![[home]](/mrs/images/usccb_logo.gif){kind=logo}
- Chinese Catholics in the United States
- Vietnamese Religious Leaders’ Workshop
- Korean Sisters Meeting
- African Sisters First National Conference
- New Publication on Airport Ministry
- CMFN: Coming Soon to an Internet Web Site Near You
- Ethnic Diversity among 1997 Class of Priests
- Asian Bishops’ Office to Study Asian Way of Knowing God
- World Council of Churches Declares Ecumenical Year
- Announcements
- 1997 World Population
- Projected U.S. Population
- Latest Information on Foreign-born Population
- Immigrant Children Not Swelling U.S. Welfare Roles
- FY 1997 Worldwide Refugee Admissions Ceilings
- Updates on the Budget and the Supplemental Appropriations Bills
- Immigration and Nationality Act: Section 245(i)
- Workshops
- Resources
- Masthead
There are more than two million Chinese in the United States. This number increases very quickly each year. Previously, most of the Chinese immigrants came from Taiwan or Hong Kong. Now, most of the immigrants come from China, especially from Fujian Province. A large number of these are Catholics fleeing China’s forced sterilization and one-child policies.
There are approximately ninety-seven Chinese priests in the United States, thirty seminarians, seventy-seven sisters, three permanent deacons, and twelve retired clergy from China. Although the Catholic population of Chinese in this country is listed at 60,000, it is believed the true figure is 120,000 or more because Chinese Catholics normally do not register in parishes.
Chinese Catholics who arrive here often do not understand the administrative practices of American parishes. People do not have to register in parishes in China. As a result, the Chinese often fail to register here. Therefore, when it comes time for a Chinese person to arrange for a marriage or baptism, American parishes often refuse to administer the sacraments to those who are not registered in the parish. Consequently, some Chinese seek out other Christian churches.
Also, because of years of persecution and turmoil in China, baptismal records cannot be attained. Because of these circumstances, any Chinese person who professes to be a baptized Catholic should be believed. U.S. parishes serving Chinese usually use Cantonese, Mandarin, and increasingly Fujian in their liturgies. It is also advisable to provide the liturgy in English, particularly for the benefit of Chinese youth who adjust quickly to American society.
Many seminarians from China come to the United States to prepare for the priesthood. They have special needs and problems. Most do not know English well and need special assistance with English as a second language. They also suffer from culture shock especially because of the pervasive materialism of American society and the tremendous freedom available to people. American attitudes are radically different from those of Chinese persons. Another difficulty Chinese seminarians experience here is western spirituality. It is quite unlike Chinese spirituality, making it difficult for a seminarian to find a suitable spiritual director. This can retard his spiritual growth and can further isolate him. Seminarians from China, like American seminarians, want to do pastoral work, but often U.S. Chinese Catholics do not trust a seminarian’s orthodoxy if he is affiliated with the government-sponsored Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association. The situation of Catholic seminarians in China is problematic at best. Seminarians there need basic theology and philosophy text books. To meet this need, many U.S. Catholic seminaries and parishes have been generous in donating such materials, and have assisted Chinese seminaries with on-going financial support.
The conflict between the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and the so-called “underground” Church in China is very painful for everyone. Within China, people seem to understand the need for reconciliation. Outside China, people should pray and encourage this reconciliation and leave the process for the Vatican and the Chinese people to settle.
There are many religious books, tapes and videos available in Chinese which may be obtained from the
Further materials and information may be obtained from
This year, the workshop for Vietnamese religious leaders took place at the Good Shepherd Provincialate in St. Louis, Missouri, April 1-6. Fifteen participants from the following religious institutes attended: Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Dominican Sisters, Lovers of the Holy Cross (Los Angeles), Lovers of the Holy Cross (Oakland), Sisters of Our Lady of the Rosary (New Orleans), and Sisters of Mary Queen (Springfield, MO).
Sisters shared with one another the formation programs of their institutes, the different methods used to recruit new vocations, and their experiences in being involved in formation work. Sister Marie Chin, RSM, the principal speaker, presented several models of religious life in the United States, each with its own vision and values: the solidarity model, the modern model, and the classical model. Sister Marie also presented an in-depth treatment of the three basic elements of formation programs—the ecclesial, the therapeutic, and the prophetic. The Sisters were unanimous in their appreciation of the workshop program, expressing sincere gratitude especially to Sister Marie for her helpful presentation. The 1998 workshop will be hosted by the Holy Rosary Sisters in New Orleans during Easter Week.
