New Study to Examine Low Rate of Latino Vocations in U.S

[ringil]

Why not just ads and outreach to everyone? Are there any statistics on how ads actually affect vocations?

And what if you do not find many priests of a certain culture that are interested in such a ministry? Vocation ministry is a very specific ministry and not all priests/religious are called to it or capable.

No I am not saying that, I am just asking quesitons.

Not only pray for them to encourage them and watch what we say about clergy and religious around the young and those discerning a vocation.

I don’t know Brother. I’m a social worker and I just tend to favor culturally sensitive venues and organizational aspects. I have found that tailoring things tends to help nearly any type of desired outcome. This is especially true in providing therapy, which is my career. I can only speak from experience.

In addition, I won’t argue with a religious. I just wouldn’t feel right.

 

[ringil]

Perhaps not if it comes to being discriminated against, if it goes that far. But I hope the Church never stoops that low.

You seem a bit touchy about race. . . . . If you are Caucasian I don’t think you have ANYTHING to worry about in the US Church. No worries.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I don’t know Brother. I’m a social worker and I just tend to favor culturally sensitive venues and organizational aspects. I have found that tailoring things tends to help nearly any type of desired outcome. This is especially true in providing therapy, which is my career. I can only speak from experience.

In addition, I won’t argue with a religious. I just wouldn’t feel right.

I am not trying to argue. I am genuinely asking. I would like to learn more about this.

I admit that I have biases but I am trying to be open to this.

How would we tailor a culturally sensitive program to attract vocations to the Carmelites? Our formation forms us in the charism of the Carmelites, that is a culture in itself. Our province has a sort of culture.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Perhaps not if it comes to being discriminated against, if it goes that far. But I hope the Church never stoops that low.

This is something I am also thinking about.

One can not discriminate with the priesthood/religious life as no one has a right to be ordained and/or accepted into a religious institute.

When one does not have a right to something thing then when they are not allowed it they are not discriminated against.

If we start to speak of discrimination in this area then this gives ammunition to the womens ordination crowd.

 

[YoungTradCath]

You seem a bit touchy about race. . . . . If you are Caucasian I don’t think you have ANYTHING to worry about in the US Church. No worries.

I am touchy about race. I have to be. I’m white. Ironic, no? I will not do anything to further any racial interest, and I will not do anything to hinder one, nor will I permit myself to be part of a group that does. I let things work themselves out in this department.

 

[ringil]

I am not trying to argue. I am genuinely asking. I would like to learn more about this.

I admit that I have biases but I am trying to be open to this.

How would we tailor a culturally sensitive program to attract vocations to the Carmelites? Our formation forms us in the charism of the Carmelites, that is a culture in itself. Our province has a sort of culture.

I wouldn’t feel qualified to give any kind of advice of reaching out to hispanic youth regarding vocations to the Carmalites.

If I had to GUESS I would speak to the Carmalite’s history and work in Spain, and into the Americas. This is a difficult question Brother, and I really don’t feel in any position to give you advice in this matter.

Perhaps you could ask a fellow hispanic Carmalite?

I really love to see Black Catholics reaching out into their communities for vocations and providing special attention to African American, African, and Carribian youth.

Even given the small number of Black Catholics in the US, their numbers are still under-represented in the priesthood; the same is true with Hispanics. I believe that Grace builds on Nature and that it can’t be true that God is simply calling a higher percentage of White Catholics to the Priesthood and religious life.

I embrace diversity and believe that this adds to the beauty of the Church.

 

[Tigg]

Even given the small number of Black Catholics in the US, their numbers are still under-represented in the priesthood; the same is true with Hispanics. I believe that Grace builds on Nature and that it can’t be true that God is simply calling a higher percentage of White Catholics to the Priesthood and religious life.

I embrace diversity and believe that this adds to the beauty of the Church.

This is a tough subject and one I’m struggling with. Given the faith crisis in the church today and other monumental problems, I can’t place much importance on the diversity thing right now. Kudos for at least mentioning the black community (which others often forget because of the numbers of Hispanics entering the country,) but what about other ethnic groups who are also under-represented? We have a large Asian community fairly close by and sometimes they are forced by their schedules to attend a Spanish Mass. Just what is fair with the multi-cultural, bi-lingual issue? I know our particular diocese has spent a great deal of money on Hispanic ministry (actually, I’m not even sure what this means.)

