Let's Talk

20 years of
Living Theology in the Metropolitan Chicago Synod since 1996

  • Home
  • Issues
    • Welcome to Let’s Talk 2020
    • 22. 2 Reformation Jubilee 500
    • 22.1 Death and Dying
    • All Issues 1996 – present
  • Noted Guest Authors
  • About
  • Contact

Powered by Genesis

You are here: Home / Hispanic Latino Theology and Ministry / Conociendo a la Cofradia Catolica-Reformada

Conociendo a la Cofradia Catolica-Reformada

February 11, 2015 by Pedro Suarez

La Cofradía Católica-Reformada nació gracias a la necesidad de algunos pastores y pastoras, principalmente Luteranos/as y Latinos/as, de juntarse para fraternizar, compartir amistad entre colegas, intercambiar recursos par-roquiales, nutrir nuestros espíritus con prácticas devocionales como en retiros dirigidos con temas relevantes a los que estamos en el ministerio directamente, realzar nuestro respeto por la religiosidad popular y la tradición litúrgica ortodoxa.

Fue en el año 2002 que surge la idea y pequeños encuen-tros comenzaron a desarrollarse. Ya para el 31 de Octubre del 2003, día de la Reforma este servidor, el Reverendo Pedro Suárez, pastor de la Iglesia Luterana Bethel en Madison hace la primera convocatoria. De allí comenzó esta hermandad que nos ha llevado a tener encuentros periódicos rotando las reuniones para conocer las diferentes iglesias que hasta ahora han sido de Wisconsin e Illinois. Fuimos creciendo de seis participantes iniciales a más de veinte.

Hemos celebrado retiros espirituales en el Monasterio Luterano de San Agustín en Oxford, Michigan con el Padre Richard George Herbel y en el campamento Bethel Horizons en Dodgeville, WI. También se han realizado talleres con invitados como el Rvdo. Dr. Maxwell Johnson de la Uni-versidad de Notre Dame. Mante-nemos una comunicación a través de una lista de correos electrónicos y una página electrónica dentro de la página de la Parroquia Luterana Bethel. Desarrollamos un documento el cual titulamos “Un Movimiento Católico de Reforma Llamado Luteranismo” y es una recopilación de materiales de los participantes.

Los participantes de la Co-fradía han manifestado su deseo de no hacer de este grupo una filial política de ninguno de nuestros cuerpos eclesiásticos, ni con fines de poder burocrático, sino que desean esta sea una entidad abierta de fraternidad y de desarrollo espiritual. Si desea más información, comuníquese conmigo a la dirección y teléfono al final.

Respetuosamente en Cristo,
Rvdo. Pedro Suárez
Bethel Lutheran Church
312 Wisconsin Ave.
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 257-3577


The “Reformed-Catholic Cofradia” was born in response to the need of a number of pastors (primarily Lutheran) who desired to gather for fellowship, collegial friendship, sharing of parish resources, spiritual nurture and devotional life within retreats offering topics which are directly relevant to their ministries. All of this is experienced in a context of a shared respect for popular religiosity and orthodox liturgical tradition.

The idea emerged in 2002 with the development of several small, collegial gatherings. Then, on Reformation Day, October 31, 2003, (this author) The Rev. Pedro Suárez, a pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison WI convened the Cofradia’s first Convocation. From that point, this fellowship began, bringing about a series of pastoral gatherings — conducted in Spanish and hosted in turn by the group’s pastors at their respective congregations in (south-central) Wisconsin, metropolitan Chicago, and northern Illinois. We have grown from six participants to more than twenty.

We have celebrated spiritual retreats at the Lutheran Monastery of St. Augustine in Oxford, Michigan with Fr. Richard George Herbel and at the Bethel Horizons Church Camp in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. The Cofradia has also sponsored workshops with guest presenters such as The Rev. Dr. Maxwell Johnson of the University of Notre Dame. We maintain communication through e-mail and by way of a page within the web page of Bethel Lutheran Parish. We developed a document entitled “A Catholic Movement of Reform Called Lutheranism” which is a compilation of materials written by the participants.

The colleagues active in the Cofradia have made clear their desire to keep the group from having any political affiliation with our church bodies. There is no desire for bureaucratic power, only for an open entity of fellowship and of spiritual development. If the readers of Let’s Talk desire more information, please contact me at the address or phone number below.

Respectfully in Christ,
Rev. Pedro Suárez

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Filed Under: Hispanic Latino Theology and Ministry


Let’s Talk welcomes thoughtful responses to our articles from all readers. Post your thoughts on our Facebook page or scroll down to the bottom to leave a comment.

Subscriber Sign-up

12.1 Pentecost 2007

In This Issue

Equipping the Saints for Diakonia

By Mike Bennett

Bibliography for Hispanic-Latino Ministry

By Keith Forni

Mary, Mother of God: A Confessional & Patristic Reading from a Hispanic Pastor

By Antonio Cabello

What the Lutheran Church Offers Hispanics

By Julio Cruz-Natal

High Church, Low Church, “Long Tail” Church?

By Benjamin Dueholm

Great Commission Imperatives Shaping Hispanic-Latino Ministry

By Keith Forni

Religiosidad Popular: The Virgin Mary and Lutherans

By Maxwell E. Johnson

Preparing for Ministry in Hispanic-Latino Settings

By Lydia Rivera-Kalb

The Social Dimension of Marriage

By Frank C. Senn

Conociendo a la Cofradia Catolica-Reformada

By Pedro Suarez