Hispanic House of Studies at Duke Divinity School

Continuing with this year's memories, today we want to share about the Sumérgete retreat, which we celebrated this past April. This initiative, in collaboration with the North Carolina and the Western North Carolina conferences of the United Methodist Church, gathers clergy and their families for a time of rest, community building, and care. This year, we gathered at Camp Rockfish for a time of renewal that included everything from workshops to games. Take a look at what we got up to!

And a special thanks to Rev. Dr. Eric Hernández López, ordained elder from the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico, for leading us during this time😊

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Continuando con las memorias de este año, hoy queremos compartirles un poco del retiro Sumérgete, que celebramos este pasado abril. Esta iniciativa, en colaboración con las conferencias de Carolina del Norte y Carolina del Norte Oeste de la Iglesia Metodista Unida, reúne a pastores y sus familias para un tiempo de descanso, comunidad, y cuidado. Este año, nos reunimos en el Campamento Rockfish para un tiempo de renuevo que incluyó todo, desde talleres hasta juegos. ¡Échale un vistazo a lo que hicimos!

Y un agradecimiento especial al Rvdo. Dr. Eric Hernández López, presbítero de la Iglesia Metodista de Puerto Rico, por liderarnos durante este tiempo 😊

While we are on summer break, we want to share a few memories from this last academic year. 2025-2026 was a special year of firsts that continue to build the history of the Hispanic House and have invited us to reflect on what will soon be 20 years of history. Over the next couple of days, we will share some glimpses of this beautiful year.

Last March, a few of our students journeyed with your faculty director, Rev. Dr. Alma Tinoco Ruíz, on a pilgrimage around La Gran Tenochtitlán, now known as Mexico City. Guided by Dr. Eliseo Pérez Álvarez, systematic theology professor at the Seminario Evangélico de Puerto Rico, this group explored the religions and history of the region formerly known as the Anáhuac region and the cultures that comprised it.

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Take a look at some of the places that they were able to visit!

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Mientras estamos en el receso de verano, queremos compartir algunas memorias de este pasado año académico. 2025-2026 fue un año especial de muchas primeras experiencias que continúan construyendo la historia de La Casa y nos han invitado a reflexionar sobre los que serán pronto 20 años de historia. Así que, durante estos próximos días, estaremos compartiendo algunos vistazos de este hermoso año.

Este pasado marzo, algunas de nuestras estudiantes viajaron con nuestra directora, la Rvda. Dra. Alma Tinoco Ruíz, a un peregrinaje alrededor de La Gran Tenochtitlán - ahora conocida como la Ciudad de México. Guiadas por el Dr. Eliseo Pérez Álvarez, profesor de teología sistemática del Seminario Evangélico de Puerto Rico, este grupo exploró las religiones e historia de lo que formalmente se conocía como la región Anáhuac y de las culturas que la formaban.

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¡Echa un vistazo a algunos de los lugares que pudieron visitar!

La Iniciativa Pastoral Hispana-Latina (HLPI) les invita a participar de los cursos que se ofrecerán el semestre Otoño 2026 (agosto-noviembre)
Para más información se puede comunicar al 919-244-6718 o acceder a nuestra página web: https://sites.duke.edu/hlpi/
Este es el enlace para inscribirse: https://sites.duke.edu/hlpi/solicitud/
¡Les esperamos! See less

A Iniciativa Pastoral Hispano-Latina (HLPI) oferecerá três minicursos de pregação em português.
No link, você encontrará as datas e os horários: https://sites.duke.edu/hlpi/pt/curso-de-pregacao/
As aulas serão ministradas pelo Rev. Dr. Cláudio Carvalhaes, teólogo brasileiro, pastor ordenado e professor de Liturgia e Teologia. Ele é amplamente reconhecido por seu trabalho em teologia pública, justiça social, espiritualidade e práticas litúrgicas contextualizadas.

We are excited to be partnering with Dr. Sarah Jean Barton, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and Theological Ethics, for the seventh cohort of the Transformative Preaching Lab. Under the title "A Holistic Homiletic: Toward Access and Disability Justice in Preaching," this cohort experience seeks to explore how the human experience of disability informs, challenges, expands, and enlivens the practice of preaching.

This cohort is open to all people within the United States and its territories who regularly preach, regardless of previous experience with or knowledge of disability and disability theology - including both lay and clergy people with or without disability.

If you are interested in participating, please use the QR code to register. There is space for 12 participants. All others will be placed on a waitlist and considered in the order they request participation.

