The robust oil industry in western North Dakota has facilitated an increased number of different ethnic groups to the state. One of the largest population boosts to our diocese during these years have come from Hispanic Americans.
In 2021, the USCCB reported that the country’s Hispanic Catholic population, estimated at 30 million, comprises 40% of all U.S. Catholics. In response to this growth, bishops across the U.S. have been responding with ministries to serve this growing population.
Within our parishes, the Hispanic community contributes a great zeal for the Catholic faith—including a profound faith in God’s providence, appreciation of life as a gift of God, love for the family, authentic Marian devotion and sense of hospitality and solidarity. In response to this contribution, clergy of our diocese have recognized a need to increase outreach and evangelization to this group of parishioners.
A core part of the parish’s evangelization to Hispanics is making Mass and other sacraments more accessible in Spanish. Within our diocese, Bishop Kagan has called upon our priests to meet this need.
“While Hispanic Catholic ministry is still somewhat new in our diocese, I have asked many of our priests to try to learn enough Spanish so that they can offer Holy Mass and preach in Spanish and several priests are doing this for which I am very grateful,” Bishop Kagan said. “The harder thing to master is the hearing of confessions in Spanish but again, some of our priests are doing this and I do know that our Hispanic Catholic people are very grateful. Another thing that I have asked is that our seminarians try to learn enough Spanish to be able to do what the priests are doing once they are ordained. While not everyone is very good at foreign languages, many of our seminarians took some Spanish in high school or college and they are very willing to do this.”
Depending on the parish and the population of Hispanics within its boundaries, some priests are more immersed in this ministry. Bishop Kagan has appointed priests in larger communities as coordinators for Hispanic Catholic Ministry—Father Jared Johnson for Bismarck/Mandan and Father Ryan Martire in Dickinson.
“My motivation for appointing Father Johnson and Father Martire to be coordinators for Hispanic Catholic ministry is to coordinate a weekly Mass and confessions for our Hispanic Catholic members,” explained Bishop Kagan. “These two areas have more than one parish in the communities, and I wanted to have Mass offered more frequently in Spanish and there are other priests in both communities who can assist them. We do have Mass in Spanish in Williston, Watford City and Minot due to the dedications of Father Eric Artz in Minot, Fathers Paul Eberle and Ben Wanner in Williston and Father Jacob Degele in Watford City. To be able to offer Mass and the sacraments on a regular and consistent basis to our good people keeps them close to Christ and the Church.”
Father Johnson, pastor at the Pro-Cathedral of St. Mary, was appointed to the role of coordinator for Hispanic Catholic ministry on Dec. 1. His goal is to provide consistent and intentional ministry to Hispanic Catholics of our area. He began offering Spanish Mass every Sunday at the parish when he took over the role.
“For nearly two decades, there has been a monthly Spanish Mass offered at various Catholic parishes in the area, most recently at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit,” Father Johnson said. “What has become more evident in recent years, is that for this ministry to really grow, a more consistent form of pastoral care is needed, specifically offering a weekly Mass in Spanish, as well as other Holy Days throughout the year.”
Bishop Kagan appointed Fr. Ryan Martire to this role in Dickinson in July along with his first assignment as a newly ordained priest as parochial vicar at Queen of Peace parish. This was the first such assignment in our diocese specifically to serve Hispanic Catholics. Father Johnson said he drew inspiration from Fr. Martire to continue the good work in Bismarck and Mandan.
“Based on this assignment, I think it became a great model for what other cities in the diocese can do, especially those cities with multiple parishes. The coordinator for Hispanic Catholic ministry assignment allows one priest in a particular area to be the main point of contact in making sure all the sacramental and pastoral needs for Hispanic Catholics are being met. For me, it has been very encouraging to see Fr. Ryan flourish in his assignment as he was a student of mine when I was chaplain of St. Mary’s Central High School. Fr. Ryan’s dedication to the Hispanic community in Dickinson has been a great example. My former student has become my teacher!”
The groundwork for Spanish ministry was laid years ago as the oil boom began to gain steam, especially in cities most affected such as Dickinson, Williston, Tioga, Watford City and Minot. Many priests began outreach to the Spanish people alongside the Sisters of the Mexico-based Order of Daughters of Mary Immaculate of Guadalupe. The Hispanic sisters arrived in Williston in 2014 as part of a grant program with Catholic Extension Society to minister to the people in that region and remain there today taking the lead on Spanish ministry.