Submitted by Sister Marguerite Tran, CMR
The fourth Korean sisters meeting was held from May 12 to May 14 in Seattle, Washington. Forty-seven Korean sisters from fourteen religious congregations gathered to learn more about the United States—its culture, and language—and about collaboration with American religious.
Most Korean sisters came to the United States from Korean religious congregations to work with their people in Korean-American parishes. One religious community of Korean religious, the Little Sisters of the Holy Family, was founded in this country—in the Diocese of Washington—to help Korean immigrants.
Major speakers were Sister Lorraine Masters, OLVM, who delivered a paper on “Orientation to American Life, Culture, and Mission,” and Sister Joyce Cox, BVM, who gave a presentation on “Religious Life in America.” Following their meeting, the sisters engaged in an eight-day retreat under the direction of Bishop Ignatius Pak, from the Diocese of Andong, Korea.
The next meeting of the Korean sisters will be held in Washington, D.C. in April 1998. The Little Sisters of the Holy Family will coordinate the meeting.
Submitted by Sister Justina Yang, LSHF
The Office for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees (PCMR) sponsored the first national conference for African sisters engaged in pastoral ministries in the United States. The meeting took place in Bensalem, Pennsylvania May 23-26. Fifty-four sisters from eleven communities participated. Sister Judith Ward, SND opened the conference with a general orientation to American society, and a talk on history of the United States, followed by Ms. Lucille Foreman who spoke about African American history. Sisters Elizabeth Harris, HVM, Helen Scarry, RJM, and Barbara Winnals, SSJ took part in a panel discussion on issues relating to women religious and pastoral ministries in the United States. Basic topics included canon law, personnel management, relationship to Vicar for Religious, and finances. The Sunday program included Mass at Saint Charles Borromeo Parish followed by lunch with parishioners, and a visit to Blessed Katherine Drexel Shrine.
The sisters expressed appreciation to PCMR for initiating such a forum. They decided to organize regional gatherings annually, and chose a core group from each region to coordinate the meetings. The sisters requested that PCMR help them facilitate formation of a core group of national coordinators.
The National Catholic Conference of Airport Chaplains (NCCAC) recently developed a new “how-to” manual, Ministry of the Moment: A Manual for Developing an Airport Chaplaincy Program. The book was approved by the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Migration and published by the United States Catholic Conference. The manual is designed for use by bishops, and airport chaplains who may wish to start an airport chaplaincy program. It contains background information on the Church’s airport ministry, the role of the airport chaplain, issues to be considered before starting a program, and helpful information for beginning a chaplaincy program. Cost: $5.95.
To order this USCC publication or to obtain a catalog of USCC titles, call toll-free 1-800-235-8722; outside the United States or in the Washington, D.C. area, call (202) 722-8716. Or, click on the publication title to go to the USCC Publishing & Promotion Services’ web page.
The Catholic Migrant Farmworker Network (CMFN) was awarded a $25,000 grant by the Catholic Communications Campaign to establish and maintain the “I Work the Land” Internet web site. JM Communications of Houston, Texas is currently engaged in research, interviewing, and building the web site and will also provide training so staff can continue updating information. Current plans are to organize the CMFN’s site according to issues that focus on the Catholic Church’s commitment to migrant farmworkers. These same topics—spirituality, education, health care, pesticides, labor, and legislative issues—will be of interest to diocesan pastoral leaders and organizations serving agricultural workers.
The dream of establishing the CMFN web site was a key recommendation of the 1995 National Consultation on Migrant Farmworker Ministry in Techny, Illinois. The Lilly Endowment, Inc., which funded the meeting, continues to support the establishment of the web site. The communication linkage provided by this technology to CMFN membership and others will aid in disseminating vital information quickly on the pastoral and social needs of U.S. migrant farmworkers. CMFN announced on June 15 the launching of its web site; the address is www.cmfn.org.
A significant number of ethnically diverse men are among the 500 candidates ordained to the priesthood this year. The incoming group of priests includes Hispanics, Asians, African Americans, and Anglos, reflecting the racial and ethnic diversity of the U.S. Catholic Church in the 1990s. Most of the men are native-born Americans but several were born in Mexico, Poland, Korea, China, the Philippines, and Lebanon. According to statistics from the Vatican, the number of ordinations worldwide is up; in the United States the number has remained steady for several years.
