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IX Conference of Pastoral Musicians and Hispanic Ministers

September 9, 10 and 11, 2022

Rejoice in Hope

Presenters

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Nelson J. Perez, D.D

Nelson Perez was ordained to the priesthood of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on May 20, 1989. His first assignment after ordination was as a priest in Saint Ambrose Parish, Philadelphia (1989–1993). He also served as deputy director of the Office for Hispanic Catholics (1990–1993); as director     founder of the Catholic Institute for Evangelization (1993–2002); as pastor of Saint William Parish, Philadelphia (2002–2009) and as pastor of Saint Agnes Parish, West Chester. In 1998, he was appointed Chaplain to His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, with the title of Monsignor. In 2009, he was named Prelate of Honor by Pope Benedict XVI. Pérez was appointed Archbishop of Philadelphia on January 23, 2020 by Pope Francis, succeeding Archbishop Charles J. Chaput. His installation Mass was celebrated on February 18, 2020. He is the first Hispanic-American Bishop of Philadelphia.

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Damaris Thillet

Originally from Puerto Rico, Damaris Thillet is Director of the Office of Worship in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, NM. Damaris is a talented vocalist, liturgist, church minister, prayer community leader, pastoral musician, presenter, songwriter, and recording artist for OCP and WLP publishers. Damaris frequently collaborated in the music ministry with her  deceased husband, Diego Correa. They both served as a team for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Camden, NJ. For many years he has served as the regional representative for the National Hispanic Institute of Liturgy in the northeastern area of the United States. In 2015, she was invited to prepare and direct the Hispanic archdiocesan choir at the closing Mass for the  World Meeting of Families in the United States, during the visit of Pope Francis. Damaris was also part of the team that developed the songs that accompany the new Roman Missal in Spanish for the United States.

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Alberto Coppo

Albert Coppo is a talented musician born and raised in Lima, Peru. Since arriving in the United States in 1981, he has focused his musical gifts on serving the Hispanic community of his parish in South Florida. Albert Coppo has served as a    song leader, instrumentalist, and choir director for both the Spanish and English speaking communities. His experience in education has allowed him to effectively share his knowledge and his   talent through music workshops, liturgy and sound technology, in response to the pressing need for guidance in Hispanic music ministry. Albert Coppo is also CEO of Rokka Productions, an organization that produces and records Catholic music.

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Edward M. Deliman, D.D.

Bishop Deliman has a long-standing relationship with Hispanic Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, as most of his assignments have included extensive ministry to Hispanic Catholics. He entered the Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. In the Seminary he obtained the titles of Bachelor of Arts and Master of Divinity. Upon completion of his studies and formation program, John Cardinal Krol ordained him to the priesthood in 1973. After ordination, he studied Spanish in Douglastown, New York, and later served as an assistant priest in a parish in the Archdiocese of San Juan, PR to further hone his Spanish language skills.  Pope Francis Appointed Deliman Auxiliary Bishop for the   Archdiocese of Philadelphia in May 2016  

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Angel Correa

Ángel Correa, Puerto Rican and resident of Connecticut. He is Vice-President and founding member of the Association of Hispanic Musicians (AMPHE) and director of the Hispanic Choir of Santa María Estrella del Mar parish in New London, Connecticut. Angel also works partially as a liturgical pastoral speaker and musician in the New England area. He earned his master's degree in Dogmatic Theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut. In the past, he worked as a musician and speaker with the OMI Oblate Fathers community at Immaculate Retreat House in Connecticut, and for several years as Hispanic music coordinator at Holy Apostles Major Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut. He is a delegate to the regional V Encuentro representing the Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut. Ángel resides in Connecticut with his wife Teresita and their daughter Isabella.

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Kathia Arango

Kathia is the Director of the Office for Hispanic Catholics for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. She also serves as the Diocesan Coordinator for the Hispanic Charismatic Renewal for the Diocese of Camden, and is a member of the  Hispanic National Service Committee for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the United States and Canada. She currently serves on the Latin American Charismatic Council as the representative for young adults from North America and the Caribbean.

