Carol Glatz | Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The life and ministry of the Catholic Church is enriched by listening to everyone, especially those who are often excluded by society, and by including their experiences and perspectives, Pope Francis said.

“For the church is like a rich tapestry, made up of many individual threads that come from various peoples, languages and cultures, yet woven into a unity by the Holy Spirit,” he told a delegation from Catholic Extension.

The pope greeted the delegation during an audience at the Vatican April 26. The group included: U.S. Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago, chancellor of the organization’s board of governors; retired Arizona Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, vice-chancellor; and Sister Norma Pimentel, a member of the Missionaries of Jesus, who received Catholic Extension’s “Spirit of Francis” Award this year for her work providing care to hundreds of thousands of people at the U.S.-Mexico border.

“I congratulate Sister Norma Pimentel,” the pope said, “for her service to the many men, women and children arriving at the southern border of the United States.”

Speaking briefly in Spanish, the pope said the border was “caliente caliente,” that is, a hotbed of activity with so many people “in search of a better future.”

He thanked Catholic Extension, which had a delegation in Rome April 23-28, for its work “providing assistance to missionary dioceses, particularly in the United States, and in caring for the needs of the poor and most vulnerable,” especially in Puerto Rico “following the various hurricanes and earthquakes which brought such devastation to the island in recent years.”

“By giving a voice to those who are frequently voiceless,” he told the delegation,”you bear witness to the God-given dignity of every person.”

As the entire church is journeying together on the path of synodality, the pope said, “listening to and including the experiences and perspectives of all, especially those on the margins of society, enriches the church’s life and ministry.”

“I am pleased to know of your concern to place those who are often victims of today’s ‘throw-away culture’ at the heart of the church’s pastoral activity; in this way, their voices can be heard, and all can benefit,” he said.

Pope Francis encouraged them to serve others with “God’s style,” that is with closeness, compassion and tender love so that “God’s loving mercy becomes visible, and the fabric of society is strengthened and renewed.”

Our Sunday Visitor | Today’s Catholic

A recent Pew Research Center study caught the eye of many Catholics, despite the fact that the information the study conveyed wasn’t really news. Latinos are disaffiliating from the Catholic Church at alarming rates. The 2022 study reported that only 43 percent of U.S. Latinos identify as Catholic. That’s down from 67 percent in 2010. The statistic is a shock to those who are being told that Latinos are the future of the Church in the U.S.

But since the largest growth rate in the U.S. Latino population is not the immigrant community, the statistics are unsurprising for those who have been watching closely. The largest-growing sector of Latinos in the United States is now U.S.-born men and women. And that’s where the danger of secularization lurks. The Pew survey reveals that, while 16 percent of foreign-born young Latinos raised in a faith tradition are now unaffiliated, 23 percent of U.S.-born young Latinos now identify as unaffiliated.

What we are seeing play out among Catholic Latinos is the same story Catholic immigrants to the United States have lived for centuries. In communities abroad, especially countries where Catholicism was or is the religion of the majority, the parish church was not only the place for worship but the center of daily life. People frequented churches daily, visiting the chapels and memorials that had been part of their family life for centuries.

In the United States, however, the parish church is no longer the center of daily life. Some immigrant communities built their parish at the heart of their neighborhoods. And those communities were vibrant for a time, but, increasingly, they have disappeared.

Places, however, are not the only visible markers of the decline of Catholicism in immigrant communities. Often in American history, immigrant communities’ expression of their distinctly Catholic faith is muted in the process of assimilation to the broadly Protestant approach that characterizes the practice of Christianity in the United States. The proximity of a parish church to parishioners’ homes is one thing, but the tangible expressions of faith that mark immigrants’ identity are being quietly eroded as well in this process of assimilation.

So, what is to be done to help Latino Catholics keep the Faith? The same thing, in fact, that needs to be done to keep every Catholic a practicing Catholic: to invest in visible, experienced, incarnational expressions of faith that build communities and shape individual Catholics’ sense of common identity.

This can start, simply, with the Angelus. It’s a common prayer, a traditional prayer. The Angelus grew out of the practice of villagers uniting themselves in prayer with local monasteries. Pastors can ensure that their churches ring the Angelus bells morning, noon, and night. Parishioners should be reminded of the meaning of the prayer so that the bells really serve as invitations to prayer. Catholics can then build and live the practice of saying the prayer in their daily lives, knowing that they are joining their hearts and minds with their local communities.

In addition to the Angelus, pastors and parishioners should encourage and foster different communities of prayer in a parish. Invite people to join for morning prayer or offer to lead vespers several days a week for working people on their way home. Keep churches open so that people can come in to say a prayer, but have ready materials such as candles to be lit and prayer cards at hand to help guide seekers in their desire for prayer. Family rosaries can be a part of a shared prayer life in the home. Parishioners can support pastors to organize 40 hours or other periods of Eucharistic adoration.

Some pastors might balk or be reluctant to launch efforts that seem more aimed at community than evangelization, but they should think again. Card nights, bocce clubs, picnics, potlucks, and a host of other things that were part and parcel of parish life 100 years ago are part of the answer to our epidemic of loneliness. And these events can and should be coordinated largely by parishioners. To inspire joy, invite conversation, make connections, and introduce parishioners are the very beginnings of conversion.

