Immigrants re-energise Irish Church

[Tofu]

BBC:

On a Sunday evening at St Augustine’s Catholic Church in Cork city centre there is standing room only - and it is a cavernous building.

The choir has been practising for the last hour. Melodic, loud, sincere religious songs ring out.

At the back of the church there is a long queue, snaking up one of the side aisles. A little red light above a confessional door indicates that forgiveness is on offer.

The young, mostly male Polish worshippers wait their turn, patiently. Filing in one by one to confess their sins and take their penance, young men and women are breathing new life into one of Ireland’s oldest traditional institutions, the Catholic Church.

…]

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6639643.stm

I am delighted to hear that Poles are revitalizing the Irish Church. Most Irish families have traditionally had members who became priests and often went into missions abroad. Now that Ireland has become godless and liberal, it seems like someone’s prepared to return the favour. At my high school, we have lots of Polish students and I am friendly with many. They tend to be very devout, much more so than my fellow Irish students. When I line up for confessions, I am joined in the cue by many immigrants, it’s a wonderful thing to see. Ireland’s rapid demographic alterations are exciting and immigrants will not have been exposed to the Church scandals that have resulted in a severe blow to the laity’s confidence in the Church. Hopefully this may counterbalance the trend towards secularism in Ireland.

 

[tomarin]

if the culprit is affluence, how long before poland too goes the way of ireland and so many other western european countries?

 

[system]

I am delighted to hear that Poles are revitalizing the Irish Church. Most Irish families have traditionally had members who became priests and often went into missions abroad. Now that Ireland has become godless and liberal, it seems like someone’s prepared to return the favour. At my high school, we have lots of Polish students and I am friendly with many. They tend to be very devout, much more so than my fellow Irish students. When I line up for confessions, I am joined in the cue by many immigrants, it’s a wonderful thing to see. Ireland’s rapid demographic alterations are exciting and immigrants will not have been exposed to the Church scandals that have resulted in a severe blow to the laity’s confidence in the Church. Hopefully this may counterbalance the trend towards secularism in Ireland.

I read this article this morning. The news was good, but it seemed like the author was a bit negative, or at least I took it to be negative because he closes with this:

The immigrant Catholics may have given the Church a life-saving transfusion, but the really big challenge for the Catholic Church here now is making itself relevant in a modern, independent and free-thinking Ireland.

Sounds like he’s saying the church must change, as opposed to the people who are currently distracted.

My last visit to Ireland I had a flat (tire puncture) and no spare. The man who lived near where I was stuck took my family into his house - I saw the Sacred Heart in a place of prominence in the kitchen, and a holy water font at the front door. (which I dipped into even though it was empty) He then took me to McGuire’s Tyres and helped me out big time. He and his family were like gaurdian angels or something

 

[BAIRBRE]

Up north, Catholic school children face severe religous persecution when they attend church and school…

 

[catholicbuckeye]

I read this article this morning. The news was good, but it seemed like the author was a bit negative, or at least I took it to be negative because he closes with this:

Sounds like he’s saying the church must change, as opposed to the people who are currently distracted.

My last visit to Ireland I had a flat (tire puncture) and no spare. The man who lived near where I was stuck took my family into his house - I saw the Sacred Heart in a place of prominence in the kitchen, and a holy water font at the front door. (which I dipped into even though it was empty) He then took me to McGuire’s Tyres and helped me out big time. He and his family were like gaurdian angels or something

Keep in mind the secular media (which will scream bloody murder if you accuse them of being anything other than objective) casts a slant or bias towards every story regarding the Church. Keep in mind that according to the secular media, if you have faith, you are deemed intellectually lazy and have had that faith foisted upon you against your will, whereas people who do not have faith are free-thinking, non judgmental, etc. This is a blanket stereotype the media has no problem with casting (yes, the same media that claims to despise stereotypes).

I have always heard the Irish are the kindest people you will ever want to meet. I have had family visit there and they have said the same (though not the same experience with a flat!). Hopefully Ireland will never sell it’s soul and join the “me me me” chorus the rest of the world is singing.

 

[JW10631]

The Catholic Church in both Ireland and England has been re-invigorated, to a degree, from Polish immigration.

A news article I read last month cited that the Catholic Church was set to become the largest religious body in England for the first time since Henry VIII.

Nobody can say for sure what the future of the Church in Poland will be. Like many nations, Poland has gone through times of spiritual blooming and spiritual drought.

The Catholic Church preserved Polish culture, traditions and the Polish language through the 123 years of partition. The Church helped Poland to persevere through the Nazi invasion and the Communist suppression - the Church played a major role in the downfall of Communism.

Poland has seen some drop in religious observance but still 60%-70% go to Mass, and Poland does have vocations.

Being Polish, I know Poles are a stubborn bunch and as a whole will not bend willingly to Euro-secularism.

We must pray for the Church in Poland and everywhere.

 

[Eddy]

Up north, Catholic school children face severe religous persecution when they attend church and school…

Bairbre, as someone who lives in Belfast, this is nonsense! If you’re talking about the Holy Cross dispute, it happened in 2001 and 2002, and has been resolved through a huge amount of work done by community workers on the ground.

I attended Catholic schools for 14 years, no persecution. Please. We’re trying to build peace here. It would help if others attempted accuracy rather than adding fuel to the fire of misunderstanding and suspicion. Northern Ireland has some of the best education in Europe, and whatever the problems of 15-20 years ago, Catholic and Protestant schools are now well supported. And, thank God, the integrated schools movement is gathering pace and someday we’ll stop separating our four year olds.

 

[Franze]

Interesting but the secularism will affect everybody. We have to fight for a spiritual and material rich society. It has to be created. It can´t be impossible.