Group helps immigrants have a 'life of dignity'

BY ERIK MAZA STAFF WRITER

PALMETTO -- In the fight for immigrants' rights, the Catholic Church is doing more than charity work.

On Monday, the first graduating class of a three-year program the Catholic Diocese of Venice designed to foster leadership opportunities met to discuss immigration and other pressing issues for the Latino community at Holy Cross Parish here.

The goal of the program, called "Encuentro," or encounter, is to create leaders among longtime residents who can steer new immigrants to jobs and social services.

About 120 students from across Central Florida were present at the graduation ceremony, where they received diplomas and shared their experiences.

"I didn't know where to turn when I first came here," said Laura Ofelia Martinez, 50, a graduate who's lived in the United States for 10 years.

"The church taught me not to be afraid, to speak with my own voice and know my rights."

She believes it's her role now to help those who, like her, don't know where to find jobs or seek government help.

As someone who lived in migrant farms, she feels no one is more capable of helping new immigrants than her.

The students at Encuentro run the gamut from 18-year-olds to grandparents, ordained and not.

Most are longtime residents who want to continue helping out the needy or reconnect with the Latino community.

Classes about social ministry and education advocacy are offered in five locations, including St. Martha Parish in Sarasota, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

All classes are free and conducted by volunteers.

"It's not just about charity. It's about empowerment," said Luz Corcuera, the co-director of the Latino Faith Formation, which runs Encuentro.

"Every human being is entitled to a life of dignity."

Corcuera, one of 15 instructors with Encuentro, said the 10-county Catholic Diocese of Venice has been instrumental in securing jobs, finding affordable housing and guiding people in the Latino community toward social services.

"The term illegal alien doesn't exist for us. A person is a person. We help people regardless of where they came from," she said.

"We want to form people who can start a change."