Unity in Diversity

A Pastor and the Sacraments

Leadership

Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy

Unity in Diversity Churches have tremendous opportunities to be the first to welcome strangers. Of course, with each opportunity there is also a challenge. Sometimes the focus is on the challenge to the expense of the opportunity— • What if we don’t understand their language? [a smile works wonders] • How will our parishioners react? [mustn’t underestimate people or think for them] • Will this overburden the parish budget? [it could require re-prioritizing] • Will we need to make changes in our liturgy? [change is good if done well and to good purpose] LITURGY AND CATECHESIS A multicultural celebration involving members of a growing ethnicity or cultural group in your parish area will be welcoming and promote unity within the parish. Be sure to involve members of the new group and to keep the liturgy simple. In today’s parishes, not everyone will have a shared context—a form of liturgy familiar to some may seem almost foreign to others. When experimenting with change in the liturgy, instructions must be clear and straightforward. Part of the liturgy will be experiential, expressed by feeling and movement, and will not require explanation. It just takes care to provide a balance. Seeing a cultural group respond differently to God’s word may decrease the comfort level for some at first. There is a need to recognize that God is open to all forms of worship. There is value in new and different perspectives as well as old, familiar ones. PLANNING AHEAD Encourage study and discussion sessions. • Perhaps a parishioner could lead an introductory language/culture series. • Share positive experiences in interacting with people of different ethnic or cultural groups. • Discuss attitudes, behaviors, and activities that might encourage a spirit of unity. • Analyze those attitudes, behaviors and activities that hinder a sense of unity, creating tension. • Invite members of other cultures to share their stories at small group gatherings. • Share Scripture stories from different perspectives. Additional Materials Books Compendium: Catechism of the Catholic Church The Compendium is a perfect companion to the Bible, spiritual reading, or textbook. It has a four-part structure following the Catechism of the Catholic Church, with a section on common prayers and Catholic doctrinal formulas. It is in a question-and-answer format. Call RCL Benziger at 1-877-ASK-4-RCL (1-877-275-4725). ORDER NUMBER: 1-57455-720-3 English Compendio: Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica ORDER NUMBER: 1-57455-920-6 Spanish Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: A Resource for Parishes Available from the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops at 1-800-235-8722 or www.usccb.org. ORDER NUMBER: #5-407 Many Faces in God's House: A Catholic Vision for the Third Millennium Available from the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops at 1-800-235-8722 or www.usccb.org. ORDER NUMBER: #5-421 The Bush Was Blazing but Not Consumed: Developing a Multicultural Community through Dialogue and Liturgy by Eric H.F. Law Available through St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1996 The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb: A Spirituality for Leadership in a Multicultural Community by Eric H.F. Law Available through St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1993