U.S. priests currently number more than 49,000. About 32,400 have been ordained for dioceses and 16,600 for religious orders. There are also more than 89,000 women religious, 6,300 religious brothers, and 11,500 permanent deacons in service to the Church. The Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) reported that 3,292 U.S. seminarians were in theology or pre-theology programs in 1996-97, up from 3,172 the previous year. At least 2,183 men were preparing to become permanent deacons and more than 20,000 Catholics, of which two-thirds were women, were enrolled in lay ministry programs. The information is published in the first edition of the CARA Catholic Ministry Directory.
Sources: Catholic News Service, April 21 and May 29.
The newly formed Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences Office of Theological Concerns plans to publish in 1999 a document tentatively titled “Asian Methodology in Theology” using a “bottom-up” approach of studying the experience of faith in people’s lives.
The federation is composed of five bishops and thirteen priest-theologians from twelve Asian countries. According to Jesuit Father John Locke, executive secretary, “The Asian approach is inclusive rather than exclusive. It says, ‘If this is true, (that) could also be true.’ The Asian approach to life is holistic.”
Source: Catholic News Service, May 29.
The following report was delivered by Rev. Joseph Chiang, director, National Pastoral Center for Chinese Apostolate, at the December 1996 Conference on China sponsored by the NCCB Committees on Migration and International Policy. Rev. Jerry Orsino, OMI prepared the report from a video of the presentation.
Catholic Center
16/F Grand Building
15-18 Connaught Road, Central
Hong KongRev. Joseph Chiang
Chinese Apostolate
Our Lady of Visitation Parish
234 Fairview Avenue
Paramus, NJ 07652
Tel: 201-261-6080
Fax: 201-634-0801
Way of Knowing God
| ANNOUNCEMENTS |
PCMR is pleased to announce the appointment of Sister Charlotte Hobelman, a Sister of Notre Dame of Cleveland, Ohio, to serve as interim director of the Migrant Farmworkers Ministry as well as coordinator of pastoral agents who minister with circus and carnival workers. Before assuming her new duties, Sister Charlotte was program director of Hogar Hispano, an agency of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Arlington, and staff assistant in the Secretariat for Hispanic Affairs. She has a master’s degree in Social Work from The Catholic University of America.
The Diocese of Green Bay is seeking applicants for a full-time, permanent position as Hmong/Lao Pastoral Care Coordinator. Any interested party may send a letter of interest and resume to Barbara B. Biebel, director of Refugee, Migration and Hispanic Services, P.O. Box 23825, Green Bay, WI 54305-3825, fax (414) 437-0694. Applications should be submitted by June 30.
Professor Michael W. Foley of the Life Cycle Institute, Catholic University of America, just completed a 34-page report titled, Welcoming the Stranger: The Catholic Church and the New Immigrants, a survey of nine U.S. dioceses to study the Church’s welcoming of “newer” immigrant groups from Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. The following dioceses were involved: Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Oakland, and Philadelphia. If anyone wishes to obtain a copy, call PCMR at (202) 541-3231, or fax (202) 541-3351.
Congratulations to Rev. John A. Jamnicky, Catholic chaplain at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Father Jamnicky has served as chaplain at O’Hare Airport for the past fifteen years.
| FYI: DEMOGRAPHICS |
Source: 1997 World Population Data Sheet (Population Reference Bureau) and Monday, May 1997 (National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA).
Source: Demographic State of the Nation: 1997, March 1997, Bureau of the Census.
Source: Current Population Reports: “The Foreign-Born Population: 1996,” March 1997 (Bureau of the
Census).
| Former Soviet Union | 48,000 | |
| Eastern European | 18,000 | |
| East Asia | 10,000 | |
| Africa | 7,000 | |
| Latin America | 4,000 | |
| Mid.East/South Asia | 4,000 | |
| Unallocated Funded Reserve | 5,000 | |
| TOTAL | 78,000 | |
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.
| FYI: LEGISLATION |
THE BUDGET
The Agreement was the start of the budget process. The House and Senate Budget Committees then used the Budget Agreement to develop a set of spending, taxing and deficit goals known as a Budget Resolution. The Budget Resolution is a blueprint for the various committees. Specifically, it provides instructions for the committees on spending limitations and the revenue collection.
