Starting a group to introduce Latin Catholics to the East

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Jeffgo

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Hello all,

I have an idea, and I want some (name removed by moderator)ut.

I am thinking of starting a group that is dedicated to introducing Latin Rite Catholics to the Eastern Rites of the Church. In the past, I have organized visits to Byzantine Rite parishes, which my fellow Latin Rite Catholic friends have found very enjoyable. I am actually planning on attending the Lamentations of Good Friday at a nearby Melkite parish.

I want to have these visits occur on a regular basis (monthly, at least), and I want to get the Catholic young adult community in my area involved (I am living in a men’s discernment house, next door to a women’s discernment house, and I am pretty involved in the young adult group in my area, so this shouldn’t be too hard). I was also thinking of supplementing the church visits with theology on tap type events and viewings of videos related to the Eastern Churches.

My question is, has anyone tried anything like this before? What tips or ideas do you have for such a group? What are some ideas for some good events, and how should I go about garnering interest in such a group?

Thanks, and God Bless!
 
No, I am Roman Rite. However, I have a great interest in Eastern Rite Catholicism, particularly the Byzantine Rite, and I would like to help my fellow Roman Rite Catholics come to appreciate the Eastern lung of the Church.
 
Jeffgo,

As far as your ideas are concerned, I think they’re great. I myself have been trying to figure out ways to get Roman Catholics more interested in the Eastern Catholic Churches (I’m “officially” Roman Catholic, but my wife, children and I have been attending a Melkite parish for the past four years, and both my kids are baptized according the the Melkite tradition). Some thoughts:
  1. The “Theology on Tap” for Roman Catholics interested in Eastern Christianity is a good idea. But make sure to get someone who is very knowledgeable and intimately familiar with Eastern Christianity. Preference, I would think, should be given to an Eastern Catholic priest or deacon. Alternatively you could invite a knowledgeable lay member of a local Eastern Catholic parish. I emphasize the idea that they be knowledgeable because, just as in the West, there are plenty of Eastern Catholics who are “Sunday only” or even “Christmas and Easter only” Catholics and know little to nothing about Eastern Christianity. There are also those Eastern Catholics who are Eastern in liturgical practice only, but as far as theology and spirituality are concerned, they are as Western as any Roman Catholic.
Another idea is to invite an Orthodox priest to come and speak of Eastern Christianity. I would ask him beforehand, however, not to speak in a manner that becomes a comparison/contrast of East and West, but simply to stick to the teachings of Eastern Christianity.
  1. You might consider having an “orientation” theology on tap where you go over some generalities of Eastern Christianity in general and Eastern Catholicism in particular. This could cover broad ideas such as:
A - The difference between a “rite” and a “Church”
B - Which sui iuris Churches utilize which rites
C - The five original Patriarchates and their relation to one another
D - The history of separation and reunion between East and West
  1. As far as videos are concerned, I recommend the videos done for Orientale Lumen Television by Met. Kallistos Ware. He has several series with OLTV. It would be up to you to go through them and determine which ones you’d like to show in what order. Also, since there is a rising interest in iconography among Roman Catholics, you could also show the Icon series done for OLTV by Prof. Richard Schneider. All of these programs are available for purchase from oltv.tv
  2. Getting folks to attend a Divine Liturgy regularly (once a month) is a fantastic idea, and probably the best way to introduce them to the East. But don’t limit yourself strictly to the Byzantine tradition (i.e. Ruthenians, Ukrainians, Melkites, Romanians, Russians, etc.). Remember that the Church also has the Maronite, Coptic, Assyrian, Ethiopian, Malankara, Malabar, etc. traditions as well (most commonly lumped under the category of “Oriental Catholics”). If there are any Oriental Catholic or Orthodox parishes in your area, I’d recommend arranging to take the group there. Be sure and contact the pastor in advance so that they know you are coming and can make the necessary preparations. Also, if you end up going to an Orthodox parish, be sure and make it clear that Catholics are NOT permitted to receive the Eucharist at that parish unless the pastor invites them to do so.
 
