IPI History

In our Archdiocese were opened the doors of the IPI so as to give response to the invitation of Father Allan Deck-Figueroa (ex-director of the Secretariat of cultural diversity of the Conference of Catholic Bishops) to "do everything possible to make the lay pastoral leadership Hispanic obtain the education and training required."

On August 25 2011 officially started the Archdiocesan Intercultural Pastoral Formation Institute with the Spanish Leadership Program in the Catholic Center. Forty participants began the program of Pastoral Leadership in Indianapolis and twenty more of the deaneries of the south. In 2010 a project of the Institute was shaped by a Planning and Development Committee. The members of that Committee were Fray Moises Gutiérrez, Deacon Oscar Morales, Debbie Good, and Juan Manuel Guzman. In addition to these four there were other people who were a key in the development of the project: Sr. Marykay Duffy, Father Juan José Valdés, Fr. Kenneth Taylor, Ed Isakson, Ken Ogorek, Mickey Lentz and the parish priests of our parishes with Hispanic ministry. Working together was made this project a reality.

In fact, two years later, the Archbishop Joseph Tobin celebrated the first graduation Mass of the class of 2013 the day may 11, 2013 in the Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul. Now, the leadership program in Spnish is graduating the class of 2021. Nine generations have received their certification, including the South deanery.

In 2018, IPI received the Lilly Endowment which allowed for two expanison sites to open; Edinburgh and New Albany. In 2021, we are expecting a total of 50 participants to graduate and receive their certificate.

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