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Foundation bridges the gap so vital ministries can continue
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Photo by James Baca/DCR |
“I’m here to learn to read and write.” At his age, 73, Alberto Flores’ answer came as a surprise.
Jennie Marquez, interim executive director of Centro San Juan Diego, remembers the moment she met Flores in the hallway and asked whether he was looking for the senior health fair.
No. He came to sign up for a Plaza Communitaria class—one of Centro’s programs supported by grants from The Catholic Foundation of Northern Colorado. Flores is motivated to learn.
“It’s hard to learn a second language as an adult, especially if they don’t understand their first language,” Marquez explained. “So we teach them how to read and write in Spanish and then help them continue to learn in English.”
Coming and going
In a year, more than 30,000 people come through Centro, the Denver Archdiocese’s Hispanic institute for family and pastoral care located in Denver’s Curtis Park neighborhood.
The ministry also reaches out to 6,000 weekly through a television program, “Fe Católica Viva” (“Catholic Faith Alive”) on ABC’s Azteca America channel. Luis Soto, the program host and Centro’s former executive director, credits annual grants from The Catholic Foundation for keeping the program on the air.
Connecting with the Hispanic community
“The topic might be about a sacrament or a social issue,” Soto said, describing his approach to evangelization in his role as a television host.
“Recently, I interviewed a visiting priest who has a ministry in Mexico City, serving children,” he said. “They are dealing with drugs, alcohol and violence in that community. So we had a conversation about losing the everyday life of the family.”
The topic resonates—not only because of what communities encounter here in the United States, but also because of family ties back in Mexico.
A gifted life
For all its programs, the heart of Centro is its people—people like Soto and Marquez, who embrace both their Catholic and Hispanic heritage.
“People come here knowing that we speak Spanish. People feel the warmth and acceptance, like ‘I am understood,’” Marquez said.
“Some have just arrived, and some have been here for five years or more,” she said. “But they all come feeling like they are not judged. They are encouraged to do their best, to get an education, to integrate into American society and give back.”
And as they themselves give back, Soto and Marquez are leaders who are bridging languages and cultures within the Catholic community.
The Catholic Foundation
Centro is one of many Catholic organizations associated with The Catholic Foundation. Because of the funding opportunities and relationships throughout the Archdiocese of Denver, the foundation is often the first to hear about needs that arise within the Catholic community here.
The foundation is therefore positioned to make well-informed decisions about giving—whether for grants approved by its trustees or for donors seeking counsel about where their dollars can do the most good.
Interested donors can visit www.TheCatholicFoundation.com to learn more about the foundation’s many services provided at no charge, such as outreach and planning to help Catholics become more engaged in giving.
Alberto Flores’ name has been changed to respect his privacy.
Special to the Denver Catholic Register
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