 

[ringil]

This is a tough subject and one I’m struggling with. Given the faith crisis in the church today and other monumental problems, I can’t place much importance on the diversity thing right now. Kudos for at least mentioning the black community (which others often forget because of the numbers of Hispanics entering the country,) but what about other ethnic groups who are also under-represented? We have a large Asian community fairly close by and sometimes they are forced by their schedules to attend a Spanish Mass. Just what is fair with the multi-cultural, bi-lingual issue? I know our particular diocese has spent a great deal of money on Hispanic ministry (actually, I’m not even sure what this means.)

Well, I would encourage the Asian faithful to come together and support local and familial vocations with time and money.

At the same time as the Black Catholic community, the Hispanic Community, or other may place special emphasis on vocations among their population, they explicitly also support the larger vocation drive. At least the Black Catholic Congress does. These church related bodies don’t tend to operate in the same methods or emphasis of what we see in secular political/social bodies. They are conserned about the priest shortage question and they are dong what they feel their part is.

And diversity is a good thing, especially if we gain more good orthodox, young priests to serve the Church.

Here is a small article related to a day of prayser for vocations among the Black CatholicCommunity. It also mentions Augustus Tolton whose case is up for sainthood. I think he’s awesome!

dwellinmylove.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=5cdjwqGOTsY%3D&tabid=7081&language=en-US

 

[HollyDolly]

:nun1:Well,I certainly don’t know the answer for this.In a place like San Antonio, you have hispanic priests and nuns,and our archbishop is hispanic too.It isn’t like the young folks here don’t have examples to follow. I may have to look at the archdiocese website to see how many hispanics are clergy and religious.
This however is a problem with youth regardless of race or culture. Society is not like my parents generation,willing to sacrific and give things up.Oh there are young people like that today,but so many people regardless of age are of the mind set,they come first,and everyone else be dammd.

Also, how much contact do these young people have with clergy and religious in their neighborhood,or even their own family? I have relatives in the US and Germany who are priests and nuns.My mom was hungarian and she has two cousins here in the US who are priests.It maybe easier to draw vocations from such a family like mine, that say many latino families.Many of them might not have had any relatives in the religious field,even in the past.In Europe, in Ireland, Italy,etc. one might give a son to the Church to have God’s blessing on the family, and to advance the family socially.A priest was often someone important in the village or town where these people lived.
Another thing, in Mexico and Latin America, the Church was often associated with rich landowners and others who oppressed the poor.

 

[Franze]

The Hispanic American pre-1950 were a more catholic society that now, the protestants sects and communism weren´t but now all hispanic america are very influenced by the protestants anglosaxon american mentality, their names, english names, we see this in Spain, and many other things, it´s very complicated to change this.

 

[ringil]

The Hispanic American pre-1950 were a more catholic society that now, the protestants sects and communism weren´t but now all hispanic america are very influenced by the protestants anglosaxon american mentality, their names, english names, we see this in Spain, and many other things, it´s very complicated to change this.

Yes, I do believe that, unfortunately, the evangelicals have really made in-roads into the Hispanic community in the US.

I don’t like it one bit.

 

[TrueLight]

African Americans have been saying for years that there isn’t enough attention being given to encouraging vocations among Black faithful.

If when you look at seminarians, bishops and Cardinals, and you mostly see people who don’t look like you, it’s hard to hear the call when you don’t think this is a path that is open to you.

I believe that Grace builds on Nature and that it can’t be true that God is simply calling a higher percentage of White Catholics to the Priesthood and religious life.

Amen!

 

[LiveCatholic]

The Hispanic American pre-1950 were a more catholic society that now, the protestants sects and communism weren´t but now all hispanic america are very influenced by the protestants anglosaxon american mentality, their names, english names, we see this in Spain, and many other things, it´s very complicated to change this.

Yeah, so let’s give up completely.

 

[ringil]

If when you look at seminarians, bishops and Cardinals, and you mostly see people who don’t look like you, it’s hard to hear the call when you don’t think this is a path that is open to you.

Amen!

But then we have great shepherds like Wilton Gregory who show that there is a calling there for the youth. I know there are other African American Bishops but he is my favorite. He led the USCCB during the worst of the sex abuse crisis and provided a clear and compassionate voice when it was needed.

And great priests as role models like the late Augustus Tolton!

I know that the Knights of Peter Claver do some work in promoting vocations so this is also a positive thing.

 

[TrueLight]

But then we have great shepherds like Wilton Gregory who show that there is a calling there for the youth. I know there are other African American Bishops but he is my favorite. He led the USCCB during the worst of the sex abuse crisis and provided a clear and compassionate voice when it was needed.

