You can’t talk about the Catholic Church in the United States without talking about Latino Catholics. About half of the Catholic population in the United States is Latino, which includes U.S.-born Hispanics and about the one million Latino immigrants who arrive here each year.

And very few people if any know more about U.S. Latino Catholicism than Professor Hosffman Ospino, an associate professor of Hispanic Ministry and Religious Education and the chair of the Department of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry at Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry. Professor Ospino has led numerous research studies on Latino Catholics, including a brand-new report called “Ministry with Young Hispanic Catholics: Towards a Recipe for Growth and Success.” He’s also an expert on evangelization and pastoral ministry. It’s rare to find someone who’s so strong in sociological research and theology.

Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked Professor Ospino about current trends in U.S. Latino Catholicism and about what he learned in his recent study. They talked about the decreasing number of U.S. Latinos who identify as Catholic, which is a fact of deep concern to him and calls for fresh ministry approaches. His passion for ministry and his sharp intelligence come through every second of this interview.

Learn more about Dr. Ospino and read his newest research: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/stm/faculty/faculty-directory/hosffman-ospino.html

Article referenced in the episode: https://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.php?ID=194657

AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

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