For more information, visit our website at sites.duke.edu/transformativepreachinglab

*Please note that this cohort will be led only in English, and translation will not be available.

As we shared on our previous post, this year we celebrated the first ever graduating class of the HLPI. In the article below you can read more about the 12 graduates and how HLPI has impacted not only them, but the many students who through pursuing the certificate or through engaging our courses for continued education have been formed by our program to, then, serve their communities more faithfully. Thank you for the Divinity School for highlighting this beautiful program!

And many congratulations to all the graduates! 🎓🤩

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Como compartimos en nuestro post anterior, este año celebramos la primera clase graduanda de HLPI. En este artículo va a poder leer más sobre los 12 graduados y como HLPI ha impactado no solo a ellos, pero a los multiples estudiantes que a través de sus estudios para obtener el certificado o través de tomar nuestros cursos como educación continua han sido formados por nuestro programa para poder servir a su comunidad fielmente. Gracias a la Escuela de Divinidad por resaltar este programa tan hermoso!

¡Y muchísimas felicidades a todos los graduados! 🎓🤩

Hispanic Latino/a Pastoral Initiative Celebrates First Certificate Graduates | Duke Divinity School For Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking pastors and lay leaders in locations around the world who do not have access to local theological training or who wish to expand their theological knowledge, a unique program at Duke Divinity School helps fill an important need: theological and pastoral training....

As our students prep for finals next week, we are still reminiscing on all the celebrations that took place during our last week of classes. From senior cross service, to La Casa's stole and cords ceremony, to closing convocation and even a mini baby shower, last week was full of celebrations for our community.

We especially want to celebrate all of our graduates: residential, hybrid, and the first ever certificate in theology class of the HLPI 🎉 We are immensely proud of your you and the journey that brought you to this moment. ¡SÍ SE PUDO! 🎓

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Mientras nuestros estudiantes se preparan para su semana de finales, nosotras todavía estamos reflexionando sobre todas las celebraciones que tuvimos durante nuestra última semana de clases. Desde el servicio de cruz de graduandos, hasta la ceremonia de estolas y cuerdas de La Casa, la convocación de cierre, y hasta un mini baby shower, esta pasada semana estuvo llena de celebraciones para nuestra comunidad.

Queremos especialmente celebrar a todos los graduandos: residenciales, hibrídos, y nuestra primera clase graduanda del certificado en teología de HLPI 🎉 Estamos sumamente orgullosas de ustedes y de la jornada que les trajo a este momento. ¡SÍ SE PUDO! 🎓

Yesterday, we had the honor to have Dr. Bárbara Sostaita as our guest lecturer for our annual spring lecture. During the lecture and dinner with our students, she shared on fugitivity, migration, sanctuary, and our role in this web of movement.

Thank you to all who joined us in person and online and thank you to the Duke Human Rights Center for co-sponsoring this event!

NEXT WEEK!! 🚨🚨

We are honored to be collaborating with the Duke Human Rights Center to host Dr. Barbara Sostaita, author of "Sanctuary Everywhere: The Fugitive Sacred in the Sonoran Desert", for our annual spring lecture. On Tuesday April 7, we will gather to have a conversation centering her work that focuses on sanctuary and the many ways we engage in this practice.

The event will take place from 12:30pm to 1:30pm in 0012 Wesbrook but it will also be streamed on Zoom, where translation into Spanish will be available. The link for the Zoom room can be found on the flyer below.

We hope you can join us!

10 days ago, we marked the end of the retreat that culminated the sixth cohort of the Transformative Preaching Lab. Under the title "A Human Homiletic: The Spirit, Race, and Preaching," Rev. Dr. Luke Powery, Dean of Duke Chapel, led 11 participants through a journey of exploration, meditation, and expansion around this topic.

We are blessed to be able to continue growing this community of the TPL and, as we curate these experiences, learn and grow ourselves along with these preachers.

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Hace diez días, marcamos el final del retiro que culminó la sexta cohorte del Laboratorio de Predicación Transformadora. Bajo el título "Una Homiletica Humana: El Espíritu, La Raza, y la Predicación," el Rev. Dr. Luke Powery, Decano de la Capilla de Duke, guío a 11 participantes en una jornada de exploración, meditación, y expansión bajo este título.

Somos bendecidos de continuar creciendo esta comunidad del TPL y, al curar estas experiencias, aprender y crecer nosotros junto con estos predicadores.