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With God, nothing is lost! Our hope in the Lord sustains us!
Most Rev. Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, Transformed by Hope, 55
Serving Our Local Church | We are One
The Department for Pastoral Ministries strives to fulfill our mission of “supporting, accompanying, training, and forming Parish leadership so that they in turn minister to their parishioners and those within their boundaries” every day by continuously calling for renewed zeal and a servant’s disposition. Pastoral collaboration and permanent dialogue flesh out our Archdiocesan Pastoral Vision profoundly based on a Culture of Encounter.
We work collaboratively in the spirit of Pastoral de Conjunto, utilizing our various skills and abilities for the benefit of those we serve. We work creatively towards a harmonious outcome for all of our constituents, whether they are couples preparing for marriage, youth, young adults, the deaf community, culturally diverse communities, or ministers in the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
Faced with restrictions due to COVID-19, the Department for Pastoral Ministries pivoted from in-person support to virtual outreach, emails, and phone calls during a time of unprecedented uncertainty. During 2020, we served almost 622,000 local Catholics and beyond, keeping our Archdiocesan Priorities at the forefront.
March 2020 - June 2021
1,574
OCIA Candidates, Catechumens and sponsors participated in the Rite of Election and call to continuing conversion
$370K
Disbursed for Ministry with Collect Students
$25K
Assistance provided toward formation resources for parishes
1,000+
Pilgrims
visited the missions
62 Parishes
230
280
408
172
124
Parish Leaders attended “Accompanying Our Formation Leaders” series
507
Responses to our pandemic outreach survey
138
Parish Administration retreatants met virtually
75,000
Visits in Hospital
213
Married couples enriched at mornings of reflection
240
Campus Ministry virtual meetings
220
Campus Ministry retreatants
11
Catholic student groups
215
American Sign Language Interpreters received training on the Catholics Mass
1,972
New contacts signed up for e-communication
Pastoral Priority Focus at a Glance
The digital world can be an environment rich in humanity; A network not of wires but of people. – Pope Francis, June 2014, 48th World Communications Day
Our departmental response to COVID-19 granted us the opportunity to shift the nature of several events to virtual or hybrid gatherings. With this shift, we were still able to join together to advance our Archdiocesan Vision: Encountering Christ, United as Church, Sent by the Spirit.
We implemented digital solutions as a means of outreach to those who were isolated during the pandemic. Even in the midst of challenges, we were able to address parish needs focused on the Pastoral Priorities of New Evangelization, Catechesis & Faith Formation, and Youth & Young Adults.
- 120+ Events
- 1,782 Zoom participants
- 4,287 Minutes in virtual accompaniment
- 9,172 YouTube views
Serving the Parish
May we be fearless missionary disciples imitating Christ Jesus as we encounter and accompany one another along the faith journey. We pray the Holy Spirit will guide us as we look to further connect the truths of faith with the realities of the local Church.
“I plan on investing in our youth to really see how amazing it is to love God and grow in deeper relationship with him. Even during COVID, our kids wanted to still meet in person so even though we had to limit our participants, they were devoted to being here and eager to journey with us.” – Becky Rocha, San Juan de los Lagos
“I participated in the Assembly 2020 as a teacher, parent, friend, daughter, mother and most importantly as a child of God. I was able to reflect as I was listening to each speaker and think of how I currently have God in my life and how I will practice new ways to have him present in more parts of my life.” – Rebecca Martinez, St. Anthony Elementary School
“The Parish is the presence of the Church in a given territory, an environment for hearing God’s word, for growth in the Christian life, for dialogue, proclamation, charitable outreach, worship and celebration. In all its activities the parish encourages and trains its members to be evangelizers. It is a community of communities, a sanctuary where the thirsty come to drink in the midst of their journey, and a center of constant missionary outreach” – Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 28
Sign Up for the Formation Monthly Newsletter
Our monthly e-newsletter is a source of current information related to pastoral ministry for the Archdiocese of San Antonio. Find reviews of recent activities, upcoming event listings, educational content, and spotlights on collaborative encounters within our department or between local parishes.
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Contact
Joan Martinez
Department Head
Phone: 210-734-1624
Email: [email protected]
Administrative Central
Phone: 210-734-1952
Email: [email protected]