Jeffgo said:
No, I am Roman Rite. However, I have a great interest in Eastern Rite Catholicism, particularly the Byzantine Rite, and I would like to help my fellow Roman Rite Catholics come to appreciate the Eastern lung of the Church.
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I would recommend that you start attending Divine Liturgy on a regular basis (once a month or more often, for example) so that your local ECC – its priest, its deacon(s), and its members – can get to know you. You want to be known as a pilgrim, not as a tourist.

As you do this, invite other RCs to attend DL with you. In my experience, most will turn you down, though many will say that it sounds interesting. This will help you actually ascertain interest among people you know.

As you become a familiar face, approach the priest and tell him your plans.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone!

First, I do intend to visit more than just the Byzantine Rite. At this point, I have only visited the Byzantine Rite myself, but a friend of mine has invited me to his Chaldean parish, and there is also a Maronite religious order in my city (some of the priests have faculties for the Roman Rite, so they are fairly well-known to the Roman Rite young adults who I am hoping to invite to these types of events).

I have visited three Byzantine parishes in the area: one Melkite, one Ruthenian, and one Ukrainian. I have visited the Melkite and Ruthenian parishes more than once, so I have become acquainted with the priests.

Also, a local Byzantine Rite deacon is offering a theology on tap type event next week, so I’m going to encourage folks to head out to that.

Thanks especially for the ideas about which programs to show. I was thinking of showing “Sacred Craft”, the program put on by Fr. Brendan McAnerney, OP and aired on EWTN. I have also found some videos on the website for one of the Ruthenian eparchies.
 
I think you need to be very certain about what you mean by “introducing Latin Catholics” to the “Eastern Rite churches.” I myself am Roman but have helped start a Byzantine Catholic mission in our city which I now attend regularly. I was drawn to the East by the theology not the liturgy. It is vitally important that the people you are working with understand that the Eastern and Oriental churches are separate churches with much deeper differences in traditions and theology from the Roman Church than can be understood in any visit or even an evening of discussions.

At the risk of sounding crass, the way you describe your idea reminds me of an anthropological expedition to view the natives rather than an attempt at serious immersion into the milieu of the East. Church shopping is never a very worthwhile activity in my opinion. I cannot understand what else you would gain by going to a bunch of different Eastern Churches that essentially use the same liturgy with minor difference in praxis.

Might I suggest that maybe a better way to channel your enthusiasm at this point is to discern your own calling. You said you are in a house of discernment, I assume this is to the priesthood or religious life. You might add to your agenda the question of whether you are yourself called to the East. If you are then start attending one of those many churches you have visited and immerse yourself in the liturgy, theology and culture. If you are being called to the East by God then you will know that. Then you can discern whether you might be called into the priesthood in and Eastern Church rather than the Roman Church.

In any case I pray that you are successful in your discernment. Search diligently for the will of God. Keep in mind the Eastern greeting:

Christ is with us! And He will always be!
 
Folks,

I don’t think it’s fair that we are criticizing Jeffgo for wanting to introduce Latin Catholics to the Eastern Catholic Churches. He has said nothing of himself wanting to change his canonical status to become an Eastern Catholic, nor has he mentioned trying to get other Latin Catholics to become Eastern Catholic. He has simply expressed a desire to introduce Latin Catholics - who are largely ignorant that there are other forms of Catholicism besides Latin/Roman Catholicism - to the beauties and riches of the Christian East. This is completely in accord with John Paul II’s Orientale Lumen where he urged all Catholics (and Latins in particular) to become intimately familiar with the liturgies, theologies, spiritualities, and traditions of the East. We must be careful not to read any more into Jeffgo’s intentions, because he has not expressed anything more than this.

Jeffgo, where in the world are you located? I have a hunch that you may be in the Ann Arbor/Detroit area simply because the Maronite community you mentioned sounds an awful lot like a group of Maronite priests I knew who were living in Flint, MI. but were also doing some service in Ann Arbor. If that’s the case, I might be able to help you out a little more.
 
Jeffgo said:
I have visited three Byzantine parishes in the area: one Melkite, one Ruthenian, and one Ukrainian. I have visited the Melkite and Ruthenian parishes more than once, so I have become acquainted with the priests.
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I would pick the Church that has its DL predominantly in English, especially when inviting RCs.
 
