Ethnic Parishes: Necessary or Divisive?

[Phemie]

A few weeks ago on EWTN there was a show about US military chaplains. I wish I could recall the name of one of them, he was a Navy chaplain in the Pacific fleet who aided his shipmates in escaping a sinking ship, at the cost of his own life. I believe he was awarded the Medal of Honor (posthumously) for valor under fire, and a ship was subsequently named for him. There were several other Catholic chaplains who were decorated for bravery as well. If you get a chance, and the show comes on again, it would be worth watching. I can’t recall the name of the special, because I was interrupted several times while watching it.

USS Kirkpatrick
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**Thomas L. Kirkpatrick was born 5 July 1887 in Cozad, Nebr., and was appointed Acting Chaplain, U.S. Navy, 19 February 1918. After serving as chaplain to stations in the United States and abroad, Thomas Kirkpatrick was assigned to battleship NORTH DAKOTA (BB-29) 24 June 1919. For the next 20 years, he served on battleship UTAH (BB-31), armored cruiser PITTSBURGH (CA-4); and aircraft carrier SARATOGA (CV-3) in addition to duty at Samoa from 1935 to 1937. He reported to battleship ARIZONA (BB-39) 13 September 1940, and was commissioned Captain 1 July 1941. Captain Kirkpatrick lost his life when ARIZONA was sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941. **

 

[ProVobis]

As for the ethnic parish, most of it just stems from the fact that immigrants like to be around people that understand their culture.

Very true. But it wasn’t always the immigrants who themselves set up these parishes. My father fought in two wars and was being stationed all over the world. Immediately after Normandy, his troop came under British command. England set up special temporary hospitals just for the Poles (I was born in one) and probably others. They had their own chapels as well. Many integrated into the British culture later, even though the Anglicans (who don’t exactly have a burning desire for Latin) outnumbered Catholics in that country. But many of them just wanted to go back to their old country (once it was reestablished) and wanted nothing to do with English or England.

 

[laszlo]

Good line but please explain how separate vernaculars are unifying.

Deeper understanding of the same facts and same end. Since Aristotle we know that the end (causa finalis) determines every thing, including the unity.

The fact that the Church accepted the Latin what the majority of the people did not understood and did not even hear is the proof for this: verbal communication was not necessary.

Since St Pius X the Church recognizes that the understanding is important, and the wide use of vernacular is organic development from this principle.

 

[hazcompat]

I was working in Montreal and had the opportunity to attend St Catherine Cathedral on Levesque Blvd. The rosary and liturgy were in French. Even with one year of French I participated in both with joy. My Polish is not as good as it should be, I am able to deeply appreciate the NO, or we can all participate in Latin. Don’t you enjoy cultural expressions other than your own?

peace

 

[Aramis]

I had never heard of this…but I believe it to be more usual in the USA.

The Catholic Church used Latin for very good reasons…no ethnic divide necessary. Black, white and brindle all praying and worshiping together where I am.

It still happened that communities developed Ethnic parishes. These parishes provided non-latin resources for the populations they served, and still to this day do so.

Look at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Wyandotte, Michigan. It’s still a very ethnic Polish parish… and not far away is a very Irish parish, at the other end of Wyandotte. And in the other direction and just a bit further, a Ruthenian parish that’s the least ethnic of the 3… (I saw more persons of color there than at either of the Roman parishes in Wyandotte.)