Dominguez
CHARLOTTE — After five years serving as the Diocese of Charlotte’s Episcopal Vicar of Hispanic Ministry, Father Julio Dominguez is returning to parish life.
Father Dominguez has led the diocese’s Hispanic Ministry Office since 2020 and was reappointed in 2024. During his tenure, the ministry has grown significantly, serving a Catholic population that is now more than 50% Hispanic out of the diocese’s population of 565,000 Catholics.
Effective July 8, Father Dominguez will become pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Newton, succeeding Father James Collins, who is retiring.
Father Dominguez’s new assignment, announced May 30 by Bishop Michael Martin, reflects the diocese’s ongoing commitment to providing more Spanish-speaking priests in parishes that are seeing growing Hispanic Catholic congregations.
Through his pastoral visits over the past two years, Father Dominguez has seen firsthand the growth of the Hispanic Catholic community. He has met with thousands of Hispanic Catholics across the diocese, engaging in conversations and surveys aimed at strengthening their role in the Church and empowering them to evangelize within their communities.
“These pastoral visits confirmed to me that our Hispanic community is faithful and desires to grow closer to the Lord,” Father Dominguez said. “It has been a blessing to walk with them and listen to their hopes and concerns.”
Born in Tamaulipas, Mexico, Father Dominguez felt called to the priesthood from a young age. Since his ordination for the Diocese of Charlotte in 2003, he has served in parishes in Salisbury, Hickory and Lenoir. He has also been a member of the Presbyteral Council, served on the diocesan vocations team, and overseen Spanish-language programming for the annual Eucharistic Congress.
In a special message May 30, Father Dominguez thanked Hispanic Ministry staff and parish leaders. “I can tell you that you made my life an adventure and I learned many things from all of you, especially your fervent service,” he said.
While he is grateful for the experience of leading the Hispanic Ministry program, he said he looks forward to being back in a parish.
“Serving in a parish makes my heart overflow with joy, as every priest feels called to this by the nature of his ordination,” he said.
Established in the late 1980s, the diocese’s Hispanic Ministry is notable among U.S. dioceses in that it places full-time coordinators in all of its 10 vicariates, or regions. The ministry collaborates with other diocesan offices to integrate Hispanic Catholics fully into the life and mission of the Church. It provides lay leadership training, sacramental preparation and faith formation for both youth and adults, and supports a wide array of apostolic groups such as Legion of Mary, Cursillo and Apóstoles de la Palabra.
Father Dominguez said he is confident that the work of Hispanic Ministry will continue to flourish. “Bishop Martin recognizes how important Hispanic Ministry is in our diocese and has assured me that he is committed to helping us provide even more pastoral support to parishes and priests.”
— Catholic News Herald