WASHINGTON, D.C., MARCH 24, 2011 (Zenit.org).- The U.S. bishops’ conference is aiming to help Hispanics form and keep healthy marriages: A media initiative using radio spots will be profiling «marriages that inspire» starting next month.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced Wednesday the Spanish-language media initiative in support of marriage and the family.
The campaign, titled «Matrimonios que inspiran» (Marriages That Inspire), is composed of nine 30-second radio spots, targeted to different age groups.
«Most Latinos believe in the institution of marriage,» according to the coordinator of the initiative.
Alejandro Aguilera-Titus, director for Hispanic Affairs at the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, added that the main objective of the campaign is to «revalidate the significance of marriage as the foundation for a stronger, more stable family.»
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, in 2010 less than half of U.S. households, 49.7%, were headed by a married couple.
By comparison, 2010 census data showed that 66% of Hispanic households were made up of a married couple.
The campaign was developed through Miami-based OpenMedia and financed with a grant from the Catholic Communication Campaign.
The radio spots will roll out in three individual “media waves” throughout 2011, with the first announcements expected to begin airing in late April.
Priority
Strengthening marriage is one of the USSCB’s five priorities through 2011, and recognizing cultural diversity, with a special emphasis on Hispanic ministry, is another one.
The bishops’ have English-language and Spanish-language Web sites called For Your Marriage and Por Tu Matrimonio.
Por Tu Matrimonio launched in 2010 and had more than 100,000 visitors in just one year. It averages 1,500 visits daily.
«We hope the radio spots also will motivate listeners to visit portumatrimonio.org,» Aguilera said, «where they’ll find valuable, insightful and practical information for anyone seeking to strengthen their marital and family unions.»
Hispanics make up more than 35% of Catholics in the United States, with the Hispanic population accounting for 71% of the growth of the Church here since 1960.
Over the past few years, 15% of all new priests ordained in the United States have been of Hispanic/Latino descent.
— — —
On the Net:
Por Tu Matrimonio: www.portumatrimonio.org