And great priests as role models like the late Augustus Tolton!

I know that the Knights of Peter Claver do some work in promoting vocations so this is also a positive thing.

Awesome. I had not heard of Wilton Gregory or Augustus Tolton.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

The problem I have with this pointing out of demographics and such is that we attempt to fix it with a man made solution. In other cases they ease the entry requirements, they grant extra points to a classification of minority (that is a preferred minority), and/or they ease the requirements on the person as they go through a program.

How does that work with justice and the fact that no one has a right to ordination/entry into religious life?

I can see working to set up programs for vocations from these groups (yet I do not know what those would look like and can not seem to envision one) but the rest could follow. I have seen some of it and am grateful that those attempts have mostly failed.

 

[iloveangels]

The Hispanic American pre-1950 were a more catholic society that now, the protestants sects and communism weren´t but now all hispanic america are very influenced by the protestants anglosaxon american mentality, their names, english names, we see this in Spain, and many other things, it´s very complicated to change this.

Yes, nominally. The problem is that they’re culturally catholic and their identification as Catholics often doesn’t survive the move from south American majority culture to North American minority subculture.

One has to wonder how “universally Catholic” they are in that event. When it’s the only thing available and everyone becomes a Catholic basically because it’s the only thing there is, it’s not much of a self-identification, and that’s probably why it often doesn’t survive when they move.

BTW, we have the same thing in miniature going on among some cradle Catholics in north America and Europe, when they leave their families at the end of their schooling and more or less just walk away.

Also the pattern can be seen in Ireland, where the Church is fading fast. When previous generations had only one option and that was to become Catholic, any large break in practice will exhibit this kind of effect. You’ll see the people who were nominally, but not really Catholic, come out of the woodwork in droves, and that affects the rest negatively too. In some cultures, that number can be really significant. In Ireland, for example, apparently it was.

The answer of course is education plus tolerance when someone really thinks they have to walk away. The problem is that getting these people to learn their faith is like pulling teeth. They usually think they already know enough and don’t want to learn anything. After all, they’re Catholic from birth, or so they say as if it were something you inherited or something you put on like a raincoat.

 

[iloveangels]

The problem I have with this pointing out of demographics and such is that we attempt to fix it with a man made solution. In other cases they ease the entry requirements, they grant extra points to a classification of minority (that is a preferred minority), and/or they ease the requirements on the person as they go through a program.

How does that work with justice and the fact that no one has a right to ordination/entry into religious life?

I can see working to set up programs for vocations from these groups (yet I do not know what those would look like and can not seem to envision one) but the rest could follow. I have seen some of it and am grateful that those attempts have mostly failed.

Agree. I think it would be a bad idea to try to get black pastors for every black congregation, etc. Segregation is over! I also think that trying to get hispanic pastors for the same reason is every bit as much segregation as the black instance. Not a good thing. And probably not effective either. Most people can tell when you’re “throwing them a bone,” to pacify them/get them to come along quietly, etc.

Rather, I think the first best step might be to gratefully accept those who come who are ethnically assorted and assign them to parishes all over, getting us all used to the fact that Catholics come in all colors, and then expect the minority parishes etc to do the same thing.

I don’t think it matters what ethnic group clergy come from. The most important thing about them is that they’re human beings who are clergy, just like the most important thing about us isn’t our ethnic groups but that we’re human beings who are Catholic. I think in a very wholesome way, this would let seminarians know they really are accepted no matter where they go. We really shouldn’t have racial/ethnic boundaries any more than the international Church does. Variety, yes; boundaries, no.

I know as a matter of fact, here in the midwest, we expect to see Irish pastors in Irish places, German pastors in German places. IMHO, we need to mix em up. I like the foreign priests we occasionally get and the minority group priests as well. They remind me that the church is universal in time and space.

 

[iloveangels]

I really do think there are some answers to these problems, but I don’t think they are solved by changing our seminaries, really.

I think that they are neighborhood solutions, which unfortunately the majority of Catholics are lousy at. By neighborhood solutions, I mean in the case of everyone, including minorities, we have to be accessible to them and listen. Sounds simple, but Catholics have a deuce of a problem doing this. We’re generally not very friendly when people show up at church or in a neighborhood. Mostly, we’re oblivious.

 

[LovePatience]

One visiting Catholic priest wrote a book on these sorts of issues. **Beyond the Color of Skin: Encounters with Religions and Racial Injustice in America ** barnesandnoble.com/w/beyond-the-color-of-skin-cajetan-ngozika-ihewulezi/1013041285