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The Southern Cross, Page 8 IPsHttln AlEV^o Thursday, May 18,2000 A multiracial, multiethnic parish story All contents copyright ©2000 by CNS By Andrew Lyke Catholic News Service X-Jess than a year after our wed- ding, Terri and I moved from urban Chicago to a community in the urban area’s western suburbs. That was in 1977. Our townhouse was in a quaint subdivision of mostly young profes sionals, with few people of color. And the Catholic parish in the area seemed unwelcoming. The parishioners wouldn’t give us eye contact. When our eyes met, theirs quickly turned away, as though they wanted us to be invisible. So we traveled 35 miles to an Afri can-American Catholic parish in Chi cago where the hospitality was pro fuse and the welcoming heartfelt. St. Sabina’s became our church home for several years. When our second child was born, we wanted to move into a community that had more diversity. Sending our children to school in what we felt was a hostile environment was out of the question. So we selected the south suburban community where we live today. Matteson was known for its racial diversity. We wouldn’t have to be pio neers there. When we visited nearby St. Lawrence O’Toole parish, how ever, the people again had difficulty looking us in the eye. So, continuing our travels to St. Sabina’s was rather easy. After a year or so, we happened to be at a social gathering with the newly assigned pastor of St. Lawrence O’Toole. Father James P. Finno was a very personable man who couldn’t hide his puzzlement upon discovering that we lived in the geographic bound aries of his parish but traveled into the city for Sunday worship. Our im pression of him was so favorable that we decided to give the parish another try. On our second visit, we experienced the same ambivalence as before. How ever, one woman approached us and welcomed us to the parish. Her simple gesture wasn’t enough to change our impression much. Nevertheless, it did suggest to us that there might be some who would welcome our mem bership. It was that possibility that opened our minds and hearts to looking for something that perhaps wasn’t evi dent at first glance. Shortly after that visit, we attended a party at a parishioner’s home. There we met many others in the parish and felt genuine hospitality and welcoming. Bishop Wilton Gregory, who now is bishop of Belleville, Ill., but then was the episcopal vicar of that part of the Chicago archdiocese, encouraged us to stay with this parish “because there are good people there.” Interestingly enough, when we be gan to reach out others reached back. ■ ■ m After 12 years at this parish, we see clearly in hindsight that what we ex perienced as unwelcoming was really uncomfortableness. There’s a differ ence. Unwelcoming says “we don’t want you.” Uncomfortableness says, perhaps, “we don’t know how to relate to you.” We have worked through much of the uncomfortableness by opening ourselves to the people of the parish — not by proving we’re just like everyone else, but rather by sharing the gifts of our differentness. As members of this parish we have made it our personal ministry to reach out to others and share our “Af- rican-Americanness.” Sometimes it is difficult. However, when I think of the many hearts con verted, including my own, I know that I’m in the right place. Today St. Lawrence O’Toole is a multiracial, multiethnic family of faith and fellowship that embraces the challenges of diversity. We celebrate our diversity in our summer festivals where a variety of foods are prepared and served by different cultural groups. We celebrate Kwanzaa, Simbang Gabi, Our Lady of Gua dalupe and St. Patrick’s Day as par ish events, not just for persons of the ethnic cultures those holidays repre sent. We still have much more work ahead of us as a parish. Recently Fa ther Finno was reassigned elsewhere. Some still long for the “good old days” when parish life was simpler and there were fewer hues in the pews. God loves them, and so must we. That’s what Jesus would do. a ■ m Racism is a major obstacle to our Christian community. The U.S. bishops, for example, issued a state ment in 1979, “Brothers and Sisters to Us,” that unequivocally de nounced racism as a sin. More re cently the bishops of Illinois issued a pastoral letter titled “Moving Be yond Racism: Learning to See With the Eyes of Christ,” in which they expressed their “desire to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by speak ing to a grave personal and social evil: the sin of racism.” Personal experiences tell me that racism is very complex, illogical and difficult to grasp when it’s in your face. The most effective approach to this requires time and patience, for it involves forming relationships — one at a time — that reshape the culture of parish life. What happens then is that our dif ferences become our treasures. (Lyke is the coordinator of mar riage ministry for the Archdiocese of Chicago.) FOODFORTHOUGHT What can parishes offer to people who feel rootless and anonymous — even discriminated against — in modern urban regions? The response to that question is critical, Pope John Paul II indicated in a speech May 4, 1999, to bishops from Canada’s province of Ontario. The city “provides new opportunities, creates new modes of community, stimulates many forms of solidarity,’’ the pope said. But, he added, there is a “dark underside of urbanization. ” “The city promises so much and delivers so little to so many,” the pope commented. People may experience “a world of great absences” where “the heavens seem closed, and God seems a long way away.” So parishes must offer these people “a fresh and more profound experience of community in Christ, which is the only effective and enduring response to a culture of rootlessness, anonymity and inequality,’ the pope said. He warned that the city’s anonymity “cannot be allowed to enter our eucharistic communities.” Instead, “new ways and structures must be found to build bridges between peoples so that there really is that experience of mutual acceptance and closeness that Christian fellowship requires.” David Gibson Editor, Faith Alive! 21 We see clearly in hindsight that what we experienced as unwelcoming was really uncomfortableness. There’s a difference. Unwelcoming says ‘we don’t want you.’ Uncomfortableness says, perhaps, ‘we don’t know how to relate to you. 5 ’ 5 CNS photo by Bill Wittman