“Most Latinos believe in the institution of marriage”

News release from the USCCB

WASHINGTON (March 23, 2011) -- The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops announced the launch of a major Spanish-language media initiative in support of marriage and the family. The radio public service announcement (PSA) campaign, titled “Matrimonios que inspiran” (Marriages That Inspire), is composed of nine unique 30-second radio spots, targeted to different age demographics.

The campaign directly speaks to the many challenges faced today by couples in sustaining healthy marriages and family life. It is designed to more effectively address the specific pastoral needs of the Spanish-speaking community in the U.S.

“Most Latinos believe in the institution of marriage” said Alejandro Aguilera-Titus, director for Hispanic Affairs at the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church and coordinator of the activity. “Our main communications’ objective with the campaign is to revalidate the significance of marriage as the foundation for a stronger, more stable family.”

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, in 2010 less than half of U.S. households, 49.7 percent, were headed by a married couple versus 78 percent in 1950. By comparison, 2010 Census data reveals that 66 percent of Hispanic households were made up of a married couple.

“We believe the PSA campaign is an effective method to motivate and inspire Hispanic listeners on this topic,” Aguilera said.

The PSA campaign was developed by OpenMedia (openmedia.tv) of Miami, Florida, and was financed through a grant from the Catholic Communication Campaign. The radio spots will roll out in three individual “media waves” throughout 2011, with the first announcements expected to begin airing in late April.

The radio campaign has its complement in a dedicated Spanish-language website, www.portumatrimonio.org, which launched in 2010. The successful website has had over a 100,000 visitors in just one year, and averages 1,500 visits daily. It also has 1,200 fans on Facebook. The site has received very positive reviews and feedback from Spanish-language users around the country and around the world.

“We hope the radio spots also will motivate listeners to visit portumatrimonio.org, where they’ll find valuable, insightful and practical information for anyone seeking to strengthen their marital and family unions,” Aguilera said.