The House and Senate each passed separate versions of the Budget Resolution before the Memorial Day recess. The immigrant provisions in the Budget Agreement were included in both the House and Senate versions of the Budget Resolution. Additionally, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) sponsored a “Sense of the Senate” amendment that expressed the Senate’s desire that the Senate Finance Committee permit SSI recipients, who earlier established their SSI eligibility because they are aged, to continue to receive SSI for six additional months as they go through a process to determine if they would be eligible based on disability if disability eligibility is restored. The Budget Resolutions will next go to the Budget Conference Committee to resolve the differences between the House and Senate versions.
After the conference report of the Budget Resolution has been agreed to by both the House and the Senate, various authorizing committees of Congress will draft legislative language which will be known as the Budget Reconciliation Bill. During this process, the proposed immigrant “remedies” in the Budget Agreement could be significantly changed or weakened. The authorizing committees in the House and the Senate are required to complete action on legislative language for the Budget Reconciliation Bill by June 12th. Once this legislation has passed both the House and Senate and any differences have been resolved, the resulting Budget Reconciliation Bill will be presented to the President for his consideration.
THE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS BILLS
We will keep you updated on the progress of the Supplemental Appropriations Bill, the Budget Resolution and the Budget Reconciliation legislation. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to Contact Abby Price, (202) 541-3231, Cyndi Phillips (202) 541-3235 or Tammi Sharpe (202) 541-3354 at the USCC’s Migration and Refugee Policy Unit.
May 30, 1997
Source: United States Catholic Conference, Migration and Refugee Services National Office, 3211 Fourth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20017-1194.
___________________
1"Qualified alien” is defined in the personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 to include lawful permanent residents, refugees, asylees, persons paroled into the country for at least one year, persons granted withholding of deportation, and certain battered women and children.
the Supplemental Appropriations Bills
The Budget Agreement has been reached and the process of implementing it has begun. On May 16, 1997, the Administration and Congressional Leadership finalized negotiations on a five-year balanced Budget Agreement. According to the Agreement, eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid would be restored to some noncitizens.
Amendments to temporarily continue noncitizens’ SSI benefits have passed the House and Senate. On May 15, 1997, the House adopted an amendment sponsored by Representatives Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Meek (D-FL), Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Kennedy (D-RI) and Shaw (R-FL). The amendment would temporarily continue SSI payments to current noncitizen SSI recipients through the end of September 1997. The language of the House amendment is identical to the amendment offered by Senator D’Amato (R-NY), which was adopted in the Senate on May 7, 1997. Both amendments were attached to their respective chambers’ Supplemental Appropriations Bills for Fiscal 1997. Both bills passed and are being reconciled in conference, but Congress failed to reach an agreement on them before the Memorial Day recess. Negotiations will continue when Congress returns to Washington, DC during the week of June 2, 1997.
| WORKSHOPS |
Twenty-fifth Anniversary Mexican American Cultural Center Workshops
| July 7-11 | “Building a Development Program with the Hispanic Community” |
| July 7-11 | “Scripture from the Perspective of the Poor” |
| July 14-25 | “Spiritual Companioning” |
| Sept. 12-14 | “Recognizing the Voice of Jesus among His People” |
| Oct. 6-10 | “Building a Development Program with the Hispanic Community” |
| Oct. 17-19 | “Social Teachings of the Church” |
| Nov. 14-16 | “Celebration of the Christmas Cycle with Hispanic Expressions” |
| Dec. 11-13 | “Mary, Mother of the New Evangelization: Evangelizer for the Americas” |
Costs range from $55 to $300. For more information, call 210-732-2156 x 102, or write to Mexican American Cultural Center, 3019 West French Place, P.O. Box 28185, San Antonio, TX 78228.
Preparing for Cross-Cultural Ministry: Upcoming Cross-Cultural Training Services Workshops:
September 23-October 22, 1997 in Chicago, IL
January 6-February 4, 1998 in San Antonio, TX
For more information contact: Cross-Cultural Training Services, P.O. Box 305, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0305, (914) 941-7590.
Ten-day Re-entry Workshop sponsored by the Federation of Returned Overseas Missioners (FROM) — for missioners and volunteers completing cross-cultural assignments: September 9-19 in Chicago, IL.
