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July 11, 2023By Sr. Gladys Echenique, OP
The formation of the laity is a fundamental task in the life of the Catholic Church, since it is the lay faithful who, through their commitment and witness, carry the message of Christ to the world. In our diocese, various initiatives have been implemented to strengthen this formation, with the objective of empowering the laity in their evangelizing work and in their participation in the life of the Church.
Participants attend periodic formation sessions, which are given by Priests, Deacons, Religious and Lay Ecclesial Ministers specialized in each area. In addition, participation in study and reflection groups is encouraged, where the laity can deepen their knowledge of the topics discussed and share their experiences. They have the opportunity to acquire knowledge, theological, spiritual, theoretical, and practical skills, to give a better service in their parish or ecclesial movement to which they belong.
The formation of the laity at the diocesan level is essential to strengthening their role and participation in the life of the Church. Through this diocesan formation, the laity are given the opportunity to grow in their faith, acquire solid knowledge and develop pastoral skills. These initiatives contribute to form committed lay people who are prepared to carry the message of Christ to the world and actively collaborate in building the Kingdom of God in the context of our local Church.
The following are some examples of how this formation is being carried out in different areas of the Diocese of Tucson:
"Through participating in the Level I Formation of the Diocese of Tucson, I was able to rediscover the basic principles of our Catholic Faith. Being a new parishioner in the city of Yuma, it was a beautiful experience to feel the strength of the unity of the Catholic community in this Diocese, which moves me to continue, rowing out to sea with my eyes fixed on Jesus." - Bessy Ulvert, Saint Francis of Assisi Parish Yuma, AZ.
"The Level II formation was important to me because I learned a lot, especially how to look for more information when a class caught my attention. The two classes that helped me the most were the Church Fathers, among them were St. John Chrysostom, who is one of the doctors of the Church known for his preaching with a focus on helping the poor; and St. Augustine and the long time his mother had to pray for his conversion of 33 years. The other class was on leadership and characteristics of a good leader, including knowing how to listen to people, having empathy for what these people are going through, and helping them when possible. These two classes are the ones that had the most impact on Level II for me." - Luis Contreras Saint John the Evangelist Parish, Tucson, AZ.
"I thank all the people who made it possible for me to take the Ministerial Formation Level II course. For me, it was a very interesting internal journey because I was reaffirming my FAITH with foundations that I was able to reinforce with each class, with each instructor and with the sharing of my classmates. Today I am convinced that it is very important as a committed Catholic to make an effort to learn and fill myself with coherent knowledge about my religion and in this way, be a person responsible for my actions in every activity I do. In these times it is a challenge to profess a religion, in each class I found the necessary tools to defend, in a healthy way, the belief that the Church is not only a building, but each one of us who walks with conviction to respect the teachings of Jesus, which are carried as a banner in every step we take. I learned that we must work as a community to achieve a common good and that good leadership can make a well informed and supported group achieve the best results for our community". - Karina Rivera, Immaculate Conception Parish, Douglas, AZ.
“I feel deeply grateful to the Lord for greatly inspiring the Hispanic Diocesan formation team led by Sister Gladys to offer the spirituality course and impart the treasures of our faith in the lives of two great examples of our faith, St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. Learning about the Spirituality of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross has been an immensely impactful and transforming experience for me. Exploring the lives and teachings of these remarkable saints has deepened my understanding of spirituality and enriched my own spiritual journey in profound ways. I am immensely grateful for the expert instructors who guided us throughout the course. Their expertise, passion, and dedication to sharing the wisdom of our church fathers were truly inspiring. Overall, the course on this spirituality has been a transformative and enlightening experience. Not only has it deepened my knowledge and understanding of the lives of these saints, but it has also ignited a renewed sense of passion and purpose in my desire to achieve holiness. I am grateful for the impact it has had on my life and the new inspiration to live a life of love, simplicity, and devotion. I wholeheartedly encourage anyone who is open to exploring the depths of their spirituality to consider enrolling in this course. The knowledge gained and the personal transformation experienced will be undoubtedly invaluable. Learning about their spiritual practices and contemplative prayer techniques has deepened my own prayer life and opened new avenues to connect with God on a deeper level; it also fostered a sense of community and shared exploration among the other participants. GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!" - Idalia Borquez, Saint John the Evangelist Parish, Tucson, AZ.
