Iskali

Iskali is non-profit on a mission to empower and equip young Latinos with high-quality faith formation, enabling them to become transformative leaders.

The name “Iskali” is a word that comes from the Náhuatl (Aztec) language, which translates to growth, resurgence and new beginning. With this name we want to capture the essence of our mission to renew the spirit of young people, as well as evoke pride in our rich cultural heritage.

For young people to achieve their full potential as transformative leaders and for the Catholic Church to become vital, vibrant, and strengthened by the talent and gifts of young people.

Iskali was founded on June 12, 2010 by Vicente Del Real, a young adult, as a way to reach out to young people in his parish, St. Charles Borromeo in Melrose Park. Iskali has responded to the challenge of evangelization opportunities for the Hispanic youth within the United States, where most feel as though they do not belong in the Church and that there is a lack of ministry directed towards them. For this reason, according to a report from Boston College, 14 million young Hispanics have left the Catholic Church between 2010 and 2015. Iskali hopes to reach out to this population and provide them with a space to have an encounter with God. Inspired by Our Lady of Guadalupe’s role in the Americas as the star of the new evangelization, Iskali members make promises of consecration to Our Lady of Guadalupe to be agents of the new evangelization with a special call to young people.