Encountering Christ in Harmony: A Pastoral Response to Our Asian and Pacific Island Brothers and Sisters
On June 14, 2018, the general assembly of the USCCB voted to pass this pastoral response after nearly two decades of work that stemmed from the 2001 pastoral statement, Asian and Pacific Presence: Harmony in Faith. Recognizing that 1 out of 5 Asian and Pacific Islanders living in the United States is Catholic, this new pastoral response “seeks to weave together the rich tapestry of Asian and Pacific Island histories, cultures, and faith, in order to celebrate and support Asian and Pacific Catholic communities in the United States” (10).
The full document can be viewed HERE.
For those involved with pastoral ministry with this particular population, the pastoral response strongly suggests becoming familiar with the following resources, listed in chronological order with links to full texts (if available):
- Brothers and Sisters to Us: Pastoral Letter on Racism (1979)
- The Instruction on Inculturation and the Roman Liturgy (1994)
- Towards a Pastoral Approach to Culture (1999)
- Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines (2001)
- Popular Devotional Practices: Best Questions and Answers (2003)
- Asian and Pacific Presence: Harmony in Faith (2001)
- Building Intercultural Competence for Ministers (2012)
- Liturgy in a Culturally Diverse Community: A Guide (2012)
- Educating to Intercultural Dialogue in Catholic Schools, Living in Harmony for a Civilization of Love (2013)
- Best Practices for Shared Parishes: So That They All May Be One (2014)
- Guidelines for Receiving Pastoral Ministers in the United States (2014)
- Asian Pacific Islander Catholics in the United States: A Preliminary Report (2015)
- Living as Missionary Disciples: A Resource for Evangelization (2017)