Catholic Association of Latino Leaders

CALL Concludes Vatican Forum

During Easter week, members of the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders (CALL), the only national Catholic Hispanic lay leadership organization in the country, held a series of meetings at the Vatican with various ministerial offices of the Roman Curia. The meetings with seven  Pontifical Councils, billed as CALL’s  “Vatican Forum,” was held to initiate a dialogue concerning the large and growing Hispanic Catholic influence in the United States and in the Church in the U.S.  CALL notes there are an estimated 47 million Hispanics in the U.S. with an additional estimate of 12 million who are undocumented. Thirty-five percent of the Catholics in the U.S. are of Latino heritage. The series of meetings focused on the Church’s changing demographics and the resulting evolution of pastoral needs. During the nearly weeklong visit, the  24 member CALL delegation stayed at the Vatican’s Cardinals’ House of the Conclave known as Domus Sanctae Marthae, immediately adjacent to St. Peter’s Basilica. CALL met with representatives of the Sectariat of State, The Office of the Laity, Justice and Peace, Immigration, Communications, Latin America, the Bishops' Synod and the Congregation of Bishops.

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A New Chapter Begins

The annual members meeting was convened on Friday, July 23, by Chairman Mario Paredes. At that time he announced that he was concluding the three-year term of office to which he had been elected. As CALL’s Founding Chairman he spoke of the efforts of the Founding Board to establish and brand CALL and how the organization must now expand its work into the public square and beyond. This, he said, would require taking CALL “to the next level.”

Click here to read Arcbishop Jose Gomez's opening remarks

Chairman Paredes announced that, in the Board of Directors meeting held on July 23, the new chairman for the coming three-year term was Ruben Escobedo of San Antonio.

Ruben Escobedo briefly addressed the gathering stating that a long journey begins with a single step and that Chairman Paredes, along with the Founding Board members, had established CALL well within the Church. He stated that he looked forward to working with the board and the members to expand CALL’s voice and identity into broader areas for the common good of our Church, community, and country.

CALL’s Episcopal Moderator, Archbishop Josè H. Gomez, then announced to the gathering that Founding Chairman, Mario J. Paredes, had been appointed by the Board of Directors to the post of Chairman Emeritus in recognition of his dedication and leadership in establishing the organization started in 2007.

Please join us in thanking Chairman Paredes and all of the members of the Founding Board and in welcoming our new board chairman, Ruben Escobedo!