Hispanic and Latino Community Outreach

Catholic schools have served students from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds and have done a tremendous job educating all children. Today, 20.7% of students in Catholic schools are racial minorities, and Hispanic/Latino students represent 16.8%. This number is only poised to grow as we intentionally reach out and welcome these Catholics into our schools. The following learning resources, best practices, links, tools and templates are shared to help Catholic schools as they work to open their doors and welcome the Hispanic and Latino community.



Latino Educator and Administrator Development Program (LEAD)
This new program aims to strengthen the Latino voice in both the classroom and school level nationally. This initiative is designed to invite, advance and retain Latino educators in Catholic schools, as well as develop a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges that exist in this landscape.

Learning Resources

• Hispanic/Latino Outreach Planning Guide
• Ten Tips to Welcome Hispanic Families into your School
• Recruiting Hispanic Professionals
• Learning Spanish
• Common Words in Spanish – for Catholic Schools
• What to Consider When Translating English to Spanish
• Catholic School Enrollment Data 2017 (Spanish Version)

Best Practices

• Latino Enrollment Initiative – Diocese of Camden
• Reaching out to Hispanic Families – Diocese of Dallas
• Faith Formation and Parish Partnership – Archdiocese of Boston

Recent Momentum Articles

• Reaching Out To and Retaining Hispanic Students in Catholic Schools (Gutierrez, Spring 2017)
• The New Catholic Reality: Serving the Changing Face of the Church (Hernandez, Spring 2017)
• Catholic Schools in an Increasingly Hispanic Church: Musings inspired by a Recent National Study (Ospino, Weitzel-O’Neill, Winter 2017)
• Convening Conjunto Conversations: Sharing, Listening and Learning (Ospino, Weitzel-O’Neill, Melley, Boucher, Van Zane, Winter 2017)
• The Hispanic Conundrum (Pendergast, Fall 2015)
• Are Our Schools Culturally Proficient? (Vázquez Matos, Summer 2015)
• A Sideline Observation About my Hispanic Brothers and Sisters (Vázquez Matos, Spring 2015)
• Catholic Education and Hispanic Catholics in the 21st Century: Old and New Questions (Ospino, Sept/Oct 2014)

More Suggested Reading

• Catholic Schools in an Increasingly Hispanic Church: A Summary Report of Findings from the National Survey of Catholic Schools Serving Hispanic Families (Boston College)
• Hispanic Ministry in Catholic Parishes: A Summary Report of Findings from the National Study of Catholic Parishes with Hispanic Ministry (Boston College)
• 10 Things to Know About Hispanic Catholics (Hispanic Ministry Resource Center)