'We Are Called To Belong'
Catholics from across our 12 counties will enjoy a great opportunity to learn about building unity – in diversity – during a multicultural workshop on welcoming a diverse community.
The Diocese of Evansville Office of Hispanic Ministry will host “Best Practices for Shared Parishes” on April 29 in English and April 30 in Spanish. Alejandro Aguilera-Titus, Assistant Director of Hispanic Affairs for the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, will lead the workshops. They run from 9 a.m. Central Time to 2:30 p.m. Central Time each day, with Mass celebrated at 8 a.m. for those who wish to attend.
“We are called to belong,” Aguilera-Titus said recently. “This workshop is founded in the work of pastors from around the country who have built ecclesial integration very well. It presents an ecclesial Catholic understanding of cultural diversity.”
Make no mistake – the Church in the U.S. continues to exhibit dynamic diversity, and that undoubtedly will continue. “In 2000, 22 percent of parishes in the U.S. were shared communities,” Aguilera-Titus said. “In 2010, it was 33 percent; and this year, it is 38 percent.”
A “shared” parish is a community with multiple cultures represented. Some may be Latino, others African; others Asian; and others Anglo. “We know that there are three thresholds involved in the process of developing cultural integration,” Aguilera-Titus explained. “First there is welcoming, or hospitality. Next is developing a sense of belonging; finally is ownership.”
He said that the nature of developing that integration involves learning and growing on the part of everyone in the parish – not just its pastor and leadership.
“This workshop provides a step in the processes of understanding the issue of diversity and learning inter-cultural competency,” Aguilera-Titus said. “Nobody is born with this competency,” he added. “We all need to attain it; it involves learning skills and developing attitudes ... gaining knowledge. It involves building relationships, and that is a developmental process … a very human process.”
Aguilera-Titus talked about his own parish in the greater Washington, D.C., area, which is a shared community of at least four different cultures. “We have Latino members, African American members, French members who hail mostly from North Africa, and Anglo members,” he said. “There are several times through the liturgical year that we call come together for celebrations – during the (Easter) Triduum, at Pentecost and Thanksgiving … also on Ash Wednesday.
“These involve multicultural Masses and services that are trilingual,” he noted. “Whenever we all come together like this, we are celebrating the mysteries of our faith. Our Catholic faith is unique in that we have the Mass – the Eucharist as the Source and Summit of our faith. It is the same regardless of the language you are praying in.
“The foundation of faith calls us to solidarity with one another,” Aguilera-Titus added. “That solidarity involves elements of race, cultural, social issues and economic issues. As a result, it sometimes can be difficult to relate to people based on any of those elements. But we must look at who we are called to be.”
He said his goal in leading the workshop is to help people see the processes involved, and to begin learning about the tools they can use to be effective in developing intercultural competency. “The only source of true unity is the Holy Spirit,” he said. “We will talk about that, and we also will discuss the example of St. Paul.
“He was one of the earliest examples of someone who had developed this competency. He was able to talk to Jews and Gentiles … and pagans … and help them understand the message of God.”
Registration for the seminar is $20 per person or $80 for five people from the same parish or organization. Registration includes a copy of the book “Best Practices for Shared Parishes,” workshop materials and lunch.