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Father Sosa

Currently, he is pastor of St. Joseph Church in Miami Beach. Father Juan was ordained in 1972 for the Archdiocese of Miami, assigned twice to the pastoral team of the     _cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b3b5cf58d_Catedralde St. Mary before being appointed pastor of St. James Church. Father Sosa was Executive Director of the Ministry of Worship and Spiritual Life for 16 years and is currently     _cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b- 136bad5cf58d_president of the National Hispanic Institute of Liturgy, and Consultant of the Commission of Divine Worship of the Catholic Bishops of the United States. He is also a member of the Subcommittee on Liturgy for Hispanics in the United States.

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Peter Collar

Peter Kolar is a Spanish and Bilingual Resource Editor at GIA Publications. Un dedicado        compositor y pianista, sus obras incluyen el escenario de la misa bilingüe , Misa Luna, sung at the papal liturgy in Philadelphia, and a solo classical piano CD Variations. Known for his creative use of classical and Latin American musical forms, Peter holds a master's degree in music composition from Northwestern University and serves on the board of directors of the Southwest Liturgical Conference. He resides in El Paso, TX, where he is the Director of the El Paso Diocesan Choir.

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Piedad Mendoza

Piedad Mendoza   Campos was born in Trujillo, Peru. He studied choral conducting at the University of Lima. He has made choral and instrumental arrangements.        Currently, Piedad works as musical director of St. Clement Parish in Tampa, FL. She has a strong focus on discovering and developing young talent, while integrating them into parish music ministry.

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Pedro Rubalcava

Pedro Rubalcava is a nationally known bilingual/bicultural clinician, composer and performer with experience in various musical styles. He has been leading liturgical music groups for over 40 years. He has been working in professional pastoral ministry in various areas including liturgy and music, evangelization, youth and young adult ministry, catechetical ministry, and RCIA for the past 31 years. Pedro received national recognition in 1990 when Amanecer, his bilingual music collection, was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Mexican/American Performance category. Currently, Pedro is the Director of Hispanic Ministries for OCP. He also serves on the executive boards of the National Hispanic Institute of Liturgy (INHL), the National Council for Hispanic Ministry (NCCHM), and the Northwest Regional Office for Hispanic Affairs (NWROHA).

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Silvio Cuellar

Silvio Cuellar was born in Córdoba, Argentina and grew up in Bolivia. He immigrated to the United States in 1990. He is a pastoral musician, composer, journalist, and speaker on liturgy, life, and family. He serves as diocesan coordinator of the Office of Hispanic Ministry of the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, as Associate Editor of the newspaper "El Católico de Rhode Island" and also as director of music at the parish of Saint Patrick in Providence where he directs choirs in English. and in Spanish. Silvio has many years of experience facilitating workshops and educational programs for choirs and families. At present he writes liturgical music for OCP. He is Secretary General of the Association of Hispanic Pastoral Musicians of the East (AMPHE) and currently lives in Rhode Island with his wife Becky and their seven children.

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Julio De León

Julio De León is a member of the Liturgical Commission of the Archdiocese of Our Lady of the Angels, California. He is an experienced educator in parochial schools, where he has taught for over eight years instilling in his students a love of music as a ministry. Julio has a Bachelor of Music from California State University, Long Beach and a Master of Pastoral Theology from Loyola Marymount University. His most recent publications include They found the Face of God, a song published by OCP, and the Official Hymn to Fray Cosme Spessotto, a self-published work commissioned in honor of the life of blessed Salvadoran Cosme Spessotto. Currently, Julio is Associate Editor of Spanish and Bilingual Resources with the publisher GIA and resides in Santa Monica, California, where he and his wife, Lesly Palacios, are volunteer music ministers at Espiritu Santo Parish.

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