Volunteer Susan Gallegos talks to newly arrived asylum seekers from Central America at Casa Alitas, a Catholic-run shelter in Tucson, Ariz., Friday, Feb. 21, 2020. In numerous cities along the border with Mexico, Catholic-run agencies are outspoken advocates for migrants and asylum seekers hoping to reach the U.S. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-MIlls)
March 14, 2020
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March 14, 2020 6:02 a.m.
US Hispanic Catholics are future, but priest numbers dismal
PHOENIX (AP) — Maria Chavira, a senior administrator in the Diocese of Phoenix, says Spanish-speaking Catholic parishes in her area are “bursting at the seams” and celebrates the emergence of Hispanics as the largest ethnic component of the church nationwide.