For more information contact: Maureen Rosemary Connors, 5366 Magnolia Trail, Pinellas Park, FL 33782-2729, (813) 546-1921, fax: (813) 544-2757.
| RESOURCES |
PCMR has recently published the following Resources Briefs:
- “English Language Programs for Pastoral Agents”
- “Speech Training for Non-American English Speakers”
- “Diocesan Orientation for Multicultural Pastoral Ministry”
- “Resources to Implement Diocesan Orientation Programs”
- “Biblical, Liturgical, and Catechetical Resources for Southeast Asian Communities” ****
- “Biblical, Liturgical & Catechetical Resources for Asian/Pacific Islander Communities”
- “Religious Workers and Nonimmigrant Visas”and “Religious Workers and Special Immigrant Visas.”
NOTE: These have been distributed to everyone in the network. Feel free to duplicate.
**** Correction to PCMR Resource Brief #5—“Biblical, Liturgical and Catechetical Resources for Southeast Asian Communities:” Hmong, page 2 and 3:
- Acts of the Apostles (only in Hmong)
History of Israel (only in Hmong)
Commentaries on the Sunday Gospels (only in Hmong)
Lord Open My Eyes (only in Hmong)
Jesus is Lord. He is the Savior (only in Hmong)
Two articles on Africa in Sedos Bulletin, April 1997: “Mission and Afro-Brazilian Cultural Reality” and “The Church’s Prophetic Role in Africa’s Search for Selfhood.”
The Misfit: Haunting the Human—Unveiling the Divine, Larry Lewis, M.M. (Maryknoll, NY: ORBIS BOOKS, 1997) As a missioner, the quintessential “misfit” in cultures and society, Lewis engaged in a dialogue-of-life with his Chinese university students, discovering in shared disorientation, sorrows, and joys, new purpose, light and meaning in quest of the divine.
Finding Common Ground: A Primer for Environment and Population Advocates Concerned about Immigration, new easy-to-read booklet about environmental and population issues related to immigration and global migration forces. Cost: $5. Order from National Immigration Forum, 220 I Street, NE, Suite 220, Washington, D.C. 20002-4362; 202-544-0004.
Jesus Christ, Yesterday, Today and Forever, a new English/Spanish catechetical kit designed for the September 21, 1997 observance of Catechetical Sunday, contains a variety of liturgical and educational information. Cost: $10.95.
To order this USCC publication or to obtain a catalog of USCC titles, call toll-free 1-800-235-8722; outside the United States or in the Washington, D.C. area, call (202) 722-8716. Or, click on the publication title to go to the USCC Publishing & Promotion Services’ web page.
Preparing for the Jubilee: Year One 1997, a new 80-page catechetical resource kit (prepared by the USCC Department of Education) on the first year of preparation for the Third Millennium. Includes reflection pieces for catechists and religion teachers, resources for families, and for retreats and other small groups. Cost: $13.95.
To order this USCC publication or to obtain a catalog of USCC titles, call toll-free 1-800-235-8722; outside the United States or in the Washington, D.C. area, call (202) 722-8716. Or, click on the publciation title to go to the USCC Publishing & Promotion Services’ web page.
Catechism of the Catholic Church (in Spanish): This 70-minute video includes a section on general information, and four sections on how faith, the sacraments, the commandments, and prayer are integral to a meaningful life. Cost: $29.95.
To order this USCC publication or to obtain a catalog of USCC titles, call toll-free 1-800-235-8722; outside the United States or in the Washington, D.C. area, call (202) 722-8716. Or, click on the publication title to go to the USCC Publishing & Promotion Services’ web page.
From Maryknoll World Productions, P.O. Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308, phone: 800-227-8523, fax: 914-945-0670:
- The Ties That Bind, a one-hour program in English or Spanish, looks at the human drama behind the current debate over U.S. immigration policy. Three twenty-minute segments are designed to facilitate classroom or group discussion. Cost: $19.95.
- The World Through Kids’ Eyes, a new series of six short stories provides a unique insight into the reality and dreams of children from six countries — Philippines, Peru, Brazil, U.S.A., India, and South Africa. Cost: $29.95.
- Children of the Earth, a new series including “Asia Close-Up” focusing on Japan and Cambodia, and “Africa Close-Up” focusing on Egypt and Tanzania. Cost: $16.95 each.
Note: A study guide is available at an additional price for each of the videos.
| The Networker, quarterly notes from the Office for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees, NCCB/USCC, 3211 Fourth Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017-1194.
|