The future of Eastern Catholicism in the US?

[smad0142]

Great point Constantine. Latinizations are now traditional for many parishes. Thats why I don’t fight them too hard; I’ve heard the horror stories from the TLM to Novus Ordo transition.

 

[Seamus_L]

There are resources out there that Eastern Catholics could make use of. For the price of postage or even through e-mail you could stay on top of your former parishoners who are still in the area and remind them the church is there to meet their spiritual needs. You could regularly invite them for Easter, Christmas, Church celebrations etc, and if the church once had a school, reunions are always good for at least getting people come back for a visit.

 

[bkovacs]

Denver is where I wasn’t even allowed in the door . Maybe you should try the Ruthenian church in town…it’s all in English, and Fr Michael is a great priest.

I attend a local UGCC in Bethlahem PA, and the priest is very welcome to non-Ukrainian people. I also frequent a local Antiochian Orthodox Church, where the majority is ex-protestant converts, so no ethnic problems there. If I were in Denver I would have the Most Reverend Bishop Richard Stephen Seminack pay them a visit and inform them that they are Catholic first and Ukrainian second. And if they keep on shunning non-Ukrainians than there parish would be quickly dissolved. Both Orthodox and Eastern Catholics are trying their hardest to do away with all this ethnic stereotyping. And to put the faith first and foremost at the top. “Neither Greek nor Jew”.

 

[a_priori]

The problem is a paradox. Do you “un-ethnicize” a parish at the risk of alienating the current parishioners and hoping more parishioners come in the future? Or do you hope for people of different ethnicity to first come into the parish and wait for a critical mass wherein the non-ethnic members outnumber the ethnic members therefore shedding the ethnicity of the parish becomes a necessity?

This is very well stated. It is a problem. I was Orthodox for 12 years and had to leave. My parish was so ethnic that it damaged my multicultural kids. If I had known sooner I never would have subjected them to it. I would have become Catholic straight out of evangelicalism. I believe more strongly in Orthodox hermeneutics, yet I have to be able to feel a sense of community and speak English. My son is starting college in the fall. I fear I’ve damaged him and turned him off to the Faith because of what he endured in the ethnic ghetto.

They have to play to their ethnic base. I understand that now. Wish I knew then what I know now. The old line Greeks would rather see the parish shrink than change.

 

[ciero]

I attend a local UGCC in Bethlahem PA, and the priest is very welcome to non-Ukrainian people. I also frequent a local Antiochian Orthodox Church, where the majority is ex-protestant converts, so no ethnic problems there. If I were in Denver I would have the Most Reverend Bishop Richard Stephen Seminack pay them a visit and inform them that they are Catholic first and Ukrainian second. And if they keep on shunning non-Ukrainians than there parish would be quickly dissolved. Both Orthodox and Eastern Catholics are trying their hardest to do away with all this ethnic stereotyping. And to put the faith first and foremost at the top. “Neither Greek nor Jew”.

Kyr Richard is very aware of the behavior of the Denver parish as well as a number of others…he told me it was a toss up Denver or San Francisco for the most un welcoming parish in his eparchy.

 

[Kielbasi]

Kyr Richard is very aware of the behavior of the Denver parish as well as a number of others…he told me it was a toss up Denver or San Francisco for the most un welcoming parish in his eparchy.

Is Pittsburgh considered to be welcoming or not?

I’m not a Ukrainian, but they’ve been certainly welcoming enough to me on the Southside when I’ve stopped by there.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Great point Constantine. Latinizations are now traditional for many parishes. Thats why I don’t fight them too hard; I’ve heard the horror stories from the TLM to Novus Ordo transition.

I don’t think the Bishops are doing away with Latinization in a snap. They understand it needs to be gradually phased out. But there are certain things they want implemented. But people are resistant to change.

