cultural diversity

The care of immigrants and refugees is one of the activities that runs like a golden thread throughout the history of the collective concerns of the United States Catholic bishops. Today one third of the refugees coming to this country are re-settled under Catholic auspices, many of them Catholics themselves. In addition, approximately 43% of the immigrants legally admitted are members of our Catholic family of faith.  Care for aliens and newcomers, whether legal or not, is a fundamental requirement of our faith as demonstrated in the Old Testament, in the teachings of Christ himself and in the Church’s social teaching. Justice for immigrants, moreover, is an essential component of a culture of life, an ethical demand in defense of human life, especially when it is on the margin.

In advocating on behalf of migrants and refugees the U.S. bishops are supported by the Pontifical Council for Migrants, Refugees and Itinerant Peoples in Rome, an important vehicle by which the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI keeps the human reality of migration and the Church’s concern for these human beings before our eyes.

The work of Migrant Refugee Services (MRS) and of Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) is outstanding in addressing many needs, especially the need for advocacy and sound legal advice that helps refugees and immigrants maneuver the complications of our country’s current broken legal immigration system. The Subcommittee on the Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees and Travelers (PCMRT) advises the Committee on Cultural Diversity specifically about the pastoral realities in which refugees and migrants find themselves.

A network of national advisors representing more than fifty diverse cultures and ethnicities keeps the bishops informed about the needs, challenges and opportunities faced by these brothers and sisters. Several bishops serve as Episcopal Liaisons between particular groups and the Bishops’ Conference, groups such as migrant farm workers, recently arrived immigrants, or maritime workers who find themselves in U.S. ports. The Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church currently chaired by Archbishop José H. Gómez of San Antonio seeks to bring all God’s people to the table of the Lord.  

National Migration Week provides a special time to raise awareness about the reality of human mobility, the challenges and many blessings that it brings for our society and the Church. Hospitality is the hallmark of a Church that professes to follow Christ. Generosity and care for strangers is a real sign of our fidelity to the call received from God to love our neighbor in an inclusive way that opens rather than shuts doors.

Sincerely yours in the Lord,

Reverend Allan Figueroa Deck, SJ, Ph.D., STD
Executive Director

 

Las PosadasProject

 

Catholic culture around the world is rich with a diversity of traditions and liturgical celebrations. One celebration that has grown increasingly popular in Mexico and, in more recent years, the United States is Las Posadas.  The celebration takes plan in the nine days leading to up to Christmas and reenacts the journey of Joseph and Mary as they try to find shelter in la posada, or inn, prior to the birth of Jesus.  Each of the nine days typically has a theme that acts as a point of reflection for those participating in the event.  As the community acts out this journey, often times with children dressed up as Mary and Joseph, their failure to find shelter is highlighted.  Going from one house to another, they are repeatedly turned away and sent back to the street.  At long last, they find shelter in a welcoming home.  Once shelter is found, their sense of rejection is replaced with one of celebration.  Songs, food and games follow their acceptance into a home.  One of the typical games that played to commemorate their faith is the piñata. 

Often times a game played at birthday parties by young children in the United States, the piñata presents important religious imagery that reinforces the narrative of the Catholic faith.  The piñata represents the devil and the sin in our life, which we need to destroy.  The stick signifies the power of God that assists us in this effort.  The blindfold and dizzying spins represent how difficult it is to leave sin behind, as we try to break the piñata with a stick, effectively blind.  Finally, the candies that burst forth from the piñata once it is broken represent the graces and rewards of heaven.   

For examples of the kind of music that can be used during Las Posadas celebrations, please see below

     l    Sheet Music

 

Sample Las Posadas Prayer Service

For a sample Las Posadas prayer service, please click here.

Another useful resource can be found at the www.posadas-project.com. The Posadas Project is a national project that promotes the celebration of the Advent procession Las Posadas, and that supports the goals of the Justice for Immigrants Campaign. For more information download Posadas Project Invitation at Advent

 

 Publications

If you are interested in learning more about Las Posadas and other aspects of Hispanic popular religion, please see the following resources:

Brankin, Patrick. Bilingual Ritual of Hispanic Popular Catholicism. New Hope, KY: New Hope Publications, 2002

Davis, Kenneth. Misa, Mesa, y Musa: Liturgy in the U.S. Hispanic Church, vol. 2. Franklin Park, IL: World Library Publications, 2008

Flores, H. and F. Trujillo. Novena de Navidad. Mexico, Paulinas Press
Hermes, Kathryn and Marlyn Monge

Las Posadas: A Bilingual Celebration for Christmas. Boston, MA: Pauline Books and Media, 2002

Saravia, Javier. Popular Religiosity: Foreign in its Own Country. Sr. Rosa Maria Icaza, trans. (San Antonio, TX: Mexican American Cultural Center, 2008