Diocese has many different faces

People from the islands of Ireland to the islands of the Philippines have contributed to the Albany Diocese from its establishment in 1847 to today.

In this new century, various groups and apostolates preserve languages, assist immigrants and honor Catholic cultural diversity.

Here is a look at some of the diverse faces of the Albany Diocese:

VIETNAM

Rev. Martin Tran Vanban came to America from Vietnam in 1975 and was ordained in 1985. Since then, he has dedicated himself to working with the Vietnamese community in upstate New York -- most recently, at Sacred Heart Church in Albany, where the Diocese's Vietnamese Apostolate is based.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' office for Migration and Refugee Services estimates that 270,000 Vietnamese Catholics live in the U.S.

One Sunday a month, 80 members of the Vietnamese Apostolate gather at Sacred Heart for a Mass in Vietnamese and an opportunity to experience their shared cultural community.

Family first

For his congregation, said Father Vanban, family ties are paramount -- as are preserving, teaching and passing on Vietnamese culture, language and customs.

Among Vietnamese Catholic customs is the Nov. 24 feast day honoring 117 Vietnamese martyrs, and devotion to Our Lady of La Vang during the second week in May. Efforts are also being made to establish a Vietnamese/English-language class.

"The old people want to understand the Word of God in the Mass," said Father Vanban. "They try to continue with their faith; when they live with another language, it is very hard for them -- and it is lonely."

KOREA

Bok Pai serves as the council president for the Korean Catholic Apostolate, which meets Sundays at 10 a.m. at St. Francis de Sales parish in Albany (at the Exchange Street church). Masses, offered by Rev. Chang Hyun-Son in the Korean language, attract 70 people.

One of the Apostolate's main goals, according to Mr. Pai, is to bring Scripture and faith formation to Korean immigrants. To that end, the Apostolate offers Korean and English language courses, as well as Bible study in both languages to better knit together both native-born and foreign members of the congregation.

"We want to help people coming to this country, teach English for the children who can't speak English and teach Korean to people who can't speak Korean," said Mr. Pai.

The Apostolate sponsors a picnic for Korean children adopted by American parents who bring their children to the Korean Mass to expose them to their cultural heritage.

HISPANICS

At St. Patrick's Church in Albany, nearly 200 Spanish-speaking Albany residents gather Sundays at noon for a Spanish Mass celebrated by Rev. Joseph Angelini, OFM, Conv., director of Hispanic ministries in the Albany Diocese.

Hispanics are one of the fastest-growing minorities in the United States today.

"Some of the people that come -- adults, mostly -- do not speak English, or they are just learning to speak it," said Claudia Ruiz-Peralta, director of faith formation for the Center City Cluster of churches in Albany. She is from Mexico.

"We have a lot of children that recently came from Hispanic countries," she said, "and they are not familiar with English. We have children that are completely bilingual and their parents want to preserve the language."

Many resources

There is also a Spanish Mass celebrated at Sacred Heart/St. Columba parish in Schenectady at 11:45 a.m., at Nativity/St. Mary's in Stuyvesant Falls at noon, and at St. Anthony of Padua in Troy at 10 a.m.

Many local Catholic Charities offices provide social and educational ministries to the Spanish-speaking population.

Hispanic Outreach Services, based in Albany, offers family assistance, advocacy, direct service and immigration assistance to the Hispanic community in Albany, Montgomery, Rensselaer and Schenectady Counties.

Guadalupe

The Hispanic community brought the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Patrick's in Albany, said Ms. Ruiz-Peralta. On the Sunday closest to her feast day -- Dec. 12 -- parishioners throw a post-Mass reception incorporating many Mexican traditions: singing "Happy Birthday" to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mass, processing, and gathering for food and celebration.

"We want to be a part of [this country], but not lose our own culture," she said. "Celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a reminder of how two cultures can have common ground."

Father Angelini has four goals: to raise awareness and consciousness of Hispanic ministry and presence in the Diocese; to look for additional sites for Spanish-language worship in the area; to develop a youth ministry program for Hispanic teens; and to host a drop-in ministry center.

"The most important thing now is an awareness and a consciousness-raising of the Hispanic presence" in the Diocese, he said.

BLACKS

The Black Catholic Apostolate was founded 20 years ago by the Rev. Kofi Nsitful-Amissah, a priest from Ghana, and Albany residents who felt the need to worship in a way that reflected their heritage.

The Apostolate's 150 families attend a weekly Mass at St. George's Church in Albany that often lasts more than an hour due to a great emphasis on music, said Chris Grosse.

Ms. Grosse, who is Caucasian, estimates that 30 to 40 percent of the members of the Black Apostolate are white or from another heritage. They are drawn in part by the "joyful music, singing and clapping, dancing."

Members of the Apostolate are involved with many traditional ministries, including choirs, lectors and Bible studies. They also volunteer at a juvenile correction facility near Johnstown and raise funds for groups doing missionary work in Africa.

Pride in heritage

Jim Owens is black and proud of the 150-year heritage of Catholicism in his family.

Growing up in Delaware, he wasn't allowed to attend the local boys' Catholic school and was bused to an all-black school.

Worshiping at the Black Apostolate provides Mr. Owens with a place to "let it be seen how we feel about worshiping God. In the Catholic Black community, there is a need for enthusiasm, a need for the expression of joy, a need to say, 'I love God,' out loud. We sing, we clap, we interject with 'Amen!'" during the homily.

FILIPINOS

Bukas Loob Sa Diyos -- a group made up primarily of those who are Filipino in heritage -- meets each Friday for prayer, and every first Friday for Mass and a healing service at St. Francis de Sales Church in Loudonville. The group's name means "open in spirit to God."

They offer Life in the Spirit seminars, Marriage Encounter weekends and social activities "open to everyone," according to Joey Nuqui.

For many Filipino immigrants to America, Catholicism is a common denominator. "Our community is very religious and highly faith-based," said Mr. Nuqui, an immigrant.

Traditions

Each year, the Filipino community gathers for Easter dawn Mass at St. Francis' Maria Drive church, preceding it with the traditional procession known as "salubong," a dramatization of Mary's first meeting with Jesus on Easter morning.

According to Mr. Nuqui, processions (including detailed passion plays, Christmas plays and Marian celebrations) are part of a lingering Spanish religious influence among Filipinos.

September is a banner month for Filipinos in Albany: A Filipino pilgrimage will take place Sept. 4 at the Our Lady of Martyrs Shrine in Auriesville, and Bishop Howard J. Hubbard will celebrate his annual Mass for the Filipino community on Sept. 28.

(For information on the Vietnamese Apostolate, call 463-3286. For the Black Apostolate, call 462-9604. For the Hispanic Apostolate, call 346-0261, or Hispanic Outreach Services at 453-6655. For the Korean Apostolate, call 399-2048.)

(8/19/04)