingual priest faculty members allow deacons the opportunity to preach in Spanish and recognize the need for every seminarian to appreciate the richness of Hispanic music and liturgy.

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