Thread: Mexicans Fill Pews, Even as Church Is Slow to Adapt

Mexicans Fill Pews, Even as Church Is Slow to Adapt

Two years ago, St. Joseph’s Church in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, seemed to be headed for extinction. Attendance at Sunday Masses had fallen below 100. The 159-year-old parish’s buildings were crumbling and its coffers were empty.

This is the fifth in a series of articles examining the lives and impact of New York City’s fast-growing Mexican population.

Today, the scaffolding outside bustles with workers. Sundays draw more than 300 worshipers, many of them families with small children. And where the prevailing language heard in the pews was once English, it is now overwhelmingly Spanish, with a Mexican accent.

As the Roman Catholic Church in the United States struggles with an exodus of American-born faithful, its ranks have been replenished by recent Latino immigrants — most of them Mexicans, who have brought an intense faith and a youthful energy. That buoying effect is especially evident in New York City, where the Mexican population has grown more than 25-fold since 1980. In parishes where they have settled, they have flocked to church, replacing worshipers who have died, moved away, defected to evangelical congregations or abandoned religion altogether.

[b]“If we lost all our Mexicans,â€

I am glad their looking for religion but they have churches in mexico too.They have learned by going to church they can get hand outs and advice to jobs and anything else they can get.They are not going for the same reasons as we do.Here in U.S.word gets around that churches are a safe haven because churches wont turn them down or in to the law.Im not at all against churches helping people thats what they are suspose to do but the right people these illegals are law breakers i bet that if a child molester or murder moves in next door they would shun them or turn them in.

Unfortunately, the Catholic Church engages in political activism for people that break our immigration laws. Supposedly this is a charitable effort but, this story tells me it is to fill their churches and coffers. If the majority of all illegals were, say Baptist, and were going to Baptist churches and filling those coffers, would the Catholic Church and Catholic Charites be so involved in political intervention and activism? Is it engaged advocating for immigrants or is it empire building on the back of US taxpayers?

The sex and molestation scandals over the past years have taken a toll on the Catholi church membership but now there is a fresh supply of parisoners

Though it is unclear whether Mexicans have given the church a financial boost

I know around here the mexican nationals do not give the church a financial boost. They are very stingy with their money.

[quote]Angela Reyes, who travels an hour each way to the church from her home in Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn, said that while Mexicans might adapt to non-Mexican priests, they felt a deeper connection to a countryman. “It’s very important,â€

Originally Posted by Newmexican

Supposedly this is a charitable effort but, this story tells me it is to fill their churches and coffers.

How are they going to fill the church's "coffers" when they are poor people receiving charity? They are more likely to drain the church's coffers. If they were looking for money they would pander to homosexuals.

The Catholic church has always been about the money. Their track record is clear that breaking the law is not an issue as long as you toss in your money at collection time. They hide their child molesting priests. Being in the country and in the parish and being here illegally is certainly not an issue for the church. If it means more money for the church I am sure the pope would even try to set up an undeground railroad to bring in more illegals.

Originally Posted by artclam

Originally Posted by Newmexican

Supposedly this is a charitable effort but, this story tells me it is to fill their churches and coffers.

How are they going to fill the church's "coffers" when they are poor people receiving charity? They are more likely to drain the church's coffers. If they were looking for money they would pander to homosexuals.

They get the money from the federal government. As a non-profit organization serving the "poor" community, it's called outreach. Notice how this church limits it's pandering mexicans only? What about other spanish speakers? Will they be welcomed? Is everyone now starting to wake up that it's ALL about mexicans?

They get the money from the federal government. As a non-profit organization serving the "poor" community, it's called outreach. Notice how this church limits it's pandering mexicans only? What about other spanish speakers? Will they be welcomed? Is everyone now starting to wake up that it's ALL about mexicans?

The Catholic Church spends more money on charity than they get from any government program. It isn't limited to Mexicans only. All types of people receive help from the church. In inner cities black non-Catholic students outnumber the Catholic ones in Catholic schools.

Originally Posted by duckman

I am glad their looking for religion but they have churches in mexico too.They have learned by going to church they can get hand outs and advice to jobs and anything else they can get.They are not going for the same reasons as we do.Here in U.S.word gets around that churches are a safe haven because churches wont turn them down or in to the law.Im not at all against churches helping people thats what they are suspose to do but the right people these illegals are law breakers i bet that if a child molester or murder moves in next door they would shun them or turn them in.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Good to CU BACK ONLINE, Duckman