Director of Hispanic Ministry to be presented with national award

Intermountain Catholic

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IC photo/Jenn Sparks

SALT LAKE CITY — María Cruz Gray, the Diocese of Salt Lake City’s director of Hispanic Ministry Office, will be presented with the 2012 Outstanding Diocesan Director of Hispanic Ministry Award from the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry (NCADDHM).

The recognition will be presented during the NCADDHM’s 2012 conference in Chicago on Aug. 8.

"Maria works tirelessly and gives her all to bring the Gospel and the Catholic faith to the Hispanic community, especially those who are most located in the far-flung missions and stations of our large diocese," said Monsignor Colin F. Bircumshaw, the diocese’s vicar general.

Gray often travels throughout the diocese’s 85,000 square miles to serve Hispanic Catholics, who comprise about 80 percent of Utah’s Catholic population.

"She herself is a Master Catechist, and knows now to train both the neophyte and the experienced catechist in a balanced presentation of the faith that resonates with the needs of contemporary Catholics of all educational backgrounds, both the well-educated and those with little or no education," said Msgr. Bircumshaw.

Providing service to the Hispanic community is a challenge because it is comprised of people from many different Latino cultures, as well as a variety of conservative and progressive elements, Msgr. Bircumshaw said, but "Maria demonstrates a consistent ability to bridge all of these differences, and bring the treasures of the Church’s teaching, old and new, to all."

In the past several years, Gray has spearheaded several programs. In September 2010, together with the Congar Institute, she began the Spanish language Lay Ecclesial Ministry program to form ecclesial leaders who could serve the Hispanic community. In 2011, she worked with the Mexican American Cultural Center and the Catholic Migrant Farmworker Network to visit several remote areas of the state to offer leadership formation to farm workers in rural Utah missions. This year, she supported the Catholic Relief Services program "Comercio Justo" by inviting Catholics from around the diocese to learn about this program.

"All of this she does with unbounded enthusiasm, cheer and graciousness," Msgr. Bircumshaw said. "She also interfaces with the many other departments of the Pastoral Center, especially the Office of Religious Education, Office of Liturgy, Office of Youth Ministry, and Offices of Diaconate Ongoing Education and Training. There is nothing that the Bishop has ever asked Maria to do that she has not been most willing to do."