Co-workers in the Vineyard of the Lord

By PAUL BINZ

The Valley Catholic

SAN JUAN — On Dec. 9, the San Juan Diego Ministry Institute will mark 20 years of spiritual growth for the laity in the Diocese of Brownsville.

Launched in 2002 by the late Bishop Raymundo J. Peña, the institute was conceived as a venue for training lay persons of the diocese to assist their pastors in parish work after growing in their own knowledge and faith during two and sometimes three years of specialized education.

Early course titles included the History of Salvation, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, spiritual and human development, Sacred Scripture, canon law, hospital and jail ministry, and different seminars such as Lexio Divina and the Liturgy of the Hours.

“‘The objectives are to enhance the skills of the laity to better answer their baptismal call to a specialized ministry in the Church,’” Deacon Luis Zuniga, the institute’s director, stated.

Father Eduardo Ortega was the first director, followed by Father Edward Atangana, Father Jorge Gomez, and Father Greg Labus. Deacon Zuniga was named director in 2010.

“Our goal is to involve the laity in ministry,” Deacon Zuniga said. “Our goal is like a big umbrella of all the ministries. … Our goal is to provide the theological; that’s why the Four Dimensions (human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation) are so important.”

“Lay ecclesial ministry formation … so that people understand the mission of the Church — that’s our goal as an institute. Theology and spirituality are the two tracks in the formation,” he said. “We offer a two-year program, four semesters, two Saturdays a month. They make a commitment.”

“We give the option for those who want to continue for a third year. The third year is leadership for ministry. We do a personality inventory, then we do a spiritual gifts inventory because it’s part of our spiritual journey. We review the four pillars of the Catechism — the Creed, the sacraments, the commandments, and the prayers. The four pillars … what Catholics believe; how Catholics celebrate their faith; and how Catholics live, which is by the commandments and how we pray.

“So then in the third year, we go into leadership for ministry. That’s where they choose their specialized area … jail ministry, or hospital ministry, or liturgical. … So the third year, they enhance their leadership skills. Our goal — to equip the laity to assist their pastor in the parish, and be involved in ministry.”

Some 700 people have gone through the program on Deacon Zuniga’s watch. Another 1,800 have taken the semester courses, he said.

“The pastors send us a letter of recommendation; they’re the ones sending them to the institute. And they say, yes, this individual or this couple – ‘I see these qualities’ So the goal after the program is that they continue in ministry, but now they have this formation so they can better serve in their parish.

“So that’s in a nutshell what we do at the institute. And let’s face it: the future of our Church depends on our laity. And the goal of the Church is greater participation of the laity.”

Attendance is divided into English and Spanish groups that meet alternately on Saturdays. The English group meets the first and third Saturday from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; the Spanish group meets on the same timetable on the second and fourth Saturdays.

The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the institute’s regular program, so attendance moved out of its regular home in the San Anselmo classroom and onto Zoom. With the pandemic receding, the classroom is open once again on Saturday mornings.

The institute also has partners in academia.

“We have collaborated with the University of Dallas to offer Escuela Bíblica,” he said of the four-year program on the study of Scripture. “We’ve also collaborated with the Pontifical University of Mexico City offering Diplomado Teológico Bíblico, with Bishop Mario (Avilés) playing a key role with his contacts there.

“We’re very proud of the fact that we have collaborated with both. There we’ve gotten very good participation. About 300 people have participated. And that’s not counting all the other people who came during the first eight years.”

“So we have a lot to celebrate — 20 years of the institute. And we’re very grateful that Bishop Flores has continued what Bishop Peña started in 2002.”

What the individual participants gain in spiritual growth, the Church gains in better servants — a win-win situation.

“It’s not that we want to make theologians; but we want them to be formed,” Deacon Zuniga said. “If they are formed, then they are of greater service of the mission of the Church.”

“I’ll tell you what an individual told me recently that really touched my heart. She said, ‘It’s not so much the theology; I appreciate the theology that I learned. But more than anything, self-awareness.’ The self-knowledge.”