
Concordia Seminary Newsroom
Monthly Divine Services in Spanish

by Sarah Maney
Fostering Community, Promoting Language Skills and Building Bridges
The Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus stands at the heart and center of the Concordia Seminary campus and serves to bring the Seminary community together for worship. It also is where seminarians learn how to lead services and are further shaped for their future ministry.
Few, however, may know of the smaller chapel located within — the Chapel of St. Eunice and St. Lois — where a new initiative is connecting cultures and sharing the Gospel through monthly Divine Services in Spanish.
Launched in February 2025, these services are held on the last Monday evening of each month, offering Spanish-speaking Lutherans, students and other community members a unique opportunity to gather in worship.
“First, these services allow local Spanish-speaking Lutherans to worship together. Second, they give us the opportunity to introduce new Hispanic men and women — through the efforts of our local church planter, Rev. Miguel Torneire — to the Seminary community and campus. Third, they help urge our Master of Divinity (M.Div.) students on torward Spanish fluency,” said Rev. Paul Flo, assistant to the director of the Center for Hispanic Studies and preacher for the second service.
Having been recently called by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) SELC District to serve as Hispanic church planter in St. Louis, Mo., Torneire plays a vital role in these services, which support his broader mission of planting churches and forming meaningful ties between the Hispanic community and the Seminary. Through these efforts, new individuals are being introduced to the LCMS and experiencing worship in their native language.

Speaking about the March 24, 2025, service, Torneire said, “Some 53 people attended, including students, professors and visitors — Lutherans and non-Lutherans. Among the visitors, there were eight people who attended a Lutheran Divine Service in Spanish for the first time, which means that the pure Gospel was preached to them in the language that speaks to their hearts. I thank and praise the Lord for that.”
For English-speaking M.Div. students, these services provide a unique opportunity to gain firsthand experience in a bilingual worship environment. The Seminary aims to include at least one student in each service, provided their Spanish skills are sufficient. This gives students the chance to practice their language abilities in a meaningful setting while contributing to the worship service.
“The services have been a great blessing for our Seminary community and for many Spanish-speaking Lutheran members in the St. Louis area,” said Dr. Ely Prieto, director of the Center for Hispanic Studies and Lutheran Foundation Professor of Urban and Cross-Cultural Ministry. “The services not only bring people together to worship the Lord and receive His gifts but also provide an opportunity for fellowship and community building. It has been wonderful to see Spanish-speaking Lutherans and many visitors in attendance, effectively making these services an outreach mission event. Some students are already fluent in Spanish and others are learning the language. This is a valuable opportunity for pastoral formation, preparing future LCMS pastors to serve Hispanic communities throughout the United States.”
These monthly Divine Services in Spanish reflect the Seminary’s commitment to cultural engagement, language development and Gospel outreach. By building connections between communities and preparing future pastors to serve in multilingual settings, the Seminary is shaping a church that mirrors the many peoples and cultures within God’s kingdom.
Sarah Maney is the manager of communications at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.