“Through the Level I ministerial formation course that I was able to take online, I was able to learn more about my faith. I was able to learn new topics and thanks to this, I developed a hunger to know my faith better. I think it is very important to grow more in my relationship with God and in turn to help my brothers and sisters to know how rich our religion is. Thanks to the fact that the Diocese of Tucson offers this type of online course, for mothers of young children like me, it opens a great opportunity to learn from the comfort of our homes, a true blessing. I recommend everyone to take these courses so that we can grow more in our faith and thus be able to fight hand in hand with God against all the things of the world that threaten our faith on a daily basis. I am eager to begin our Level II course, with God's help to continue my ministerial formation. Thank you for this opportunity!” - Deliana Soler, Saint Francis of Assisi Parish Yuma, AZ.
“We thank God for allowing us to enjoy and learn from all this spiritual richness, poured out in St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. This path of formation has been of great benefit personally and in all areas of our lives, especially in our ministries of evangelization, such as the Catholic Christian family movement. Formation is of great importance especially in these times of generations based on relativism. Learning a genuine spirituality from such important teachers as St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross among others, gives us a thirst for learning that can only be satisfied by learning more of the fundamentals that led these great minds and spirits to have such tenacity and commitment to our Lord. We hope that the mandate of evangelization of our Lord Jesus Christ will continue to be carried out in this important and simple way where one can learn in a relaxed and profound way at the same time. Thanks to all who make possible these training classes that are of great benefit and that fulfill the mandate of evangelization. Thank you!” - Eleuterio and Guadalupe, Our Mother of Sorrows Parish, Tucson, AZ.
"The Level II training was important to me because it provided me with tools to be a good servant leader, such as communication, listening, being a better observer, delegating, and helping others with their gifts. I learned the history about spirituality and my faith, and consequently it guided me to improve my skills as a servant leader, be more patient, take my time to listen, meditate, and understand the perspective of others. I am grateful to the Diocese of Tucson for providing me with these tools to improve myself as an individual, my family, and my community. I am very grateful!” - Patricia Gomez, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Tucson, AZ.
"My personal experience was very pleasant, I was open to whatever God wanted to teach me, but it became a rediscovery of concepts that I didn't quite understand and a true journey of faith. Thank you!" - Angelica Legazpi, Our Mother of Sorrows Parish, Tucson, AZ.
Sister Gladys Echenique, OP is an immigrant from Argentina. She is a Religious Sister of the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of Oakford, Natal in South Africa. She has a Master of Arts in Ministry for a Multicultural church from the Graduate Theological Union at the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, CA. Currently, she is studying a Master of Arts in Spirituality at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas.
For the past 10 years she has been the Coordinator of the Office of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Tucson. Prior to beginning her ministry in the Office of Hispanic Ministry in the Diocese of Tucson, she was the Coordinator of Hispanic Ministry at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Tucson, AZ. Prior to that, she worked at two different parishes. At Holy Cross Parish in Mesa, AZ as Director of Multicultural Ministry and at St. Edward Parish in Newark, CA as Director of Hispanic Ministry.
She has a love and commitment for the people. Presently the focus in her ministry is the formation of lay people. In the process of accompanying the people, she is learning a lot. At this time in her ministry in the church, she would like to focus more on spirituality. Her desire is to deepen her own spiritual life, but more importantly to help, guide, and teach people to deepen their prayer life. Above all, her priority is to accompany people in their faith journey by listening to them, engaging them in a dialogue that leads to a process of discernment and deepening their service in the Church and the community.