Kansas City, Mo., Jul 26, 2005 / 22:00 pm
With the growing number of Spanish-speaking Catholics in the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Archbishop Joseph Naumann has decided put learning Spanish among his priorities.
He is following through on his commitment this summer with a 32-day intensive Spanish-language immersion program at a Legionnaires of Christ university at Amecameca, near Mexico City. His study began July 18.
"The Spanish-speaking population of the archdiocese is a very significant one,” the archbishop told the diocesan newspaper, the Leaven. “It's the first language and, in some cases, the only language for many of the people in the archdiocese. Knowing the language will help me be a more effective bishop for this large Spanish-speaking community.”
The archbishop said his long-term goal is to at least give modest homilies in Spanish.