Diocese hires Hispanic outreach coordinator
Pittsburgh’s small but growing Roman Catholic Hispanic community soon will see more outreach from a Mexican native who previously did work in Milwaukee, helping Latinos to better integrate into the community.
Jorge Vela, 48, who was hired by the Diocese of Pittsburgh as coordinator of Hispanic ministry, will work mainly as a spiritual guide to Pittsburgh’s Hispanic Catholics. His first goal will be to reach out to all the area churches that celebrate Mass in Spanish — five in total — at least 10 times in the next year and begin to “teach them how to fall in love with Christ.”
“Being a Catholic is trying to be a link,” Mr. Vela said. “I can be that link between the people and the church. I am 100 percent oriented and dedicated to the work of God.”
For 4½ years, Mr. Vela worked within an inner city parish in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee mainly frequented by Hispanics, organizing fundraising events and picnics.
These events were aimed at familiarizing the Hispanic community with Americans. Through his work, he “united the Anglo-Saxon and Hispanic communities together,” according to Antonio Lagunes of Cristo Renueva su Parroquia, a Catholic volunteer organization. Mr. Vela called Mr. Lagunes his “right-hand man.”
Slowly, though, the Rev. Cliff Ermatinger learned that Mr. Vela could do much more than fundraising and picnics, giving him more administrative responsibilities within the archdiocese.
Before Father Ermatinger hired Mr. Vela, the priest’s role was spread out throughout the Milwaukee archdiocese. Father Ermatinger was the archdiocese’s exorcist and handled both religious and administrative duties. He said he needed someone to be his “right arm” and assist him in the “practical aspects of the job,” so he took on Mr. Vela.
“I had a lot of trust in him,” Father Ermatinger said. “You just sort of wind him up and let him go.” of Father Maciel’s organization, though.
“All the times that I talked to him, all the times that I saw him, he was a great example,” Mr. Vela said. “But he was two different people. So if you asked me if I knew everything about him, I can answer you 100 percent that I didn’t know.”
Mr. Vela said he is trying to focus “on how much the Legion of Christ showed me how to love God and … live my life with integrity.”
The scandal was one reason Mr. Vela chose to leave the Legion. The other was a soccer injury that led to 18 knee surgeries and doctor’s orders that he allow more time to recuperate, which meant he couldn’t keep up the pace of frequent travel with the Legion.
He still values his experience with the order.
“Thirty-two years is a big part of my life, so I cannot say that it wasn’t good,” Mr. Vela said. “I am what I am thanks to the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi.”