ILLEGAL ALIENS BREATHE NEW
Posted on 06/26/2005 6:10:12 AM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
Though suburban parishes have experienced explosive growth, older parishes also are changing with newcomers from countries around the globe. St. Cecilia Catholic Church, established in 1956, draws crowds from tony Memorial neighborhoods, but it also has become the church home to many Latino immigrants. The church offers six Sunday Masses that start at 7:30 a.m. and end with a 7 p.m. service. Two are celebrated in Spanish. The Rev. Jesus Lizalde, the parochial vicar and main celebrant of Mass in Spanish, estimates that 37 percent of the parish is Hispanic. About 10 percent of the Hispanics are longtime Houstonians, established in the Memorial neighborhood, he said. The vast majority of the rest are recent transplants from Mexico, though the congregation also has members from other countries, including Colombia, Peru and Guatemala.
On Father's Day, the 1 p.m. Spanish Mass was packed with a crowd that applauded Lizalde's homily on family values and enthusiastically gathered at the altar for a special blessing for dads. While some families hovered in the vestibule in case they needed to make a hasty exit with a bawling baby, others were there because there were no seats inside the sanctuary. "In general, the (number of) Hispanic people is growing a lot," said Galdina Castillo, an usher often charged with squeezing latecomers into already filled pews. Castillo came to Houston from Mexico when she was 15. Her father had died when she was a young child, and when she arrived in Houston she immediately went to work. She found St. Cecilia because it offered classes that helped her learn to speak fluent English.
Now, at 31, she is married, works as a receptionist and has taken classes at Houston Community College. She teaches religious education classes to adults at the parish. Since she started attending the church in 1991, Spanish-language programming has grown to include weekday prayers and monthly healing services in Spanish, along with more religious education and retreats. The quality of the programs also has increased, she said. In general, the white and Latino communities at St. Cecilia remain fairly distinct, separated by language and culture. But there have been some cultural crossovers. Castillo noticed that some whites participated in the Dec. 12 feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, though it remains a largely Latino event.
Jorge Garcia, who joined the church eight years ago, sees a mixing of cultures at the annual festival in October. The number of stands offering tamales, gorditas and roasted corn has grown, mixing with the standard October fest fare, he said. It is the beginning of a merging of two church communities under one roof, he said. "I can't say it is really done," he said. "I see a very good future. I see that it is coming every time closer."
Could this author be referring to "ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS"?
It COULD be slowed down and eventually halted. I don't think for a second that it will, but it could. I mean, its possible, however unlikely.
Bingo! They lost so many parishioners these past few years, due to a number of factors, not the least of which is the longtime refusal to deal with pedophile priests in a serious way...and subsequent lawsuit claims, that the coffers are empty. (Insurance must have gone through the roof, too.) The influx of illegals is a dream come true for the Catholic church. I suspect if they were all Methodists, we'd hear a different sermon.
Si, Habla Espanol muy bien.
You beat me to it!
I got up real early today! ;^)
That would be a good argument except for the fact that the numbers prove you're flapping your gums.
Good post...and funny, but true.
No, actually, the GlenMary research shows that in areas where the U.S. census indicates a dramatic rise in Hispanic (illegal immigration) numbers, the growth in Catholic membership ALSO went up dramatically. In Nevadad (major illegal immigrant problem) up 111%. North Carolina (major illegal immigrant problem) up 111% as well. The influx in illegal immigrants in a major benefit to the Catholic church.
My father was telling me today that he had to write SEVERAL letters to the bishop about their parish priest, who was from Colombia, to tell him of the various anti-American positions he would take because the majority of the congregation was Hispanic. 1) The priest, after 9-11-2001 REFUSED to hang an American flag inside the chapel in commemoration, prayers for the soldiers/President/governor are verboten, and just recently, a quincinera party thoroughly trashed and destroyed the parish hall, beyond the pale of some forgotten item or slightly out of place dish left by an Anglo family using the facilities. The response of the bishop has been VERY lukewarm.
I'm sure that scene is being repeated in many parishes across this nation.
Wow, stats from Glenmary that are five years old. I'm impressed, Cunnie. The year by year decline by region comparisons show that hershey is correct. I think you are the one with a bad case of gingivitis.
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