I was planning on going to all-English liturgies when possible. It would be a much better way to introduce people to an already-unfamiliar liturgy, and it helps when people are able to not worry about following along in the books and just sit (or stand, if the parish is more traditionally Byzantine) and take it all in.

I’m hoping to get more people involved who are actually Eastern Rite Catholics themselves, especially clergy. I know that folks who actually practice Catholicism according to the Eastern Rites are going to have a perspective that I simply cannot offer (especially since I haven’t experienced the other four Eastern Rites). That being said, I do want to do what I can to get my fellow Latins to better know the East.
 
Jeffgo said:
I’m hoping to get more people involved who are actually Eastern Rite Catholics themselves, especially clergy. I know that folks who actually practice Catholicism according to the Eastern Rites are going to have a perspective that I simply cannot offer (especially since I haven’t experienced the other four Eastern Rites). That being said, I do want to do what I can to get my fellow Latins to better know the East.
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I wonder if you could extend this to ECs as well – to get them to know more about the ECC and its many rites. For example, I know many in the UGCC who are entirely unaware of the Maronites.
 
Jeffgo said:
Hello all,

I have an idea, and I want some (name removed by moderator)ut.

I am thinking of starting a group that is dedicated to introducing Latin Rite Catholics to the Eastern Rites of the Church. In the past, I have organized visits to Byzantine Rite parishes, which my fellow Latin Rite Catholic friends have found very enjoyable. I am actually planning on attending the Lamentations of Good Friday at a nearby Melkite parish.

I want to have these visits occur on a regular basis (monthly, at least), and I want to get the Catholic young adult community in my area involved (I am living in a men’s discernment house, next door to a women’s discernment house, and I am pretty involved in the young adult group in my area, so this shouldn’t be too hard). I was also thinking of supplementing the church visits with theology on tap type events and viewings of videos related to the Eastern Churches.

My question is, has anyone tried anything like this before? What tips or ideas do you have for such a group? What are some ideas for some good events, and how should I go about garnering interest in such a group?

Thanks, and God Bless!
Click to expand...
 
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paglione:
Holy Saturday, April 7, 2012
What you want to do I have been wanting to do for a long time. You may certainly count me in on the group you are forming.
I am a Latin rite Catholic very strongly attracted to the Byzantine Catholic Church and its beautiful Divine Liturgy. As this time I worship 50% in each but slowly drifting toward the Byzantine.
Good luck with your new group. Let me know what is going on.
 
I wish you the best with your endeavors. Remember, you can attend Liturgy/Mass in any Catholic Church that you want. Unfortunately I have a few Ukrainian friends (both in Europe and in the States) that go to the Latin rite frequently because “the Mass is shorter.” Yes it happens and no amount of convincing them how important it is to build up their church because Eastern Catholics are a numerical minority in the Catholic Church really works. I figure that my attendance at the UGCC makes up for their going to the Latin Church, LOL.

Some people are nit-picky about those things (Latins going to the DL must be “discerning” the East), but remember we are in times when Mass attendance is drastically declining, especially among young people, no priest is going to refuse you to come to their Church for Liturgy. Just go where you want and live your Christian life: help the poor, be honest in your work, do your daily duty, love your neighbor etc. That is what Christianity is about not how you make the sign of the cross and what calendar you follow.

I used to be a stickler about certain things (like being bothered by people kneeling at Divine Liturgy or pews in an Eastern Church or women wearing a mantilla to the TLM) but I learned that life is too short to worry about and argue about those kind of things. In the end, who really cares? I mean if you are a lay person it’s really not your place to decide those things anyway, that is the job of the priest.

Also I would say don’t overthink things when planning your program. There will be some purists that will say that you can’t call it the “Eastern Rite” that you need to call it an “Eastern Church.” This is completely true, but let’s face it most Roman Catholics barely know about their own tradition from the poor catechists of the last 40 years, just getting them to accept that a parish that is not Latin is 100 percent Catholic is an accomplishment in itself! I would say start as explaining it as “another Catholic rite” and then as those people who are more interested in studying it will go deeper and learn all of the distinctions between rites and churches, etc.
 
Jeffgo said:
I was planning on going to all-English liturgies when possible. It would be a much better way to introduce people to an already-unfamiliar liturgy, and it helps when people are able to not worry about following along in the books and just sit (or stand, if the parish is more traditionally Byzantine) and take it all in.

