Hispanic ministry director moves closer to her community

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
June 3, 2004

The director of Hispanic ministry for the Diocese of Sioux City is leaving to pursue Hispanic ministry elsewhere due to health reasons.

Sister Maria de Jesus Ybarra, OP, has worked for the diocese for three years in Hispanic ministry. She has been a Dominican sister for 47 years. She will move to Tacoma, Wash., where the central office of her community is located, to continue her ministry.

Kay Morrissey, director of the Office of Faith Formation said, "She has brought a level of awareness and insight to the department. We are grateful for her presence here these last few years."

The weather in Iowa has not been a help to Sister Maria. Since she started in the diocese, she has been having problems with her knees in the cold weather and humidity. This year, she also had problems with her elbow and shoulder that affected her writing. Her community felt that it would be to her benefit to move back to Washington.

Sister Maria will be doing pastoral work among Hispanics. She will teach classes in Spanish at a theological, pastoral center for lay people that her community opened.

She will also be working with Hispanic vocations. Her community would like to establish a place where young women can go to spend time discerning whether or not they would like to follow the religious life. She commented that this is one of her dreams.

Sister Maria noted that she would live with a young woman who will soon make her final vows as a sister in the Dominican community.

"I want to visit with her and help her out," said Sister Maria.

Her hopes for the continuation of Hispanic ministry after she leaves are that there is a replacement director and that the new bishop is sensitive and open to the ministry.

"I think the response on the part of the pastoral ministers, which is the priests, has been open and sensitive," said Sister Maria. "They see the need that there is to respond to the needs of the Hispanics."

She added that some places do not take into consideration the needs of the Hispanics, but here most people are concerned and have gone out of their way to accommodate the Hispanics.

There is currently a Hispanic ministry pastoral directory that was put out by the Diocese of Sioux City. The objective of the directory is to unite and coordinate efforts within a Collaborative Pastoral Model, seeking the integration and participation of the Hispanic community in the life of the church and society in the Diocese of Sioux City.

The directory explains how the diocese hopes to get Hispanics involved. It offers services to families, married couples and people preparing for marriage. They also have a newsletter, "EMAUS," for adults to keep the Hispanic population informed of important events and news in the church.

"The population is growing," said Sister Maria. "I think little by little the leadership is developing. We are working towards that so that they can respond to their own pastoral needs."

Some of the things that people are beginning to call for in Hispanic ministry are workshops, Bible studies or training for liturgical ministers, lectors or Eucharistic ministers and catechists.

"I hope the community continues to open up," said Sister Maria. "We have experienced some cases where the people don't feel welcome. I hope that changes because we are all brothers and sisters of the same creed."