Jesuit Father Allan Figueroa Deck, a theologian and nationally known expert in Hispanic culture and ministry, has been named first executive director of the Office for Cultural Diversity of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Father Deck is currently president and executive director of the Loyola Institute for Spirituality in Orange, Calif., a post he has held since 1997. Since 2000 he has also been superior of the Jesuit community of Orange County.
As part of the USCCB reorganization, approved by the bishops last November, the Office for Cultural Diversity will focus on the church's ministries with Catholics of Hispanic, Native American, African-American, Asian, African and Pacific origins, on new immigrants and on the pastoral care of migrants, refugees and travelers.
text taken from article of the Catholic News Service. June 14, 2007