I’m hoping to get more people involved who are actually Eastern Rite Catholics themselves, especially clergy. I know that folks who actually practice Catholicism according to the Eastern Rites are going to have a perspective that I simply cannot offer (especially since I haven’t experienced the other four Eastern Rites). That being said, I do want to do what I can to get my fellow Latins to better know the East.
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April 9,2012
Jeffgo,
What would be extremely helpful would be for the Latin rite clergy to speak from the pulpit or in the Catholic press about other Catholic traditions, other Catholic rites of which Latins know so little. Recently, one of our faithful asked me “Who is The Theotokos?”, apparently never heard the Greek term for the Holy Mother of God. Also another thing which might be helpful would be if R.C. pastors would, perhaps once or twice a year invite a bi-ritual priest to preside over an Eastern Rite liturgy so that the Latins may see Holy Mass and receive Holy Communion in a different tradtion. Any of these things would be so helpful to BROADEN THE VIEWPOINT of so many narrow viewing Roman Catholics.
paglione, a Latin Catholic strongly oriented toward Byzantine Greek Catholic Ruthenian.
Christ is Risen! He is Indeed Risen!
 
Tradycja said:
Some people are nit-picky about those things (Latins going to the DL must be “discerning” the East)
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I knew a deacon like this – he also seemed unable to mention the RC without denigrating it (for him, it wasn’t East and West, or even East or West, it was East vs West). His example was enough for me to stay away from that particular church.
 
Jeffgo said:
Hello all,

I have an idea, and I want some (name removed by moderator)ut.

I am thinking of starting a group that is dedicated to introducing Latin Rite Catholics to the Eastern Rites of the Church. In the past, I have organized visits to Byzantine Rite parishes, which my fellow Latin Rite Catholic friends have found very enjoyable. I am actually planning on attending the Lamentations of Good Friday at a nearby Melkite parish.

I want to have these visits occur on a regular basis (monthly, at least), and I want to get the Catholic young adult community in my area involved (I am living in a men’s discernment house, next door to a women’s discernment house, and I am pretty involved in the young adult group in my area, so this shouldn’t be too hard). I was also thinking of supplementing the church visits with theology on tap type events and viewings of videos related to the Eastern Churches.

My question is, has anyone tried anything like this before? What tips or ideas do you have for such a group? What are some ideas for some good events, and how should I go about garnering interest in such a group?

Thanks, and God Bless!
Click to expand...
Hi, I’m RC, and I attend EC Mass in conjunction with RC Mass.
  1. EC is hard, it’s deep, it’s complex. There’s transliteration issues. There’s theological differences. There’s a major difference in the liturgy. Traditions are different.
  2. Absolutists are within the ECC and RCC. If you are not careful you’ll end up with a fight. Or at best, ridicule and insults. First, it can be hard for an EC to explain things to an RC and hard for an RC to understand it.
  3. Let those who wish to attend do so freely. Set up a method that removes all peer pressure or desire to attend with a group. I’ve only seen negativity when a person attends to be part of a group but is not interested in coming.
  4. Establish ground rules or a friendly reminder of etiquette. Listen, ask, but don’t explain how we are different.
  5. Many ECC Priests in the US are trained in the RC seminary. Most ECC’s have been using the new translation that the RCC’s learned just last year, for a long time. Connect here, with a priest who explains he attend RCC. Let the priest point out the common areas.
  6. Avoid deep theology! It’s too much too fast.
  7. Keep the groups small! And start with mass. Put them into mass mode right away. No thinking. Be sure to go over the mass books as they are not perfect translations (sometimes there 's stuff not in the books). It needs to be easy to follow.
  8. Afterwards, keep the discussion brief. I recommend doing it the RCIA way, have one EC who is open and accepting, probably an RC, work with a person one on one. This avoids gang/group issues and keeps the absolutists views from dominating the event when they manifest.
  9. Identify a goal. Determine how you will assess you reached the goal. Determine the steps necessary for a person to express each assessment.
Just because you love it, doesn’t mean someone else will. We all have different needs and levels and ways we express our faith and learn our faith.
 
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