The Precious Present
January 2014
"Despite the diversity within the Church, are we culturally insensitive?"
The church custodian calls 911 because two men are lingering in the church after lighting candles at our Lady’s shrine. The church has experienced a few robberies at the poor box, and the custodian says the two dark-skinned men look suspicious. The men are confused; in India, lighting candles in church never caused such a stir.
A family, recent arrivals from Kenya, finds it difficult to get used to the American style of worship at their parish. They find the Mass empty and miss the two-hour-plus Masses of singing, clapping, and dancing in the aisles back home. They’ve approached the coordinator of liturgy in their parish and have been told, “We don’t do that here.” They’re starting to think that, in America, they might find a better home in the Baptist church.
Mexican parents of a ten-month-old boy have been visiting parish after parish; they want to baptize their son on his first birthday and can’t understand why a Catholic has to register in a parish before the baptism can take place. They never had this problem in Mexico.