Latin American Leads Key Arlington Apostolate

The Rev. Jose Eugenio Hoyos was studying architecture in his native Colombia when he received the calling to become a priest.

So he headed to seminary and learned about constructing bridges between people and building houses of worship in the spiritual, rather than literal, sense.

"God called me to be an architect of souls," Hoyos said.

This summer, Hoyos was appointed director of the Spanish Apostolate for the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. The position, which requires ministering to Spanish-speaking Catholics and increasing their involvement in the church, is of growing importance to the diocese, which includes 21 counties and seven cities throughout Northern Virginia.

Because of the region's burgeoning immigrant population, Arlington's is one of the five fastest-growing dioceses in the United States. It now offers Spanish-language Masses at 34 of its 67 parishes.

The 2000 Census estimated that 224,420 Hispanics live within the boundaries of the diocese, but church officials believe the actual number is greater.

"There's probably a lot more," said the Rev. Richard Mullins, director of multicultural ministries for the diocese.

"That's already dated, and not everyone cooperated with the census."

Mullins said studies indicate that about 70 percent of Hispanicsconsider themselves Catholic, regardless of whether they attend Mass regularly. Hoyos's task is to help them connect with the church and to ensure that the church ministers to their needs.

"I present to them a church that cares for them and opens doors for them," said Hoyos, 49, who is the first Latin American to hold the post. His predecessor, the Rev. Ovidio Pecharroman, the apostolate's director since 1992, was born in Spain.

As Latin Americans, Hoyos said, "We have our own traditions, our own culture, our own music, even our own accent," but he added that the diverse nationalities remain united by the bonds of language and faith.

"We have one Christ, one church," he said. "In this large diocese, we all belong to part of the same family. Nobody can be a stranger."