HMRC Launches Major Bilingual Website for Hispanic Youth

The Hispanic Ministry Resource Center (HMRC) at Claretian Publications launched new ¡OYE! website serving outreach to and dialogue with Hispanic youth in the U.S. The site is thoroughly bilingual and can be accessed at oyemagazine.org and revistaoye.org. An excellent resource for Hispanic youth and young adult ministry, the site was launched during a reception at the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry’s recent Congress, Raíces y Alas 2010  The conference was held in Chicago and gathered 500 church leaders.

The ¡OYE!  website is the online companion to ¡OYE!  magazine, our country’s only bilingual faith and life discernment publication, which is distributed to an estimated 100,000 readers each year throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. ¡OYE!  magazine is also endorsed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and its Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs for promoting lay leadership development and vocations among Hispanic youth.

Over 150 people attended the ¡OYE!  reception, including priests and religious, dozens of young people from the Office of Youth Ministry of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Hispanic ministry leaders from throughout the United States, and Alejandro Aguilera-Titus from the USCCB Subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs.  The new site creates a singular, national portal for information exchange and communication with and among young Hispanics.
Some of the key features of the new ¡OYE!  website are:

•    The site can be explored in English and Spanish.
•    Posting of You-Tube videos, events, and activities.
•    Bloggers including priests, psychiatrists, lawyers, and experts in other fields facilitating discussions on faith, cultural,  family, immigration, and other issues from the perspective of leadership, faith, and Catholicism.
•    Electronic newsletter to keep Hispanic youth informed of events, youth activities, and the many opportunities to follow their calling.
•    Feature articles on people who have followed God’s calling in many different walks of life.
•    Daily Saints and Reflections.
•    Frequently asked questions about vocations, with the ability to post comments and exchange information with other young Hispanics.
•    Easy search capabilities on every page allow visitors to explore vocation opportunities; easy access and contact with volunteer opportunities, ministries, and even congregations of interest.
•    Access to ¡OYE!’s new Facebook and Twitter Pages.
•    Teaching guides and handouts to assist catechists who work with young people.

The new ¡OYE!  website was presented by Dr. Arturo Chávez, president of the Mexican American Catholic College in San Antonio and chairman of the ¡OYE!  Editorial Board; and by Kathy Horning, CEO of the Claretians’ St. Jude League.

The website was designed by a Hispanic graphic designer, John Rodríguez; and developed by Captura Group from San Diego, a national firm that specializes in awareness of online usage demographics of Hispanic markets. The new ¡OYE!  site was developed, in part, thanks to a significant grant from the Our Sunday Visitor Foundation.

The ¡OYE!  launch and reception was planned to coincide with the celebration of Hispanic cultural month in October and featured folkloric dancers, Horizontes Mexicanos, La Danza de San Miguel, and renowned singer Pedro Rubalcava.