In the parishes here in our area, I see the people are very warm and welcoming. But that is not enough to get other people into the parishes. Most people will find the ethnic character of the parishes to be overwhelming. There are few like you and me who will say it doesn’t matter and go there no matter what. But that is not the best way to grow a parish. People like us are few and far in between.

 

[smad0142]

Ciero,

They smile when they see me and say hello. Definitely a step above what you experienced. Is it too much to want english? Heck what they really need is Spanish. There is an all-Spanish evangelical church literally down the street. The Ukrainian is not helping. The next time you have the Bishop’s ear, tell him I would be an American vocation, a young one at that, if I knew that the people would accept me and I could evangelize Spanish and English speakers. Not even joking.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Ciero,

They smile when they see me and say hello. Definitely a step above what you experienced. Is it too much to want english? Heck what they really need is Spanish. There is an all-Spanish evangelical church literally down the street. The Ukrainian is not helping. The next time you have the Bishop’s ear, tell him I would be an American vocation, a young one at that, if I knew that the people would accept me and I could evangelize Spanish and English speakers. Not even joking.

Come to my Eparchy, our Bishop is extremely approachable

 

[Alexander_Roman]

I don’t think the Bishops are doing away with Latinization in a snap. They understand it needs to be gradually phased out. But there are certain things they want implemented. But people are resistant to change.

In the parishes here in our area, I see the people are very warm and welcoming. But that is not enough to get other people into the parishes. Most people will find the ethnic character of the parishes to be overwhelming. There are few like you and me who will say it doesn’t matter and go there no matter what. But that is not the best way to grow a parish. People like us are few and far in between.

Just a note to say that there are Latinizations in Orthodox parishes that they will NEVER get rid of, but they do place within an Eastern liturgical framework.

The Orthodox aren’t bothered about them, I don’t understand why EC’s should be. Many of them are private practices, such as the rosary/rule of the Mother of God, the Way of the Cross and the “Passia.”

The Passia are very popular in Russia now and they serve them on the first four Fridays of the Great Fast.

Alex

 

[ciero]

Just a note to say that there are Latinizations in Orthodox parishes that they will NEVER get rid of, but they do place within an Eastern liturgical framework.

The Orthodox aren’t bothered about them, I don’t understand why EC’s should be. Many of them are private practices, such as the rosary/rule of the Mother of God, the Way of the Cross and the “Passia.”

The Passia are very popular in Russia now and they serve them on the first four Fridays of the Great Fast.

Alex

As my sainted mother used to say…if the Orthodox were all jumping off a bridge…would you do the same?

Just because SOME Orthodox have embraced certain Latinizations dosen’t make it right.

 

[hazcompat]

Is Pittsburgh considered to be welcoming or not?

I’m not a Ukrainian, but they’ve been certainly welcoming enough to me on the Southside when I’ve stopped by there.

Where on the southside?

peace

 

[Seamus_L]

I could see some OICWR types jumping off a bridge if the Orthodox did it. They’d just shout out that they were in communion with the Bishop of Rome as they jumped.

 

[ciero]

I could see some OICWR types jumping off a bridge if the Orthodox did it. They’d just shout out that they were in communion with the Bishop of Rome as they jumped.

I doubt they would if it was a Latinization!

 

[ConstantineTG]

As my sainted mother used to say…if the Orthodox were all jumping off a bridge…would you do the same?

Just because SOME Orthodox have embraced certain Latinizations dosen’t make it right.

If we’re copying Latinizations from the Orthodox, then they are not Latinizations anymore. We’re as Orthodox as they are

 

[Alexander_Roman]

As my sainted mother used to say…if the Orthodox were all jumping off a bridge…would you do the same?

Just because SOME Orthodox have embraced certain Latinizations dosen’t make it right.

Actually, I think you just might go with the Orthodox! Hopefully not off a bridge. But they don’t call them “Latinizations” - they usually refer to them as "Eastern practices that arose in the East centuries before they became popular in the West: e,g. the “Rule of the Theotokos” otherwise known as the “Rosary.”

Alex