Catholic Responses to Hispanic Newcomers

Author(s):

Fitzpatrick, J.P.S.J.

Format:

Journal article

Citation:

Sociological Focus, Volume 23, Issue 3 (1990). pp. 155-166.

Language:

English

Abstract:

Hispanics are the most rapidly growing population of Catholics in the United States. The major problem involved in the response of the Catholic Church to this increasing presence is the fact that the Catholic Church, in its clergy, its hierarchy, and its rank and file, have become predominantly middle class, and they now face the challenge of ministering to a very poor Hispanic population. There are several aspects of this problem: The absence of a native Hispanic clergy; the clergy who do minister to Hispanics have not come out of the poor Hispanic community, whereas the clergy of earlier immigrant groups had come from with their own ethnic traditions; finally, the perception of interests by Church authorities is in a middle class context, not in the context of the problems and interests of the poor. Many bishops and priests have been remarkably generous in ministry to the poor, but it still fails to create a deep and authentic bond between the Church and the poor Hispanics. A second problem addressed by the article is that of ministry to multicultural parishes in which parishioners consist of different Hispanic groups, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Mexicans, Central and South Americans as well as American and Caribbean Blacks and Vietnamese, Hmong and Cambodian Asians. Ministry to this kind of multicultural parish requires unusual flexibility and creativity. Examples are provided of parishes where this is successfully achieved in a particular ministry to the distinct groups in their own language and cultural style, with occasional liturgies in common where their unity in the Faith is celebrated The multicultural parish must strive to provide for newcomers the sense of being “at home,” the security and stability that the national parish achieved for earlier immigrant groups. © 1990 by the Ohio Valley Sociological Society.

ISSN:

00380237 (ISSN)

DOI:

10.1080/00380237.1992.10570561

Identifier:

HmongStudies0905