“Also, as the coordinator for Hispanic Catholic ministry, I am also working with other priests in the area who will continue to help celebrate Mass for us throughout the year,” Father Johnson added. “For example, Fr. Keith Streifel who was involved in Hispanic ministry in both Dickinson and Bismarck for many years, has generously offered to celebrate Spanish Mass once a month for us at St. Mary’s. Our associate pastor, Fr. Jake Magnuson, will also assist. Several other priests have offered to help as well. I am grateful for their generosity. Our goal is to have one place that Hispanic Catholics in Bismarck and Mandan can call ‘home.’”
Father Johnson reports that attendance at the weekly Spanish Mass at the Pro-Cathedral of St. Mary has remained consistent to what it was when the Mass was offered at the Cathedral. He’s hoping that the consistency of a weekly Mass in Spanish will allow not only the attendance to grow but the community and friendship among Hispanic Catholics in our area to also deepen. He and his staff continue to find ways to reach out and make sure that everyone knows of this new addition in our community.
“The feedback has been very positive, from both the Hispanic Catholic community, as well as from parishioners and brother priests,” Father Johnson said. “Many people feel that this is a definite need for the entire Catholic community. I think sometimes it is hard for those of us raised in English speaking families to really understand the challenge of hearing the Mass, the readings from Sacred Scripture and preaching in a language that we aren’t as familiar with. The Church is a big Church, and it is important that we find ways to continue to reach out. There are many challenges of living in an English-speaking world and not being as familiar with the language. If the efforts we make in Hispanic ministry help people feel welcomed, valued and loved, I say that the small efforts we make can have a great impact.”
Father Johnson notes that it’s a goal to have the Pro-Cathedral not just be a place where Hispanic Catholics “have Mass” as if the Church is just a place to have Mass like a venue or event center.
“My desire is that our parish becomes a true home for Hispanic Catholics in our area,” Father Johnson explained. “A place where they come for Mass and the sacraments, yes, but also a place that they can consider their spiritual home where community and friendship are built. In English, the phrase ‘mi casa es su casa’ (my house is your house) might sound a bit corny, but for Hispanics, that phrase really means something powerful. At our first Spanish Mass, I very clearly said, ‘mi casa es su casa,’ and several Hispanics have told me how much that meant to them in helping them feel part of the parish community. To me, this will be the biggest benefit of offering a weekly Spanish Mass.”
Father Jacob Degele has worked tirelessly to create a welcoming community for the Hispanic people in his area of far western North Dakota. As the pastor at the Church of Epiphany in Watford City and Our Lady of Consolation in Alexander, he offers Spanish Mass on the first, second and third Sundays of each month.
Spanish Mass offering was started by the previous pastor, Fr. Brian Gross, in 2023, and average attendance varies weekly from around 100-150 people. Being a newly ordained priest in 2021 and pastor in Watford City since July 2024, Fr. Degele quicky recognized the need to keep offering the Spanish Mass for his parishioners. This area sees a great deal of Hispanic people working in the oil industry.
“Because this assignment is still new, I'm continuing to meet new people and see new faces,” Father Degele said. “I have been told, however, that our Spanish Mass is constantly seeing new people. I think the reason behind the growing seasons is certainly due to the transient nature of the oil field industry.”
He echoes Bishop Kagan’s sentiments that the Hispanic community is very grateful for the efforts being made by our priests.
“The benefit that I experience from Hispanic ministry is the joy that comes from being with this other ‘lung’ of the parish,” said Father Degele. “I am always looking for opportunities to engage more deeply with the rest of my sheep.”
Mass in Spanish
Spanish Mass is offered consistently at five parishes throughout our diocese. These include every Sunday at 2 p.m. at St. Joseph in Williston, the first three Sundays of every month at 1:30 p.m. the Church of the Epiphany in Watford City, every Sunday at 11 a.m. at Queen of Peace in Dickinson, every Sunday at 1 p.m. at Pro-Cathedral of St. Mary in Bismarck and the first and third Sunday of every month at 3 p.m. at Our Lady of Grace in Minot.