While the pope is definite in his call for a new evangelization and his vision for the celebration for the millennium and the Synod for America, ultimately solidarity begins in the heart. It is personal. Each man and woman yearns for completion. We can achieve this completion only in union with God and, while we are on the human journey, in union with one another. In Matthew 25 we discover the great surprise, that our actions for the poor and most needy directly touch the Lord himself.
Prayer is the primary instrument for conversion, communion, and solidarity.
Prayer inevitably leads to action. This action may lead us to become involved in some of the Church's initiatives for solidarity. Thirty-seven years ago, the U.S. bishops established an office to be in special relationship with the Church in Latin America. The Secretariat has also carried out education and research to assist efforts to inform U.S. Catholics about the reality of the Church in Latin America. Every diocese has some parishes, religious communities, and Catholic high schools, colleges, or universities involved with the Church in Latin America.