Archbishop Gomez to receive Encuentros Award

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles will receive the 2026 Encuentros Award for his leadership in Hispanic and Latino ministry. The Subcommittee on Hispanic/Latino Affairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) selected Gomez for the distinction.

Bishop Oscar Cantú, chairman of the subcommittee, announced the award during the annual conference for the National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry in Anaheim, California. Cantú stated that Gomez has advocated for the Hispanic community for decades and has highlighted the contributions of Hispanic Catholics to the Church in the United States.

The Encuentros Award was established in 2023 to recognize individuals who contribute to the development and leadership of Hispanic and Latino ministry in the U.S. Church. Gomez, who served as president of the USCCB from 2019 to 2022, will receive the award during the plenary assembly of U.S. bishops in Baltimore this November.