The Angelus, regular trips for personal prayer to a parish church, and an avalanche of community events is the way forward. These are expressions of doctrine in daily life. For both immigrant communities and established Catholics in America alike, the lived connection to a local parish is the bulwark against secularization. In a way, it’s what we’ve always done. But surveying the landscape of life in modern America, there’s simply nothing else like it. And that will lead hearts and minds to Christ and renew the Church across our country.

We need communities of faith to better know and serve Christ, who is truly present in our parishes. It’s the way the Lord established the Church, that we might know Him together. No Christian is saved alone. Out of love for Christ, then, who calls us to be His own, let us renew our efforts of love in our parish communities.

The Our Sunday Visitor Editorial Board is comprised of Father Patrick Briscoe, Gretchen R. Crowe, Scott P. Richert, Scott Warden, and York Young.

View our new Vocation Video.

Called in baptism to proclaim by our lives and our works the presence of God in the world, we Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ accept the invitation to live a vowed life in community. We are inspired to listen prayerfully, to live simply and to serve joyfully. We respect and value each person. We stand with the poor and the powerless and respond to the need of Church and society. We deserve to foster peace in the world, and we accept the challenges of the future. Going forth with hope and joy.

National Vocation Awareness Week, celebrated November 5-11, 2023, is an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life through prayer and education and to renewing our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations.  NVAW began in 1976 when the U. S. bishops designated the 28th Sunday of the year for NVAW.  In 1997, this celebration was moved to coincide with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which falls on January 13 in 2013.  Beginning in 2014, NVAW was moved to the first full week of November.

Learn more.

By Autumn Meyers | NWI.LIfe

The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ recently added a stunning new organ to its Ancilla Domini Chapel. On Sunday, April 30, the Poor Handmaids held its very first organ recital to celebrate this wonderful addition. People from all over the community gathered for a one-of-a-kind organ concert and were left absolutely speechless. 

The new organ was handcrafted by Taylor and Boody Organ builders in Virginia and completed on March 3. A blessing service for the new instrument was held on March 25, but a recital was the perfect choice to showcase the organ to the public. 

The recital featured none other than Balint Karosi, a concert organist who specializes in playing these types of organs and has performed throughout the United States and Europe. Karosi is well-known for his ability to interpret music and bring it to life in the most unique, touching way. The Poor Handmaids’ Director of Liturgy and Music, Andrew Jennings, knew he had to get Karosi to play the first recital. 

“When playing this type of instrument, making good music is about so much more than just being accurate and hitting the right notes. This organ is unique because, unlike other organs, the wind is unstable and noncontinuous. It pumps and breathes as you play it, so you have to know how to listen to the organ and feel how it’s breathing, and Balint is just incredible at it. The music just pours from him,” said Jennings. 

Karosi was honored to play such a breathtaking instrument and demonstrate its beauty to the community for the first time.

“It’s craftsmanship respects centuries of traditions for organ building. This organ is going to last hundreds of years because it’s made with traditional materials. It’s a high-quality, handcrafted organ, which cannot be said about a lot of organs in the United States. This is an instrument that Johann Sebastian Bach himself could have sat down at and would have felt immediately at home,” said Karosi. 

Karosi played mostly classical German music in honor of the Poor Handmaids and their German origins, but he played a few modern pieces as well. Everyone loved it. As people swayed and bowed their heads, soaking in the music, it became clear that the new organ is more than just an instrument. It’s a powerful, spiritual tool. 

“Spiritual well-being is a big part of the Poor Handmaids’ mission, and regardless of a person’s faith or background, there’s sort of a transcendental moment that a person can have in a space like this. As you listen to the music it turns into a very sensory experience and allows you to feel outside of yourself and feel that bigger thing, whatever that may be. We always want to make this space free to the public so they can experience it,” said Jennings. 

What also makes this organ so special is that it is literally a part of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ campus. All of the carvings on the organ were made from the wood of a Linden tree that stood in the heart of the campus. The tree had to be cut down for safety issues, and the Sisters thought it would be a wonderful way to keep its memory alive. 

“That tree was planted here and grew here, and it’s going to remain here forever. From a spiritual perspective, it gives you that sense that all creation says glory to God,” said Jennings. 

It’s ultimately incredible that such a breathtaking instrument resides right here in Northwest Indiana. Most organs this beautiful are commonly found in Europe and have been there for hundreds of years. The fact that the Poor Handmaids now have one should not be overlooked. 

“If you want to spare yourself a trip to Europe to hear a European organ, all you have to do is come here. You will hear the same sounds that you would hear on an organ in Europe that is hundreds of years old. It’s wonderful to bring those sounds right here to the middle of Indiana,” said Karosi. 

The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ are proud of their new instrument and can’t wait for the community to experience if for themselves.

“This is a gift to the community. Our campus is a place of spiritual nourishment, and we want people to come out and experience this new instrument, even if it’s not for recitals. I’m hoping to encourage more people to come to play the instrument just for their own gratification. If students in the area want to come and practice or get lessons, I want to encourage them to do so,” said Jennings.